Australia Books

Cycads is a book both scientifically accurate yet very accessible to the ordinary reader. It covers all the known species of in the 11 genera of cycads. The introductory chapters of nearly 100pp included discussions on history and prehistory, conservation, the structure of cycads, economic importance, biology of cycads, cultivation, pests and diseases, propagation, and cycads for containers. There are three appendices: cycad synonyms, lists of authors and a selection of fossil cycads. The book includes a glossary, bibliography and index.

The bulk of the book, well over 300pp, however is devoted to the individual species, with precise descriptions including etymology, distribution and habitat, notes, cultivation and propagation. There are over 360 colour photographs in addition to black and white photographs, line drawings and maps.

It is a good size and very handsome volume, beautifully illustrated, informative and easy to read; with this book one would surely need for nothing more.

It's a complete book for general Cycad lovers, also with plenty of color pictures in this book. It lists almost every kinds of Cycad species nowadays recognized, corrects the chaos nonmeclature of Cycad. It's also in good price and available.

I highly recommend this book.I will also follow the next edition.

Today's cycads are but relics of a worldwide population that flourished during the Mesozoic Era. Although superficially similar to palms, cycads are not flowering plants, and have a much more primitive structure. Many cycads have become inceasingly rare because of limited habitat and human encroachment. Only in recent years have people become aware of the great aesthetic value of cycads and incorporated them into gardens and lawns as useful, ornamental plants.

This book covers the worldwide variety of cycads in encyclopedic fashion. Beginning with a distribution map, the first half of the book introduces the history of cycads, their conservation and propagation, and their biology, structure, cultivation, and economic importance. Pests and diseases are also addressed.

The second half of the book addresses the different genera and species in turn, with an understandable, easily read text and good photos of each plant in its native state. The discussion covers plants in all areas of the tropics.

Anyone deciding to select a different form, or forms, of cycad cannot let this book go unread. Even if the reader lives in a climate where cycad cultivation is difficult or impossible, the book is an extremely interesting read about plants the dinosaurs lived near every day. Any person with an interest in botany will treasure ths book. I recommend it very highly.

NOTE: I am reviewing the 1993 edition. A revised edition is coming out in August, 2002. I will buy it immediately.

A very nice to read and study text, with plenty of pictures and drawings, undertandable also by someone like me that reads english only from time to time... I think it is a must for all of us loving cycads and relateds, with a lot to learn. More than only an introduction to all that beauty..

I originally ran across this book in the "young adult" section of the library, but I think it is just as rewarding for adults as it is for teens. The author has a wonderful flair for language, and the story is poignant and engaging. If you enjoy this, I'd recommend checking out the other books in this series... they don't share characters or story, but they do share certain thematic elements, as well as the author's unique style. My personal ranking for the series (from most favorite to least favorite): 1) Dance on My Grave, 2) Postcards from No Man's Land, 3) Now I Know, 4) The Toll Booth, 5) Breaktime... I have to admit that I haven't yet tackled This Is All.

Hal Robinson is sixteen, has just finished his school exams and has no idea what he wants to do with his life. Will he stay on at school? If so what will he study? Or will he get a job like his father wants? Hal lives at Southend, the part of London where the Thames River meets the sea. One day he 'borrows' a friend's sail-boat without asking permission. A storm blows up and soon Hal capsizes the boat. Then into his life sails Barry Gorman, eighteen year old, expert sailor, who rescues Hal and who it seems will soon sort Hal's life out. Soon Hal finds himself falling deeply in love with Barry, and it seems his every fantasy is about to be fulfilled. But, as Hal reveals at the very beginning of the book, Barry's life is destined to be cut short.

This book is written in a quirky, interesting, experimental manner. The text consists of Hal's first person account, six "running reports" by Hal's social worker, two newspaper clippings, and a school essay. The personal account features "action replays" in which Hal goes over the scene he has just described filling in the psychological details that could not be included in the flow of action. One important theme to arise is the 'postmodern' question of how much a written account mirrors reality? Hal desperately wants to be honest, but no matter how much he tries his words fail to describe the true 'feeling' of events, or can be interpreted in a way that varies from the 'truth'.

While being an account of a death the book is often surprisingly funny. I found myself laughing out loud in several parts. Grief, however, inevitably takes the main stage at the end of the story, and is represented in some considerable depth. This is not really a tear-jerker though, as throughout the book we have always known that Barry will die.

Of course the book is also a description of first adult love, in all its depth and pain. As the story progresses Hal moves from confused teenager to wounded but wiser adult. While this could be described as a 'gay' story the book can be also enjoyed by 'straight' adolescent readers: love, death and truth are in fact universal themes no matter in what details we dress them. The story includes some sex but it is only very discretely referred to.

This is an English novel and some colloquialisms and cultural references are included which US audiences may find difficult to understand. There is not enough of this though to make the book inaccessible: in fact most of the text should be crystal clear.

I read this book a couple of years ago and I havent been able to forget about it. It was a great story of two young men who fall in love and find their lives turned around by their situation. I recommend it to anyone looking for something out side the norm!

I first came across this novel in my eighth grade year at school. It had been the first homosexual novel that I'd ever read, and I found it both surprising and satisfying; it was a coming-of-age story about a pair of young men who happened to meet by chance of fate during the summer vacation and ended up spending several weeks together.

Hal seems much more committed to the relationship than Barry, who acts as though his time with Hal is merely an exciting fling. And one morning, Barry, filled with exhilaration, makes Hal promise that if one of them dies, the other must dance on his grave. For Barry to ask such a daring thing of Hal only serves to further arouse Hal's interest and he becomes more obsessively committed than ever, for he had always hoped to find the ideal, "bosom" friend, and he feels that Barry must certainly be "the one".

Dance on My Grave was like nothing I had ever read before, and admittedly, the novel seems targeted more towards a British audience and someone unfamiliar with British terms may have to reread certain parts several times to fully understand the book. But I have remained forever attatched to this book, for it evoked such emotions in me as I had never felt before. You can't help but feel sympathy for Hal, who, for his whole life, has been searching for the perfect friend and lover but could never find anyone that fit his ideals... until he met Barry.

The lesson of the desperate, clinging obsession that comes with true and unconditional love in this story seems to be like the young adult equivallent to Joseph Olshan's Nightswimmer. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a guide by someone who has been to each location but apparently has no commercial stake in your going there. The money saving tips and low cost suggestions were particularly attractive. For the physically active, like myself, bike trips and hikes are outlined in great detail. Advice on where bicycles can be rented and what equipment to use for trips are especially helpful. Close up bare bones maps with attractions noted gave me the feeling that I would never be lost in going to each location. Finally, if you don't plan to go but would like an interesting tour of each location, this book provides a running commentary providing a view of the overall atmosphere together with a detailed visit to the major and minor attractions in each area. A very enjoyable read but also a very practical guide.

I recently purchased this book prior to traveling down under. The book was immensely helpful in making my trip an a memorable adventure. The trips listed in the book are not the run of the mill tourist(y) trips listed in the more well know guides and provide exciting enhancements to anyone's itinerary. I found myself reading the trips I was unable to take just to learn more about the local culture and flavor.
The local info on transportation and food etc was timely and accurate and a great help. Highly recommend this book for anyone desiring to experience Australia or just learn more about this wonderful country.

Far from being the usual dry and boring travel guide, the author of this book presents comprehensive information on a variety of interesting destinations accompanied by witty descriptions and refreshing honesty. It also inspires confidence in the potential tourist to know that most of the adventures have been personally researched, road tested and evaluated. I found this book very easy to read and having already visited a few of the destinations listed in the book myself, would recommend it as a must-have bible for anyone intending to travel 'down-under' to experience the real Australia, both on and off the usual well trodden tourist paths.

Daytrips Eastern Australia is a valuable tool for anyone who is looking to visit this amazing country. It is also a great resource for those who are simply interested in getting better acquainted with the Australian culture. I am currently planning a trip to Australia, and I was able to find more information in this one book than on the internet. The author includes a variety of helpful resources, such as information on transportation, food and drink, accomodations, and much more. Throughout the book, the author makes you feel as if you are right there with him. Overall, it is a great way to prepare yourself for a rewarding trip to Australia.

THE DEAD OF NIGHT is the 2nd book in John Marsden's TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN series. THE DEAD OF NIGHT continues the sorty of a group of teenagers who have to learn how to survive after their country has been invaded. This book is really good if you like suspense.

All the books in this series are brilliant

I was first introduced to this serioes at school, we were assigned to read it for English, before this book all books assigned to us in school were all garbage and I expected the same, as did most the other students in my class, most wouldnt bother to read it, so the teacher read it aloud in class, for most of it upuntil the half way mark I ignored most of it, until it dawned on me that this book was actualy sounding o.k. When I got home i got my copy from the bookshelf and actualy started to read it, and I read at any chance I had, and when I finished I read the second and third and then had to wait while the rest were written and released
The amazing story starts off with a group of teenagers going camping, and when they return the find the Australia has been taken over by another country, they go to the bush again to hide, but can't just sit back and do nothing and decide to fight back in what ever way they can, although unconventional, when all is said and done and the series is over they made a huge impact on the war, sometimes planned, sometimes fluked, of coarse not all survive and with every loss you can not help but feel the emotional pain of the others, it is the best comming of age story I have read, and although it is listed as a young adult series, it will be unforgetable to all ages and you will develop a bond with Ellie, Homer, Kevin and the rest of the gang, I have never fell in love with any fictional charactors the way I did with these guys, not even in T.V series
A story like this comes along once in a life time, do not, and I mean do not missss this book

The Dead of Night is a fascinating follow-up to Tomorrow, When the War Began. I teach a class of 7th and 8th graders and we have read both books aloud throughout the current year. The kids simply love this series. Marsden is no dummy! He knows how to cleverly pull in the teen readers. In this series, the adults have managed to screw things up and it is up to the kids to correct things. He offers a sense of adventure along with a sense of power to his teen readers. Furthermore, he deals directly, yet responsibly, with a number of issues that are especially important to teens. Somehow, he manages to capture the true feelings and concerns that are universal for most teens.

Great story of what determined men can achieve with severely limited resources. Lots has been written on Colditz Castle and the men who were imprisoned there and the few who escaped.

I visited the castle in 1999, and what I saw confirms the stories in the book.

Great reading for those who prefer real adventures and exploints to fiction.

On June 23 1943 the author, Jack Champ, was marched into the German prisoner-of-war camp designated Oflag IVC, these days better known as Colditz Castle. Colditz was Germany's seemingly escape-proof castle prison, where hundreds of the most determined and resourceful prisoners of World War II tirelessly carried out an unending campaign to achieve the seemingly impossible - freedom. By the end of the war, twenty Australians had spent time in Colditz, and this book looks at life in the ancient castle specifically from their point of view. Colditz was a very special camp - the guards outnumbered the prisoners, and the castle was floodlit at night. Initially the Germans boasted that Colditz Castle was escape-proof, but they were wrong. By the end of the war, there had been more escapes from Colditz than any prison of comparable size during both world wars. Jack Champ was a reluctant prisoner who took part in two of the most spectacular mass escapes of the war. This book describes in vivid detail how these indomitable and resourceful Australian servicemen tried, and at times succeeded, in turning dreams of escape into reality. Colin Burgess has interviewed many of the survivors and carried out extensive research to create this gripping account of the full story - from tense days in the care of the French Underground through to the only recently resolved fight for proper compensation.

On June 23 1943 the author, Jack Champ, was marched into the German prisoner-of-war camp designated Oflag IVC, these days better known as Colditz Castle. Colditz was Germany's seemingly escape-proof castle prison where hundreds of the most determined and resourceful prisoners of World War II tirelessly carried out an unending campaign to achieve the seemingly impossible - freedom. By the end of the war twenty Australians had spent time in Colditz, and this book looks at life in the ancient castle specifically from their point of view. Colditz was a very special camp - the guards outnumbered the prisoners, and the castle was floodlit at night. Initially the Germans boasted that Colditz Castle was escape-proof, but they were wrong. By the end of the war there had been more escapes from Colditz than any prison of comparable size during both world wars. Jack Champ was a reluctant prisoner who took part in two of the most spectacular mass escapes of the war. This book describes in vivid detail how these indomitable and resourceful Australian servicemen tried, and at times succeeded, in turning dreams of escape into reality. Colin Burgess has interviewed many of the survivors and carried out extensive research to create this gripping account of the full story - from tense days in the care of the French Underground through to the only recently resolved fight for proper compensation.

This is a great story of what determined men can achieve with severely limited resources. Much has been written on Colditz Castle, the men who were imprisoned there and the few who escaped. I visited the castle in 1999, and what I saw confirms the stories in the book. This book is great reading for those who prefer real adventures and exploits to fiction.

Wasn't sure what to expect when ordering, but am very happy with the purchase. The maps are great! I have lived in Guam & find that the info in the book is very helpful. I'm still learning my way around the dive world here & now know where some of these places are that people are talking about. It has also helped plan our next dive trip to other islands. Great info on Palau, Chuuk, & Yap. So much to see & so little time!!!

I went back and bought 2 more for my travel companions! We just came back from Truk & Yap and I never saw my book, it was traveling around our group so much! We are planning to return to Palau, so I bought extra copies as self defense! The best dive guide I have found to the islands.

One of the most informative books about diving in the Pacific , next to Tim Rocks lonely planet guides for diving and snorkelling in Micronesia this is the best , only this one accomodates all the islands in one book meanwhile lonely planet is done over three books .
I definately recommend it !

I don't know that I've ever read a better dive book or travel guide. The author covers every minute detail, and somehow, it still reads well--a fascinating and well-treated subject. David Leonard shows great wit and a solid knowledge of his subject.

The photographs are amazing, too.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Not only does it show the other side of the history of colonial Australia, it's also really funny. Calling the Chief Protector of the Aborigines an "upwardly mobile bricklayer" (as Mudrooroo does) says it all. :)

A novel that provides a much needed Aboriginal perspective on Australian history - and does so with great originality, compassion and humour. I recommend it as a truly important and fascinating read. It provides a unique perspective on colonialism and indigenous resistance that is too often ignored by mainstream press and politics.

This is a truly amazing book, a view into a world that has been lost, an examination of a historical tragedy that is unfortunately not unique: the death of an entire people at the hands of another. It is a compassionate work of great spiritual power, and ultimately affirms the human imagination and the strength of the human soul. It is written in extraordinarily restrained language by a justly acclaimed poet.

The author, Mudrooroo, may not be well known to American readers, but is a leading (and somewhat controversial) literary figure in Australia. The novel was previously published several times in the United States as by Colin Johnson, the author's birth name. I completely agree with the assessment of Stephen Cobb that it is an extraordinary accomplishment.

In my opinion this is the most under-rated novel of the twentieth century. Certainly I can think of no other that tells a tale of such utter tragedy and suffering with such a coherent equanimity of feeling and purity of wit.

Now, I have to confess that this book touched me more than any other I have ever read. I have read it more times than any other novel (except perhaps Jane Austen's Emma, which I was required to study both in high school and at college). Yet I have taken pains to keep my passion for Doctor Wooreddy's Prescription from clouding my review. I can offer some facts to bolster my objectivty. For example, my opinion of this work is not due to a lack of exposure to good books. I got my degree in English and Comparative Religion in 1974, at Leeds University, England. I've been reading voraciously ever since.

Indeed, something unqiue about the School of English at Leeds University back then was its Chair in Commonwealth Literature. That meant I studied those often overlooked novels written in English by people who were neither English nor American, including Nobel Prize winners Gordiner, Naipul, and White.

Yet in my humble opinion, Mudrooroo has eclipsed them all with his narration of the death of a civilisation, the most successful that this planet has yet seen. As we see, through the eyes of a last survivor, the destruction of 60,000 unbroken years of complex human culture, we can but marvel at the humor in his heart, the compassion in his eyes, and the boundless pity he has for those who are destroying his world.

As good as 'Tin Drum' but far more accessible and direct in its impact on the darkness and light in the German psyche. The only author from Germany to honestly address the issues of what led to WWII and its aftermath. There is a hilarious and brilliant passage towards the end of the second part of the book which takes a savage poke at Heidegger and German love for abstraction. A gem of a book.

First: If you decide to tackle the Danzig Trilogy, Reddick's critical analysis is indispensable. I suggest tackling it the same way I did: read The Tin Drum, start Reddick's book at the same time you start Cat and Mouse (Reddick reads faster than Grass, and you'll get through a lot of Reddick while tackling Grass), and when you've caught up, read Reddick's section on Dog Years and the actual novel concurrently.

Those of you who feel the revelation of anything having to do with a book before you get to that part in the book is a spoiler should probably avoid this technique; Reddick revelas the major "mystery" in Dog Years towards the end of his section on Cat and Mouse. However, one cannot really consider Dog Years a mystery, despite the various things that happen within it; while there are some elements to it that keep the reader guessing, Dog Years is, more than anything, a savage satire on Germany during the WW2 years. And as such, finding out the main mystery-that's-not-a-mystery should not detract at all from one's appreciation of the book itself.

Dog Years can also stand on its own, without being read as a part of the Danzig Trilogy, but the reader's appreciation of many facets of this novel-- most notably Edouard Amsel's character and the satire itself-- are more easily appreciated when you have The Tin Drum and Cat and Mouse under your belt as comparisons. Amsel, the main protagonist of Dog Years, stands as a direct comparison to both Oskar and Mahlke, and his character is more easily understood when those two have already been assimilated by the reader.

The plot of Dog Years is a simple enough one; it charts, through the use of three narrators, the frindship of Edouard Amsel and Walter Matern from grade school through their early thirties. Amsel, the intellectual one, is picked on constantly by his classmates (including Matern) until one day, for no apparent reason, Matern befriends Amsel and chases away the others. It's a typical buddy-relationship in that Amsel is the brains and Matern is the brawn, but we don't get the bonding we've come to expect from seeing too many Hollywood buddy films. The relationship between Matern and Amsel is far more complex than that, and Reddick has done a passable job of interpreting it, one which I won't attempt to recreate here (it would be ludicrous to attempt something that complex in such a forum as a review). In an odd lapse, though-- especially given how much emphasis Reddick has put on Grass' enmity and stire of the Roman Catholic Church in the previous two books-- Reddick seems to have overlooked one of the most obvious interpretations of Amsel's character (and also that of the more minor protagonist Jenny Brunies), as a christ figure. In the novel's central scene, both Amsel and Brunies (who are both made out, in the first half of the novel, to be almost comically fat) undergo a transformation that transforms Brunies into a ballet sensation and Amsel into another character entirely, the omnipotent Goldmouth; while there is no physical crucifixion here, the path taken by Amsel's character through the rest of the novel certainly implies the path of christ after the resurrection, until his assumption into, in this case, Berlin. For the next hundred or so pages, Goldmouth is never actually seen, only referred to in the good deeds he does for others, and he achieves an almost legendary status among the rank and file for his goodness, his power (in postwar germany, his power is in his connections; who he knows), and the fact that no one really sees him much, but everyone is aware of his presence and his acts. However, Reddick, in his attempt to (successfully) parallel Amsel's character with that of Grass himself, never examines this aspect of Amsel.

This lack also leads to Reddick drawing the conclusion that Dog Years is the weakest of the three books, while still proclaiming that as a whole they rank as the finest piece of modern German literature extant today. I feel Reddick is giving Dog Years short shrift here; while the book does, in fact, have its faults, they are faults shared by the other two novels as well, and I came away from Dog Years thinking that, to the contrary, it was the strongest and most absorbing of the three. While it was more difficult than the other two, it was also more rewarding and more absorbing; it's not often I'll put in three months on one novel, but at no time did I feel that it ever stopped moving me along, and at no time did I ever feel that it was time to put the book down for good.

Keeping this seeming oversight of Reddick's in mind, I still have to recommend his book as a perfect accompaniment to Grass' most famous three novels, and all four of them deserve the attention of every serious student of literature.

I am not going to attempt to describe Dog Years other than to say it is a stunning work by a brilliant writer at the top of his game. It should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the German psyche in the 20th century. Some may find the style challenging, but there's a method to Grass's madness, and if you give it time, Dog Years will reward you like no other book you've ever read. Personally, I was hooked right away, but even allowing for taste, Grass will win you over sooner or later. The Tin Drum is a masterpiece, but Dog Years is even better.

Grass uses wonderful, dense, invented words and peppers his novel with wonderful, dense, twisted imagery. Which is why I admire the work and why I was determined to finish the book although it was as intellectually heavy as a brick and occassionally tried my patience. This is not a book for an MTV-hyperactive attention span. More than a reflection of German mentality, it is a journey into the German mind, because so many times it follows a stream-of-consciousness approach. Sometimes it feels as if you're on a rollercoaster ride through the tunnels of a character's mind. Which is why I hated it too. I felt that many times the book became self-indulgent... that is, Grass wasn't writing for the reader but for himself or as a catharsis for his characters.

I only realized Dog Years was part of a trilogy after I bought it, and I enjoyed The Tin Drum much more because I read it after seeing the movie (it relieved the mind from loads of exertion). Although I am immensely relieved to have finally finished Dog Years, I still can't wait to read the other book of the trilogy, Cat and Mouse. Love to hate Grass.

It's no secret that there are thousands of fantastic unknown children's books out there. I would even go so far as to estimate that over 60% of the best kid books disappear without so much as a ripple under the waves of subsequently published literature. So this is all the more reason to appreciate a well-written unknown book when you find it. That book, such as it is, is Elizabeth Honey's "Don't Pat the Wombat". A fine frolicsome Aussie import, this tale of kids, camp, and canoes is one of the best kept secrets in fiction today. And it's freakin' hilarious.

The plot follows a group of roughly ten year-old boys called The Coconuts. They named themselves that after the narrator(nickname: Exclamation Mark)'s mom drove them around singing, "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts..." The other boys include Wormz, Nicko, Azza, Mitch, and Jonah. Jonah, to be honest, is the real hero of this tale. A calm silent boy, Jonah earns the wrath of the school's most dreaded teacher, The Bomb. When the boys head out for summer camp (an event that included not only the boys but their teachers from school and two parents) it's just their bad luck that The Bomb comes along for the ride.

First of all, this book is undoubtedly one of the funniest I've read in a very long time. Funny books never get any respect, you know. Not adult funny books, nor children's funny books. This is a story where the narrator's mom plays on a basketball team called The Cellulites. The pictures, supposedly drawn by the author, are a hoot and a holler (and frighteningly similar to pictures an actual ten year-old would draw). And the storyline has the boys pulling the kind of innocent pranks you'd expect of them. I was particularly taken with a moment where the boys (after a rousing mud fight) decided to play dead to see what their German counselor Helmut would do:

"Oh, they're dead!" goes Helmut. "What a pity, I'd better bury them," and he started shoveling mud on us.

It's that kind of story. On top of that, there's some interesting Australian language to grapple with. America is the kind of country that takes great pains in changing words in the Harry Potter books that appear "too British" for delicate American children's ears. Apparently, Australian slang is a completely different matter. Initially I was quite taken aback by the amount of words I either couldn't understand or couldn't pronounce. Here's a great example. It describes the teacher nicknamed Chook:

"If something goes right, she says, `Jolly beaut!' and if something goes wrong, she goes, `Blinking heck!' For something amazing, she says, `By jingo!' She wears Daisy Duck shoes".

The book's full of this kind of thing. When a boy calls his teacher a nerd his mother patiently corrects him and says the terms he's looking for is "duffer". Slang includes words like "derr" as well. I mean, I think it's great! More books should be coming into our country with these kinds of words. But if you're not prepared for them, it's a bit of a shock.

If I have any objections with this book it's that it's too darn short. Too short by far. You finally are beginning to get a little more insight into the characters and before you know it, time's up! Story's done. All in all, however, I consider this book one of the lost greats. It'd make a fantastic read-aloud to those students that are reluctant to read. The characters are likable, the plot is quick, and the photos and pictures very funny. For a sure fire crowd pleaser (if they can get past the slang) give this book a try. The funniest Australian children's book I have ever, or may ever, read.

Elizabeth Honey is the author of Don't Pat the Wombat has a great idea for a book. She writes about a kid named Mark and his friends are going to camp with their teachers! One of their teachers nicknamed the Boom, because he hates all kids and tries to drown a kid named Journa! Mark and his friends have to save Jouna from the Boom. This book is funny and exciting. That's why you should read this book.

I am sixteen years old and Australian. Don't Pat The Wombat was my favourite book when I was ten, and I recently reread it. I'd forgotton how funny and accurate it was.

First, some background information about the setting. Despite what it may appear, the kids are not going to summer camp. They are going to school camp. The difference is, it happens during school time, and not during summer. The summer holidays happen over Christmas, and they only last for six weeks, so no summer camp. Edwina and Helmut are not counsellors. They are backpackers how happened to be in the area. Also, the slang is fairly accurate, if I recall primary school correctly.

Don't Pat The Wombat is about a group of boys in year six, who have called themselves the Coconuts. They're the troublemakers of their class. A few weeks before camp, they become friends with a new kid named Jonah, who is from a rural area. Jonah makes enemies with Brian Cromwell, a cruel teacher that the Coconuts have nicknamed the Bomb, because he explodes. They go to camp in the bush, and have fun. Most of the book is taken up with the description of the fun, but towards the end it develops a more serious theme. Jonah starts opening up slightly, and has an encounter with the Bomb.

The book has a very light hearted tone, which is why I think I loved it so much. You could count the serious bits on the fingers of one hand. The characters are believable twelve-year-olds, and act in a believable way. I was never one of the troublemakers myself, but I remember school camp, before popularity became everything and kids still listened to the teachers. And the lollies, who could forget the lollies?

Elizebeth Honey has written a few other novels, of which the Stella Streets are the closest in tone to this one. I'd recomend those as well.

Remember summer camp in all it's wonderful, horrible glory? Elizabeth Honey does and she brings the memories back to life with this outrageous and funny tale about a group of Aussie sixth grade boys (known as the Coconuts and later, the Convicts) off to camp.

Narrated by Mark (or "Exclamation Mark"), he gives us the tell-all tales about his friends and their antics. They befriend newcomer Jonah, who takes on the Convict's ultimate nemesis, teacher Mr. Cromwell, a.k.a. the Bomb. ("Cromwell at camp is like Darth Vader at your birthday party.")

This a frenetic and fun book, documenting the misadventures of outback camplife (complete with mud fights, exploring, an end-of-camp pageant and of course, wombats!

Definately worth a read!

The first thing that grips me is that Greenway is a true master of English style, on every level, a melding of H.L. Mencken and an enraged bulldozer. Second is the insights he gives (sometime too freely) into himself.

He displays a wonderful and commendable arrogance because he probably does know what he's talking about better than almost anyone else. At times that can be wearing - his utmost certainty that he's right about the world and its functioning. But under the hardheadedness is a love for even those he castigates among both the aborigines and the white Aussies.

A romantic pragmatist-conservative, if you can imagine such a thing, he goes far, far beyond the usual academic study to probe the personal and cultural reasons that motivate both individuals and groups. There's a certain sadness, too, in his search for a home, which he has found in the Australian bush, but which can never be truly his.

Greenway has an immense, almost frightening intellect combined with a tough-love humanity that he hides under a roiling run of billingsgate. There was no one else like him that I'm aware of, and not likely there will be.

I agree with the earlier positive reviews of this book. This is travelogue from a master story teller, and a folklorist to boot.

Greenway worked with Norman Tindale in his later decades. Tindale was probably Australia's first archaeologist, but he had polymath interests. Tindale during World War Two played a major role in detecting the origin point of the Japanese Fu-Gu firebomb balloons used as part of a vain attempt to saboutage the US / Canadian war effort in the Pacific North West. Tindale, then a RAAF intelligence officer, analysed the sand used for the ballast and thus helped locate their point of origin. Greenway tells us what it was like to work with thinkers like this. Another of Tindale's many accomplishments was mapping the tribal areas of virtually all the Australian Aboriginal tribal groups.

Greenway gives us a feel for pioneering work in anthropology in outback Australia during the final decades of the close of the Australian frontier. The last tribal group to have 'first contact' with Europeans was contacted about 1967.

Greenway's style is anecdotal but displays the depth of his specialist knowledge, down to earth common sense and impatience with the pretentious and fraudulent.

A combination travelogue, biography and history.

I read this book a couple of times long many moons ago but still must concur with those who say it's a great book. The author, John Greenway, enflamed the passions of students at his university and he claimed he was, by their lights, the campus reactionary. Alack! The students did not know that in a review of one of his early books, American Folksongs of Protest, he was described by the Soviet Appartchik reviewer as "America's most progressive folklorist." Gotta love the dichotomy! Greenway was also chummy with Woody Guthrie, Aunt Molly Jackson and a folksinger in his own right. In fine, Dylan himself even pilfered one of his songs.

The author, John Greenway, was my professor. This book is without doubt his masterpiece, his magnum opus. It takes the reader on a profound journey into the heart of Australia, explaining and teaching about Culture itself, the great driving engine of all human social organization. His chapter on religion is succinct and potent, and perceptive students will be indelibly changed by its insights. Dr. Greenway spent 15 years in the desert among the aborigines. His amusing tales of the characters he met and studied are almost mythic as described, a testimony to Greenway's powerful literary style (he was a student of Anglo-Saxon literature and folksongs, and studied under the great MacEdward Leach at the University of Pennsylvania). His storytelling ability is his strongest asset. But more important, the reader will be lifted above his own culture to see why people act as they do. I predict that this book will be republished some day and become a recognized text in cultural anthropology. Dr. Greeenway was a pioneer, and far ahead of his time.