Australia Books

Common Law Aboriginal Title is a highly specialised and impeccably researched book dealing with the origins and sources of land title. It would be especially useful for legal professionals preparing land rights claims on behalf of indigenous peoples, and anyone who better wants to understand the supporting role the law played in the dispossession of indigenous people during the age of Imperialism. This book's importance surpasses that of a mere historical curio, however. It has the potential to secure a more just future for fourth world peoples.

McNeil traces contemporary notions of land tenure and sovereignty back to their historical roots in feudal England. He intricately documents the way in which such notions were used, abused, twisted, perverted and ignored by colonialists in justifying the acquisition of 'savage,' 'unsettled' territory. He comprehensively deals with the international laws relating to conquest, cession and settlement, exposing the indisputable fact that many territory were miscategorised, almost invariably to the detriment of indigenous people. In so doing, he sets forth a radical challenge to the legal legitimacy of indigenous dispossession. He then proceeds to examine the limited recognition of indigenous title under various regimes during the 20th Century.

Common Law Aboriginal Title provides a battery of highly pertinent legal arguments for anyone wishing to challenge existing legal norms. The High Court of Australia borrowed extensively from this book in its ground-breaking Mabo judgment, in which it overturned 200 yeras of racist precedent. This scholarly book should play an important part in any future attempt to liberate indigenous people from the terrible historical hang-over of colonialism.

At last, a book about 'social work' this is not jingoistically professional in orientation. I couldn't cope with the 'professionalism' in the Social Work Dept. at the local university, so what a joy to read a most-sane and expansive model of community work that did not espouse professionalism in a precious manner. This book is a godsend of refreshing encouragement, and a much appreciated reorientation away from professionalism toward 'community'. The author presents a strong practical and convincing theoretical approach to community development.

Had watched the couple of movies (made in Bangla) for Feluda's adventures, but reading the complete collection was like revisiting an old friend. The translation from Bangla to English has not lost any of the pace or effect. Overall a very good read.

Complete Book of Australian Birds is a beautiful, oversized hardcover edition of this book. It is an excellent resource for working out what kind of bird you just saw, or just reading out the avian types that inhabit the country, in general. Definitely a very nice publication, and well worth a look for those interested in the feathered types.

excellent book, there are so many pictures to guide you to make a good work

An excellent field guide. It is complete with photos of the larvae and adult along with drawings to show important identification points. The only thing lacking is the season of adult flight.

I was very pleased with this publication. It's one of the most comprehensive books on an artist I have ever seen.

This book was alternately infuriating and interesting. Two days after finishing it, I noticed that my RSI (of ten years) had disappeared. Hallelujah!

This wonderful dictionary was published many years ago. I had two copies of it. Unfortunately, over time, I lost them. My native language is not English. I am grateful to the publisher and author/compiler for this dictionary as it immensely helped me building my vocabulary. The presentation of entries was very facilitating and the pronunciation for each entry was given in a unique way that the book definitely did help the reader learn the proper pronunciation. In my strong opinion, this book should never become out of print. It will have its use generation after generation.

Ashiqul Hai Saiyed

The collaboration of Patricia Crawford and Ian Crawford, Contested Country is a fact-filled, 303-page, highly recommended history of the area surrounding Northcliffe, a small Western Australia country town. Ably presented as a microcosm of Australian society and socio-environ-mental history, Contested Country expertly and informatively explores the ways in which different people have strived to shape the land to suit their own needs, with a close eye on divisions between Aboriginal and European attitudes.