'Most academic authors pitch their books to a publisher by claiming to fill a gap in the literature. In the case of Australia's honour system, it is more like a gulf. Like the national flag, the honours system can appear such an obvious and well-defined symbol that its complex history escapes academic attention. Elizabeth Kwan has addressed one of those issues with Flag and Nation (NewSouth, 2006). Now Karen Fox has provided the first comprehensive history of the Australian honours system.' (Introduction)