Australia Books

I think this book is a wonderful source of information to anyone who wishes to find out about Kay. She lived a fasinating life. Congratulations on an 100% fabulous book.

Detailed preparation, astounding courage, sheer determination, and a little divine luck are elements of this inspirational true story of Kay Cottee's single-handed circumnavigation of the globe. An achievment made all the more inspirational because she was such a down-to-earth and 'ordinary' person, who started from nothing exept her own vision of what whe wanted to achieve. This is a book I recommended to all my friends. Kay Cottee writes from the heart, and I found this book both compelling and easy to read.

Kay Cottee is one of Australia's most esteemed women. From a relatively 'normal' childhood and adult life, Kay's dream to sail single-handed around the world makes her shine.

First Lady is the tale of Kay's progress to achieve her life long ambition. From securing sponsorship to enduring friendships, her character and humour shine through.

From horrendous conditions to eating too much, this book will inspire anyone with a dream. Kay's story reveals to all of us that with enough guts, determination (and a healthy appetite and humour!) we can achieve whatever we set out to achieve. Highly highly recommended reading!

Les Carlyon's new book (published in 2001 in Australia) covering the Allied campaign against Turkey in the Dardanelles is one of those books that you find hard to put down once you start. In over 540 pages of narrative we get to hear the soldiers speak of their terrible trials and tribulations fighting in a harsh environment against a formidable enemy.

The book's main focus is upon the Australian involvement but the author does not neglect the role of the other Allied contingents, soldiers and sailors of the British and French Empires. Nor does his forget the enemy, 'Johnny Turk', who many Australian soldiers later came to respect regardless of the horrific fighting that they had endured.

I suppose many people will ask why Australia continues to make such a fuss over Gallipoli. When you take into consideration that the Australia of 1914 sent out of its small population over 332,000 men to serve overseas and of those 215,000 or more became casualties, (of which 60,000 died). A casualty rate of 65 per cent. Taking those figures into consideration you get an idea of why WW1 and particular Gallipoli means so much to many Australians.

The book is well told and the author uses numerous first-hand accounts of the soldiers, from both sides, who fought during this campaign. The narrative is engrossing, full of interesting facts and stories and just pulls you along further and deeper towards an ending we all know but made more alive and new by the author's style of writing.

I don't think that this book will offer any serious readers of this campaign anything new or startling, but I think that anyone who has a passion for Gallipoli will find this a well told account and close to being the definitive book on the subject. Many aspects of the book, particularly the stories of the blunders made by the Allied High Command still make me shake my head even though I have read it all before.

"We mounted over a plateau and down through gullies filled with thyme, where there lay about 4000 Turkish dead. It was indescribable. One was grateful for the rain and the grey sky. A Turkish Red Crescent man came and gave me some antiseptic wool with scent on it... The Turkish captain with me said: "At this spectacle even the most gentle must feel savage, and the most savage must weep' ... I talked to the Turks, one of whom pointed to the graves. 'That's politics,' he said. Then he pointed to the dead bodies and said: 'That's diplomacy. God pity all us poor soldiers.'" - Captain Aubrey Herbert, ANZAC, May 1915 (taken from the inside dust-jacket of the book).

I was given this book as a gift by my son. When starting out reading this comprehensive book I was feeling "gallipoli'd out" and had not intended buying another book on the subject. I have read quite a lot about Gallipoli and the first world war. There are inumerable books that tell the story from the individual (aussie)soldier's perspective, others that maintain a focus on strategy, tactics and political aspects. In many many cases these books focus very intently on the Australian and New Zealand elements (ANZACs)and neglect the broader contexts that aid a more balanced understanding of the events. What is spectacular about Les Carlyon's work is the even handed treatment of every player in the drama, it gives a balanced perspective on so many levels. It is a book of reconciliation, though maybe this would only be apparent to Australians and New Zealanders for whom the pain of the losses in WW1 still resonate, and for whom the battles in the Dardanelles hold particular national significance, even mythology. Carlyon is masterful at blending his personal description of the battlefields as they are today and the impressions one (he) has when exploring them, with the personal experience of the soldiers on both the allied and turkish sides, and the bigger picture strategic and political aspects. The personal experience of the commanders at every level and the social and political contexts in which they were moulded and in which they functioned is not neglected. Carlyon's present day descriptions do not dominate, they merely form something of a "breather" between the military detail. The style of writing is very engaging and the book on the whole is extremely accessible for a broad audience.
This is an absolutely magnificent book on it's subject.

Picked up this book down in Aussie in 2002, and I fully agree with "Aussie Reader's" review. He qualifies it as the best "recent" work on Gallipoli because the battle received some very fine treatment from Alan Morehead (?? memory may be failing). More to the point, Carlyon explodes some of the myths of Gallipopli, i.e., the callous British commanders sending the "colonials" to their death, etc. etc. Certain senior officers were criminally myopic, but they can hardly be accused of being callous, and more than a few equally guilty can be found among the "colonial" key commanders and staffs. Carlyon does a superb job of laying out the roots of Gallipoli's failing, and places them at the feet of Churchill and Kitchener, but he moves on to the battle itself to detail why it failed on the ground. The responsibility for the latter lies with the commanders on the scene, as bad plans, well executed, have been known to succeed. And, if its one thing the British Navy should have been good it, it was amphibious operations. They weren't. (The USMC would not perfect this as a technique until the 1930s) He certainly raised my estimation of Kemal Ataturk and the Turkish soldier of the period. But importantly, more than any other book on Gallipoli, Carlyon's touristic view of the battlefield gives the military reader a much greater appreciation of the terrain, and the influence that the nature of the terrain had upon the battle and how it evolved.

In short, a military history of interest to any serious student of power projection operations.

Beautiful charted flowers, a very worthy successor to "Decorative Victorian Needlework". Book is organized by the seasons. A sampler for each season and several floral designs for each season. Informative, detailed, a conversion chart for the different brand needlepoint wools, and instructions on the preferred needlepoint stitch for working E. Bradley's designs. Plus, the delightful surprises in E. Bradley's books, in this one you must see the Plum Pudding chart. What a delightful Christmas gift a plum pudding ornament would be.

Elizabeth Bradley designs are still very popular. This books includes a few designs that cost $200.00 in kits each, plus a few that are not available as kits. Very good!

I love this book! I have about 19 needlepoint books, but this is the one I go back to again and again. For those of you who have only worked with kits and lusted after the VERY EXPENSIVE Elizabeth Bradley kits, this is the way to go. If you are a cross-stitcher, the added plus is that Bradley advocates a cross-stitch because it makes the cushions more durable, it doesn't distort the canvas, and it's what many Victorian needleworkers did.

Elizabeth Bradley patterns are great to take with you on holidays, because you don't need a frame (as long as you use cross-stitch). The colors are beautiful, soft "Antique" English colors. Many of the patterns have a striking black background, and she gives guidance regarding color substitutions (both the sage green and pale blue work well). I've done a number of the patterns, and whenever I'm making a gift I do something from this book.

As the title suggests, the patterns are floral but there is a great deal of variety from striking lilies to Victorian wreaths.

Maddox's book lays out the extent to which religion and politics are intertwined in Australia in minute detail. The voice is pragmatic, but there are unmistakably dire implications for the country. Even though Australia is not as overtly influenced by the Religious Right as the US, Maddox makes it clear that there is a great deal more _covert_ action taking place that has been deliberately obscured.

Although this book is now a little dated, it remains a valuable resource for exposing some of the key players in this situation - and I look forward with anticipation to Maddox providing us with an updated edition.

Marion Maddox's "God Under Howard" is a fascinating book. It discusses the role of religion in Australian politics during the tenure (still ongoing at the time of writing) of Australia's second-longest-serving Prime Minister, John Howard.

Maddox parallels the beliefs and tactics of the religious right in US politics with those of the conservative Liberal Party government lead by John Howard in Australia. However, the book is not only limited to Howard's tenure as Prime Minister (1996-present). The opening chapter outlines the influence of religion in Howard's early life. In addition it examines the role of political tactics borrowed from the US religious right in Howard's time in opposition, and how these tactics helped him rise to power.

Historical discussions about Howard's youth, and about debates in Australian Parliament over euthanasia and equal employment opportunities are very interesting.

From a purely political-science point of view, the analysis of how a quite secular country like Australia has been influenced by religiously-based political movements is very interesting. This book would be enjoyed by anyone interested in Australian politics, comparative world politics, and religion.

There are some moderate biases in this book, mostly opposing some of the Howard Government's policies, and opposing people who interpret Christianity as saying that Jesus wanted people to be rich. These biases are not overwhelming, and much of the treatment of subject matter in the book is objective and even-handed.

The book paints a picture that religious-right views are strongly pervasive in Australian politics, and strongly influence many Australian politicians. Recently, the Australian Parliament voted to effectively lift restrictions on the abortion drug RU486 and on theraputic cloning for stem cell research, this development somewhat undermines the image of Australian politics that this book presents.

This book makes a clear case for why some of the Bush Christian rhetoric does not work so effectively (at least yet)in polarising Australian public opinion. Having established this, it makes an even more compelling case for the indirect manipulation of public opinion by the subtle use of 'us' and 'them' labelling.

This is not just about the politics and religious beliefs of leaders.

It is also about the role of the popular media in presenting opinions as facts without analalysing either what is actually being said or what it might mean in the eyes/ears of the recipient.

I recommend this book to all who are interested in, or care, about the kind of country we want Australia to be. But we need to think about who we (collectively) are. Reading this book will help stimulate thought on this.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I don't find many books that spark my interest in the first chapter and keep it going until the last page. This book did just that. The moment Garnet steps off the ship to meet her betrothed, she meets Jeremiah who is looking for a sturdy but attractive woman to be his wife and friend. He's instantly drawn to her and the chemistry is undeniable, even on her end, but she is bound and determined to marry the man she has been promised to, so off she goes. Ed, the man she was promised to, doesn't care for her and can't consummate the marriage. He gladly sells her as soon as his mother dies, and I was touched that Jeremiah thought so well of her to purchase her. In my opinion, it was romantic that he was willing to spend so much for her.

She, however, doesn't think it's romantic and fights him every step of the way which makes for a very entertaining and fun read. I noted the humor spread throughout the book. One such example of Sally Odger's humor is when Garnet unwittingly ends up in a whorehouse (after running away from Jeremiah) and she injures the man she's supposed to serve. He screams so she starts screaming too. I love how Garnet wouldn't let him take advantage of her. She's a strong woman. It is at this point where Jeremiah comes in to save her and she ends up fainting in his arms (another humorous event since she prides herself on not fainting).

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes strong chemistry between the two main characters who fight it but in the end, realize they're not so bad off after all. For anyone who likes this book, I recommend O'Conner's Last Stand [...].
In Search of a Husband (Scarlet)

Mix and Match

Garnet Perry arrived in New South Wales in 1830 to be the bride of Edward Landis. She had never met Mr. Landis, and had only emigrated because there was nothing else she could do. Her father had died in debt, and her stepmother wanted Garnet out of the way, so that her own daughter could shine. So her stepmother had written to her cousin, Mr. Landis, who promptly offered marriage to Garnet. When she arrived, she realized that marriage to Landis was not what she had thought it would be, but she was now trapped.

Jeremiah Gold was a settler, with his own selection land upon which he was building his home and farm. In Sydney Town one day to purchase supplies, he happened upon an impromptu auction at which Landis was selling Garnet! To save her from rape or worse, he bought her for ten guineas, and took her to his selection to be his wife. Life never runs smooth, however, and Gold begins to wonder if his kind heart has put him into more trouble than he's ever had in his life!

I have always been fascinated by the history of Australia, and this novel really brought to life the early years of settlement. Ms. Odgers paints the life of a settler in vivid color, and with careful attention to detail. The plot is nicely done and is fast-paced, with plenty of action. I started reading this about 8:30 pm one night, and didn't stop until I'd finished it two hours later - it was that hard to put down. The characters of Garnet and Jeremiah are interesting and realistic, and the author's skill in characterization and dialog are demonstrated by scenes in which they interact, which fairly leap from the page. I felt particularly empathetic with the character of Garnet, who finds it difficult to believe that her life has come to this farm in the bush. The love scenes are sensual rather than explicit, but fit perfectly into the narrative, making it a seamless whole. This has to be one of the best books I've read this year. If you like historical novels, I highly recommend this book! -- Jean, Fallen Angel Reviews (courtesy of Fallen Angel Reviews)

I enjoyed reading this book, cover to digital cover. It held my interest from beginning to end and I couldn't put it down. There are no dead-zones, no pulp. Sally Odgers tantalizes us with the plot and creates a terrific chemistry between the protagonists in her book. The characters are well-developed and Sally makes us feel strongly about them. We either hate them or love them, dead or united.

The characters we want in each arms, are fencing each other from chapter one through twenty. The duel is well-matched, and keeps us rivited to the page. We think we know the outcome but Sally ends the book with a bang...or two!

This book has the most breathtaking photographs I have ever seen! If you're looking for a photographic journal of Australia, then look no further! My mother and I were searching for a book to get my brother (who's just about to return from studying abroad in Australia) because his camera and all of the pictures he'd taken were stolen! Hopefully, this book will be a good substitue for his own pictures. This book is absolutely magnificent!!! I highly recommend this book, it is worth every penny!

After spending some time in Australia and wanting to take something home with me to remind me of a fantastic trip, I stumbled into a small gallery in The Rocks district of Sydney.

From that point on I have had a Ken Duncan panograph on my wall and this book on my coffee table. Ken has the gift to create pictures that invoke amazing feelings in the audience. His picture of a field of Sunflowers is aptly named "Field of Joy". I sat in his gallery and watch a dozen people walk in a smile when they saw the Field of Joy picture on the wall. It was the most natural reaction.

Ken's work is beautifully portrayed in this book in large, page and multi-page covering panographs. It will be a favorite with you, your family, and your friends. I know, as I have one friend who has flipped through its pages at least 20 times, and keeps coming back for more.

Are you a bit leery about buying a book of photos without seeing some of the photographers work? No problem. Check out Ken's web page at kenduncan.com.

If you are interested in, have been to, or are thinking of going to Australia, this is the book for you. It is broken up into the five Australian states of New South Wales, Southern, Northern Territory, Western, Queensland, and a section for Tasmania. It is the Highlights of Australia Book.

If you are interested in panoramic photography or photography in general, this is the book for you. It is a portfolio of one who has mastered the panoramic format. All of the photos are in stunningly rich color and have good page coverage so you aren't squinting and you don't need a magnifier.

This is a fantastic coffee table book, and well worth it's price.

The most breath taking photographs I've ever seen are found within pages of this "Divinely inspired" book. Coffee tables won't do it justice...definitely suitable for framing! The art and the artist are the genuine articles...the sincerity of the artist and the inspiration behind the works come through in a powerful way with the most amazing color and clarity. Whether you love Australia or good art, this book is a must have!

We found this to be an excellent handbook. There were handy maps of each region and fairly comprehensive reviews of things to do both in the major destinations and off the beaten track. For example, on our visit to the Waitomo region we noticed a few nature sites noted on our driving map withoout explanation. Checked the location in the Moon Handbook and discovered memorable side trips we would not have taken otherwise.

This book is great for backpackers and students. It is also helpful members of Hostelling International and VIP backpackers. It explains the cheapest way to travel and the must sees in New Zealand

A must for traveling and truly enjoying the people and countryside. Details of out-of-the-way places as well as the city life. Able to get around without driving (on the wrong side of the road). Will long remember all of the friendly people and the cleanliness of cities and countryside.

To me the amazing coincidence of the narrative by Joseph C. Meridith on the Patrols of the USS. Hanna DE449 in 1953-1954 is that it almost perfectly coincides with the time that I was a Radarman on the Hanna. It is like he wrote my history of that time in my Navy experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and it will be treasured by me and my family. The Patrols were a great experience with all the sailors on board wanting to be on the small parties that were able to go ashore to walk around the islands. The ones that I remember the most were Ponape, with its absolute breathtaking beauty and Truk with its abundant Japanese navy ships that had been damaged during World War II. The book is a great treasure of information on the islands written by a man who recorded his observations in a colorful and well written manner

I ran across this book looking for information about the USS Hanna (DE 449), a WWII Destroyer Escort ship named after Private Billy T. Hanna USMC, who died on Guadalcanal in 1942.

I highly recommend reading this to anyone interested in Micronesia and War in the Pacific. It is very readable and well worth the effort. Written by the USS Hanna's captain, Joseph C. Meredith, the book details the ship's patrols of Micronesia, and the Bonin and Volcano Islands in 1953-54.

Captain Meredith describes the seven patrols he captained, giving intimate observations on the islands they visited, the people, history and geology. The stories of the attempts of foreigners to discover, exploit and dominate the islands, provide a real understanding of the islands and their people.

His emphasis on Japanese influence on the islands gives a real understanding of WWII and the Pacific, of what it was like to be there, and of the reasons and strategy of the War in the Pacific.

He researched the history of Micronesia in great detail, providing an accurate view of how Micronesia became what it is today.

World War II in Micronesia laid a foundation for hundreds of books and thousands were written. For those of us who were there right after the war few books have recorded what it was like. This author, a naval captain of a Destroyer Escort, told his story and wove in history and the continuing story of the people. And he told the story we lived. Casual inspection tours of twenty islands in fifteen days. Landings that started in a small boat and ended swimming in across a rocky beach. Local administrators who had shamefully little support from the US government and still carried on trying to do a decent job. Priest and missionaries who carried on in the wake of war, building communities with Navy discards. Hopeless ocean searches that sometimes were successful. And a little boredom. For those who were there, a very true book.

This book is also available from a different publisher. CRESSCOURT, an Australian publisher. The author is James Cumes but on this edition he has taken his middle name and now writes under the name James Williams.

It is an excellent book but I thought I'd mention this in case you find it hard to get this book under the original name he used. I bet this would be a good movie since it shows little known facts about a group in Australia during the trying times of WW2 and Japanese invasion.

Clearly it's hard not to get carried away on this one. This author is so steeped in place and subject and so skilled in crafting a human canvas uniquely suited to this locale and litany of experiences that anyone associating major Australian fiction with paulhoganist one-dimensional pap needs to read this book.

It's easy to raise comparisons to Dostoevsky and Kings Row and War & Peace and Gone With the Wind and The Sundowners, but yet in some respects these comparisons appear dwarfed when held up as standards by which to evaluate the enormity and all-encompassment of the piece at hand.

Twice I've read HAVERLEIGH, and each time I was mesmerized by the characters, the surroundings, the historical accuracy. The Kokoda Track, (The New Guinea campaign including Milne Bay and typified by the Kokoda Track) is recognized as a defining moment in Australia's history; and yet, few know about it. This was where the invincibility of the Japanese Army was first broken. Mr. Cumes doesn't "just" tell the story of young Australians in WWII. Instead, he takes you there in his words, through his characters and gives you the gift of seeing first-hand what happens to people in the dredges of war. His characters capture your heart, and take you beyond what you think happens before, during and after a war to the people in and around the war. Mr. Cumes gives you cause for retrospection; he allows you to wonder "what if"... I will read HAVERLEIGH a third time. And I know at the end of the third reading, I will have the same reaction as the first two. As I close the book, I will breathe a deep sigh of gratefulness that Mr. Cumes transported me to another time, another place - and for those moments I was reading... into another person. If you appreciate excellence in writing and history, and want to meet some incredible characters, you must read this book!

This was an exciting novel about peter and his Dad. This was a great book with many different settings. Peter and his Dad were very close. Considering they were partly homeless and Peter's mother had died. They have been running away from the C.I.A. when his dad gets put into the hospital. Peter gets put into foster care. He hates school and his teacher. I would recommend this book to people who like intense books.

The style of writing drew me quickly into the novel. Peter and his thoughts about being hungry and the closeness to his father made me want to keep turning the pages. I had not read about this book, so as I continued to read a question popped into my mind. Something is wrong here; but what? I teach English to 9th graders and this is a book I would like to use in all my classes. The art museum, the mice, the planes create enough confusion that the young reader would fly with this book.
Great writing, reading.

This review first appeared in the "Ephrata (PA) Review":

Fensham, a teacher for 15 years in her homeland of Australia, set out to fill a void--a novel for children who have family members suffering from schizophrenia.

"Information booklets were not enough to ease their pain and bewilderment," she writes. "I searched the library for a fiction novel that might both entertain and inform, but could find nothing."

Fensham penned "Helicopter Man" so skillfully that it reads first and foremost like a novel--not a story superimposed on facts about mental illness.

As the story opens, 12-year-old Pete and his father are "camping" in a dilapidated shed on someone's property. Pete's father must stay hidden or on the move. Convinced that a spy network is out to get him, he freaks when helicopters pass overhead.

The story is told from Pete's viewpoint, through journal entries and letters to a friend, which lends a fresh authenticity to the account. Pete's entries range from musings on the past to his daily concerns, gradually revealing how he and his father have arrived at their present homeless state and how they are extracted from it.

The story is gripping, the characters believable and likeable. American readers will be tickled by some of the Australian English and will enjoy piecing together the meanings of colloquialisms such as "chucking a wobbly."