Inquiries from the public to the Art gallery of New South Wales are nearly always about the Archibald Prize; we have, it seems, an insatiable appetite for portraits. Perhaps they feed our need to know who we are. With the ease of a seasoned journalist, Peter Ross guides the reader through the disputatious and sometimes rocky history of Australia's most famous art prize. His admirable interviewing skills make this colourful reading not just for arts insiders but for the curious bystander as well.