Oceania Books

Great book for kids through 5th grade. It's a perennial favorite in our school library. Nice photos and simple text give a fine introduction to Australia. There are other titles in the series - all are equally good.

I highly recommend this book for teaching children about Australia and New Zealand. It is just right, provides good information and isn't long winded. It's actually fun to read. Remember those deadly dull country books we had to read or browse in when we were kids? Hopefully those books are passe!

Leadbeater continues to astonish as he speaks on theosophic issues to the lands down under. A true collector's item!

An excellent companion to travels in Australia, either in life or from the armchair. Section 1 is entitled Politics and Daily Life. It includes pieces by women of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, ranging over an extremely eclectic range of topics, from women convicts to racism and politics from koori women's point of view. A reasonable representation of Aboriginal women is present - more than in most collections. Part Two looks at particular places , It is called Cities - Country - Rivers. Some of the pieces are about places well away from the regular tourist path, for example Flinders Island. This is a feminist volume, and includes chapters from lesbian women. Staying and working on organic farms is popular these days. Kaye Johnston's chapter "The revolutionary nature of Lesbian Organic Gardening" tells about her and her partner's project - Moonraker farm in the NSW Southern Highlands. At the end are several listings, some of which may be out of date. More useful is a Recommended Reading section which includes literature, anthologies, poetry and plays, fiction, autobiography, history, - mainly, but not exclusively by women. There is biographical information on each of the contributors. This is a really interesting volume to dip in to, and it is a very valuable companion to Australian cultural life, breaking out of the Crocodile Dundee, sunbronzed Aussie type of stereotype. And, I think, despite the title, there is much for men in here too!

I have read several of Mr. Johnson's books and find them all very informative. Being an Australian, was particularly interested in "Australia from the back of a Camel". This book gives a very accurate description of the vast expanse of inland Oz, and one can almost smell the dust. For anyone contemplating a trip to Central Australia, this book is a must.

Dr Strahan's masterly review of changing Australian perceptions of China is nothing short of miraculous. My only comment is that Dr Strahan neglects somewhat the role of the Collingwood Australian Football Club in Australia - China relations in favour of the less important and quite frankly overrated Carlton.

This is a great resource for children and adults. The author covers different Pacific cultures (New Guinea, Hawaii, etc) and describes their unique contributions to world music. The text and book design (an ocean-blue motif that perfectly complements the subject) are both outstanding.

I only have one 'coffee table' book, and this is it.

This inspiring and moving book, beautifully captures in words and over 120 full-colour photographs the essence of the isolated continent that is Australia. The author, Darren Jew, was inspired by his father's travels in Antarctica to pursue a career in nature photography, and has photographed much of the world's wildlife and landscapes. However, it is his native Australia, where he grew up and lives, and where he spent 8 years as photographer for the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service which is his greatest inspiration.

In this book he takes the reader on a journey from the abundant life of the great barrier reef and tropical rainforests, to the stark beauty of the red centre. Along the way he shares with us his understanding of and love for the unique plants and animals that make this isolated continent their home.

Why do I love this book? I have travelled in Australia many times, and it is a truly magnificent and fascinating place to which I will return again and again. The author has captured this magic with breathtaking images and lyrical yet factual prose. It's clear he knows and understands the land, its plants and animals. The breadth of material is outstanding. You can dive down to the depths of the great barrier reef and swim amongst the beautiful corals and cruising barracuda; sit on a sandy athol watching the sun go down or catch crabs scuttling to their holes; climb the misty ranges of the blue mountains or gaze in awe at the majesty that is Ayers Rock.

Darren's range as a photographer is as wide as his knowledge of the land. His portaits of wildlife are superb - some burstling with action such as courting terns and diving whales, others graphic still lifes -the brilliance of the the colourful cup moth on a palm leaf, the beady eye of the watchful yellow python. They're all here: kookaburras and koalas, possums and platypus, cassowarys and crocodiles. There are over around 60 colour plates of all the well known Australian fauna and a few you won't have even thought of.

And the landscape photographs match the wildlife ones in both quantity and quality. Darren really does 'write with light' and captures the spirit of a place perfectly. You can almost feel the water dripping from the tree ferns in the rainforests, imagine the scent of silver barked eucalypts against the deepest blue sky and feel the parched red desert and sacred rocks.

Just as he captures the spirit of the creatures and landscapes, he too captures the moment. One of my favourite pictures is a glassy wave breaking onto the reef, every drop of water frozen at that moment in time - now where's my surf board?

Whilst many of Darren's pictures are spectacular panoramas, he is also adept at capturing the more intimate scenes: a close up of delicate forest fungi dripping with dew; a tiny turtle hatchling making its dangerous trip back to the ocean.

The words which accompany the images are both inspiring and illuminating - simply but engagingly written, with a vast store of first hand knowledge to draw upon. You can tell that the author loves his home and wants to protect and nuture it.

Whenever anyone asks me what Australia is like, I show them this book. Then they book their Qantas ticket. Really, it's that good.

This is a sensational collection of breathtaking photographs of natural wonders and major cities of Australia. This is the best collection of photographs of Australia I've ever seen and I live here. There is a small amount of information on each place but not sufficient that you could plan your entire journey or use it as a travelling guide companion. Buy this for the photographs. This would make an excellent present for either Australians to give friends, host families, relatives and so on in other countries or for people outside of Australia to buy just to have sensational photographs to look at. All the major cities and natural wonders are in here. This would also make an excellent book to use for school projects and the like. If you are interested in Australia you have to own this book.

Good books on monitors are hard to come by and this is one of them. Up-to-date info and beautiful photo's (the one on the cover is almost worth the price of the book IMO) make it a must for anyone interested in these incredible dragon-like lizards.

From the magnificient and beautiful Perentie to the cute Short-Tailed Pygmy Monitor all the varanids occuring in Australia are described and illustrated. It is also a good reference for those who wish to keep them as pets.