It remains for the reader to judge whether it is a strength or a weakness of the book that the author sticks to who-did-what-when and avoids any real critical comment of his own. For criticism of performances we are constantly given quotes from contemporary newspapers without any attempt to identify or comment on trend or direction. It is precisely this lack of historic overview which makes the book little more than a well-illustrated chronicle. Nor does it do more than just hint at the politics within the art. An example of this is the treatment given to the then dramatic resignation from the Australian Ballet by Ann Woolliams:

Toward the end of July 1977, the company’s artistic director Ann WoolIiams resigned her position following a disagreement with the administration: . . .

I am glad the book was completed prior to the Australian Ballet Company’s strike of 1981 or we may have seen even that momentous happening dismissed with little or no comment.