Australia Books

I read this when I was a young man living in the U.K. Some friends had me read it to their child.

"Mr. Impossible can do anything... he can... That's Impossible! You try it!" I must have said those words a million times since I read it (whenever some engineer would want me to defy the laws of physics because that was what the project should make happen).

For some reason I thought of it this week and was telling my daughters about it. I am happily suprised that I am able to get it now in the USA.

Back in college I got a job as a summer janitor at the local elementary school. One of the things I had to do was clean up in the library. I took this time as an opportunity to catch up on some reading... in the form of the Mr. Men series. Mr. Impossible is the story of a man who can do it all. Assuming you define all as things that you can't do. He will delight and entertain with his antics!

"Mr. Impossible could do the most amazing things."

William meets Mr. Impossible on the way to school one day. As they walk together, William asks Mr. Impossible a series of questions, and each answer is follwed by an impossible feat.

Mr. Impossible goes with him to the school, and continues to impress everyone with his impossible tricks. At the end of the book, William tells his parents about his new friend, and they say,

"That's Impossible." ;)

I loved the Mr. Men and Little Miss series in the 70s when I was just a kid, and it positively blew my mind when I found out they has been reprinted.

Another one that children can relate to is Mr. Noisy (Mr. Men and Little Miss).

Mr. Skinny was a little book my daughter wanted read over & over again when a young girl. She is now 30, & was thrilled to have an old friend back in her life...

I love this book and my son loves it too. All the Mr. Men books bring back good memories from my childhood. The story is fun and easy to follow.

Mr. Skinny is a skinny fellow. The problem is that he lives in Fatland. Everything there is fat but himself. How will he fit in, being the thin peg in a fat hole world? Thankfully, with the help of a portly doctor, and a suprise cameo by another of the Mr. Men tribe, there is a solution to Mr. Skinny's problem!

This is a richly detailed, and very touching book about one place though history. Although it is a children's book, adults will find plenty to interest them, especially if they have an interest in history. There are maps drawn by the characters of where they live that are interesting to observe for the continuity through time. Wars, immigration, and environmental change all play a part. Some things remain the same.

I use this book in class rooms all over the place, from 6 year olds to 12 year olds. I am currently planning a 10 week program of literature and art around this book for 10 year olds. The older kids appreciate the things that the younger kids don't pick up on,eg: family relationships between different characters at different times. It a great jump start to talking about Multiculturalism in Australia and how this came about, where the different nationalities came from and why. Discussions about war are also valid. I am using it to focus the kids on their place, physically and metaphorically, we will be creating our own maps and writing to go with them. We are then going to 'publish' them in our own book and hold an exhibition of the original art works in conjunction with their completed page and the completed book.

This book came out in 1988 during Australia's bicentennial of the European invasion of Australia. It shares a title with a book by Sally Morgan, an Aboriginal women whose search for her own identity and place was published at the same time. This book can be read in either direction. For younger children, it may be easier to start at then end an move forwards. For older children, part of the fun is in uncovering the history of the place - an inner urban area of Sydney.

The book emphasises the timeless continuity of the place, and that even though we might be the temporary custodians of a piece of land, we share a common history and linkage through our humanity, and our Aboriginal history. Lushly illustrated by Donna Rawlins, and words by Nadia Wheatley. A valuable asset to any school library, primary or secondary, and public library, as well as the shelves at home.

My son first showed interest in t at about age 4, and has returned to it periodically since - ie over 2 years. It will stay with him for many years yet!

This is a great book by a brilliant historian who is deeply revered on both sides of the Atlantic. It will be the definitive work. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003)

This is a much more thorough study of Congregational culture and doctrine than that of Perry Miller. Miller's work relied entirely on published weekday sermons. Stout mined the unpublished sermon notes of hundreds of New England preachers to find a balance that Miller missed. Stout convincingly shows that the ministers' commitment to the salvation of their listeners was always paramount, and finds a consistency in their messages that link the ministers of the 1630's with those of the 1770's. Stout finds few doctrinal differences between Old Lights such as John Cotton and New Lights such as Jonathan Edwards. It's a tough read (being intellectual history), but it's well worth the effort if you wish to get inside the Puritan mind.

Harry S. Stout (Ph.D., Kent State University) is currently a professor of American religious history at Yale University. Building on the groundbreaking work of Perry Miller, Stout published The New England Soul in 1986. The study is more extensive than its paperback size might suggest. The main body of the work covers nearly 150,000 words and is supplemented by 68 pages of extensive end notes. The work has become a standard text for college and graduate courses in colonial American history.

Stout's work centers on the content, role, and power of the sermon in Puritan (later New England) America from the first landings to the beginning of the American revolution. His thesis, which is strongly supported through the work, is that the sermon was the central agent in creating a cohesive culture that evolves toward eventual self-identity and independence. Drawing extensively on primary sources, Stout brings to the contemporary reader the piety and passions of the people whose culture forms the soil for the American nation.

Stout follows the sermon through five generations of New England preachers. These generations are marked by gradual but significant changes in the style and, to some degree, content of the sermon. These five generations he labels invention (1620-1665), arrangement (1666-1700), style (1701-1730), delivery (1731-1763), and memory (1764-1776).

These five stages are, he admits, not dramatic shifts as much as a continual evolution. Through these stages Stout demonstrates changes in style (from plain to "Anglican") and, to some degree, in content. He asserts, however, that the essential core elements of the sermon remain consistent, and that the changes reflect the sermon's adjustment to a changing environment. In this assertion Stout challenges to common suggestion that Puritan preaching displaced its original mission and passion over time.

The themes of personal piety and liberty, Stout demonstrates, are constant from the early sermons of John Cotton to sermons like that of Samuel West celebrating the liberation of Boston by George Washington in 1776. These themes are linked by a shared sense of cultural and religious destiny, the "city set on a hill" mission, in which American New England would fulfill the goal of Calvin's Geneva to create the perfect society in which the Kingdom of God might be fully realized on earth.

The New England preacher, more so than the statesman or soldier, was the preeminent power and power-broker in the Colonial period. The sermon was both soteriological and political, reflecting a conceptual marriage of church and state difficult for the contemporary reader to fully grasp.

One great value of Stout's work is, following in the steps of Perry Miller, he brings to the reader the words of voices long forgotten. While John Cotton, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and a handful of other divines have remained well known figures, at least to students of early American history, Stout brings to life the words of dozens of other preachers whose works and words are now preserved only in small numbers of rare books and pamphlets.

Stout effectively demonstrates how the sermons, especially of the eighteenth century, laid the foundation for the revolution and the birth of the American nation. The "messianic mission" of the early Puritans was malleable enough to be transfigured into the great battle, against the Beast of the British monarchy, to establish the independence of the colonies. Any student of American or religious history would be well served by including Stout's work in their must-read list. Any teacher of early American history should seriously consider adding this to any list of recommended texts. The contemporary student will be surprised at the multiple connections between religious and political thinking in early American life, as well as the pivotal role the sermon plays in the development of that life.

Although I have read a great deal about nutrition, after reading raw energy I now know the value of eating foods in their natural state. I have used the information in this book to improve my energy, health, muscular endurance and muscular strength. I loved it and will continue to use the information to live healthfully for many more years.

This book illuminates the fact that the enzymes present only in raw foods are @ least as important as vitamins & minerals in the maintenance of optimum human health. This well-documented work not only reminds us that man is the only animal which cooks it's food but that cooked food is a cultural perversion & an addiction which may actually be injurious to health. The authors delightful writing style informs w/o intimidating the reader w/ medico-chemical jargon. While some critics might label this book "controversial", such claims would be found baseless under the cold, hard light of logic.

The Healthiest way to stay fit, lose weight sensibly and eat yummy foods! Have been using this book for over 10 years and now need a new one because it is falling apart!

This is an excellent discussion of Australian cryptozoological creatures. Debunks many myths yet leads the reader into a world of the possible. The book is thoroughly readable.

The section on the marsupial lion is "interesting" as there have now been 2 (indistict) videos of this creature shown on national television news! Still no bodies though!

An absolutley excellent book, exploring a number of the "mystery" animals of Australia such as the Queensland Marsupial Tiger and the Thylacine. Each chapter has an extensive history of the beast, as well as eyewitness accounts and more. The author never becomes carried away with the subject and declares that such animals DO exist, but deals with it in an interesting and logical manner. A must for any cryptozoology fanatics, especially those from Australia!

Horrified to see this listed as out of print ! I bought a copy in London at UnCon'99. Six mysteries of Australian and Tasmanian animals extinct or fortean in nature. Well written and very enjoyable. Many plates of the Thylacine and locations of sightings and well done illustrations of the various critters so dear to the hearts of armchair monster hunters everywhere.

James Boyd

Pucabob@aol.com

Since man could look to the stars, Mars has always been the shinny ruby that captivated everyone's eyes and mind. In A Passion for Mars: Intrepid Explorers of the Red Planet, Andrew Chaikin takes the reader on a ride through history of man's pursuit of Mars, which has spanned over the last half century. People have spectacled over its wondrous land features and the possibilities the red planet holds. Chaikin took part in the first Mars landing and wrote journalist pieces on the exploration of Mars, and now writes a novel to share his experience, along with many others, such as Wernher von Braun who had dreamed of human trips to the moon years before the space age Ray Bradbury who feels that Mars is part of Man's destiny. Chaikin brings together all of the wonderful thoughts conjured up by Mars, from robots exploring its dusty surface, to the possibility of aliens, and brings them together in this amazing book that is a must for anyone who finds their eyes wandering up to the star lit night sky and wondering what exactly is out there.

Andrew Chaikin is already famous for his splendidly entertaining history of the United States Apollo program. Oscar-winning Tom Hanks used Chaikin's A MAN ON THE MOON as the foundation material for the 1998 Emmy winning Home Box Office documentary series, From the Earth to the Moon. Chaikin now takes us beyond the moon for a delightful journey to the Red Planet with his latest work, A PASSION FOR MARS.

Chaikin knows Mars. Chaikin served as a young intern at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the Mars Viking Lander program and has since become one of the world's finest space exploration writers. Chaikin is one of those very rare writers who is able to inspire millions of readers by taking a non-fiction story and making it read like a best-selling novel. That unusual talent is probably the reason why Chaikin has inspired a master artist and producer like Tom Hanks.

Why Mars?

Mars has seduced human beings for thousand of years. Pre-telescopic observations of blood-red Mars in the night sky unnerved the ancients and inspired many myths linking Mars to warfare and other unpleasant events. Astrologers and soothsayers carefully monitored the motions of Mars and sought to determine the link between Mars and the fate of human beings. Mysterious Mars still defies our effort to fully unlock all of the secrets of the fourth planet from the sun in spite of the fact that we have landed robotic rovers there and even mapped the entire Red Planet from orbit.

In a single volume of 279 pages, Andrew Chaikin has done more to incite contemporary human interest in Mars than the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has done in fifty-plus years of trying to convince the public that Mars could become our next home.

Chaikin takes readers across that vast, challenging void that lies between Earth and Mars, only to discover that the Red Planet reveals as much about human nature and behavior as it does about the secrets of the universe. The quest for Mars is the story of many individual players who are driven by a variety of motivations and expectations. A PASSION FOR MARS is packed with tantalizing and little known, choice details about the lives of many of the key participants in the continuing story of human beings and the push to understand and reach Mars.

The Never-Ending Mystery of Mars

The scientific innovations of the modern era did little damage to human enthusiasm for Mars. The invention of the telescope inspired a new mythology surrounding the Red Planet called Mars. Earthbound astronomers were never able to see the details of the Martian surface in high resolution. It was obvious that Mars had white polar caps. Astronomers assumed that the poles were covered with ice and snow. The Martian day was almost identical in length to an earth day. Fuzzy discolorations on the surface appeared to wax and wane over times. Some astronomers, as late as the 1950s and 1960s assumed that the changes in surface features were due to some sort of vegetation that blossomed and receded with the Martian seasonal cycles. Mars was ALIVE, in the minds of many.

The excitement over Mars suffered a serious setback when the United States space probe called Mariner 4 sent the first clear images of the Martian surface back to Earth. Mars died a sudden death when those pictures revealed a Moon-like, cratered, dry, world that showed no indications of vegetation, canals, or the ruins of ancient civilizations. The disappointment was devastating for many of those who had dreamed of a habitable Mars. eventually, Mars would undergo an unlikely resurrection when later Mars probes revealed new mysteries on the Red Planet.

Chaikin brings the reader up to speed on Mars as he essentially opens the door to Mars Mission Control and introduces us to the key players in the story of Martian exploration.

The thoughtfully chosen illustrations in Chaikin's book are essential to the larger story of people and Mars. When you purchase your own copy of A PASSION FOR MARS, remove the dust jacket immediately and allow your eyes to dwell on the beautiful images of Mars that are printed on the front and back covers. The illustrations found inside the book offer rarely seen glimpses of space-age players such as Carl Sagan, Wernher von Braun, Chaikin himself, and the more recent leaders of robotic Martian probes. Chaikin also shares some of the fine art created by twentieth-century illustrators in A PASSION FOR MARS.

In summary, Andrew Chaikin takes the reader on a journey through space and time as the human focus on Mars matured from mythology and wild speculation to the hard realities of the modern scientific age. A PASSION FOR MARS will undoubtedly inspire thousands to step out at night and look for the Red Planet for the first time in their individual lives. Telescopes may become a best seller this Christmas!

Andy Chaikin has a done it again. His passion for space exploration is heart-felt and evokes inspiration through a lens of history, science and curiosity. Chaikin manages to blend the best of human vision (such as Ray Bradbury's or Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction) with human achievement (from Mariner to the rover projects).

Discover how Wernher von Braun, Tom Paine, Carl Sagan, and a whole host of lesser-known, yet equally significant people imagined, planned, and implemented missions to explore a crimson, unique world.

This book captures the intense drama of the quest for Mars and the people that envision the exploration of a beautiful red planet (with glorious photographs to prove it). Chaikin has blazed a trail for the future of space exploration. An absolute delight.


Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind: the untold story of the Apollo 11 silicon disc

Pemulwuy was a leader of the Eora people - the Aboriginal langauge group that lived where Sydney now stands. This is the story of the resistance of the Aboriginal people to the invasion of their lands.

A gripping novel of an aspect of Australia's contact history not often written about.

This is an excellent fusion of history and creativity. It is a powerful tribute to the courage and spirit of the Aboriginal people who fought fiercely against European invasion in Sydney, and almost won. Hard to put down.

After spending years in the Australian educational system being told there was no resistance to white invasion (settlement) of Australia, reading this book 13 years ago was a revelation. I guess (I hope) there is much more literature around about aboriginal resistance these days, but this book is both educational and a good read. Buying it again.

I was looking for some thorough information about the island and its inhabitants past and present. This book was very specific and gives a person everything you may want to know and not know.

This book is rich with detail. The author goes beyond the story of the Mutiny on the Bounty and tells us what happens next, from the late 1700s to the present day. This is a fascinating account of the lives of the people who inhabit and visit Pitcairn Island.

I had a strong hunch before purchasing this book that it would turn out to be an exciting read. Last year at our local college I took Professor Robert Kirk's American History course (1865-present), and I was impressed with how he could transform what otherwise might be a series of dry facts and events into themed narrative tales that had the same compelling force as dramatic fiction.

And Pitcairn Island does not disappoint. Kirk just knows how to tell a tale, and he does this with the same narrative drive he uses in his lectures, and with the same wryness. Describing the fate of the captured mutineers: "Slowly gasping for air, each of the condemned was hoisted up by his neck. It was as good free entertainment as George III's government could provide." (p. 44)

The book reads like a novel, but you never forget that the stories are true, since Kirk documents the events, the characters and their actions in exquisite detail. Kirk had access to many primary documents at the Pitcairn Island Study Center at Pacific Union College, with at least 200 sourced references for this book. His own visit to the island must have given him a real feel for the current scene. The result is that the depth of scholarship and analysis is profound throughout all 250 pages. Just one example: When referring to the prison colony on Norfolk island (to which the Pitcairners moved at one point), Kirk writes, "Victims [prisoners] who fainted from the flogger's blows were allowed to rest for a short time until they had recovered sufficiently to continue to receive the number of lashes promised...it was not uncommon to find survivors with no flesh on their backs." (p. 114). How was Kirk able to dig up such morbid and fascinating details from the early 1800's? Clearly he did his homework.

I'm not usually much of a history buff, but it's hard not to be drawn in by an adventure tale that starts with the violent mutiny on the Bounty, a many-year hideout on an uninhabited remote island with violent mutineers and beautiful Polynesian women, and ends with a controversial rape and sex abuse trial that took place just 4 years ago. Along the way, beneath the seediness and steaminess, Kirk shows us how generations of a small group of isolated islanders survive and die, sometimes prosper, and sometimes wither, under adverse and bizarre conditions that are probably unique on this planet.

Anyone who's looking for a history book that reads like a novel, and certainly anyone planning on taking a cruise through the South Pacific with the idea of visiting Pitcairn Island, should pick up a copy of this book. This is the definitive story.

Excellent read. I really liked this book. Starts out in England, 1820s, ends in "Tasmania." Great characterization. Highly recommended.

I was in Australia visiting friends when I heard about this novel. I bought it to read on the plane back to America. Usually if I read for pleasure it takes me a week or more to get through it just bits at a time. I could not put this book down to sleep or eat until I had read every single page. Mr. Courtenay has a way of putting you right in the middle of the story with so many colourful characters that will live on in your heart until you pass. If you love history, if you love seeing the little person struggle to come out on top to only be kicked down and struggle back up again then you'll love this book and the two others that follow.

PURE BRYCE COURTENAY. ANOTHER EPIC ABOUT THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE AND THE WILL TO PERSEVERE AND NEVER GIVE UP. IF YOU'VE READ THE POWER OF ONE, YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK. COURTENAY SHOULD BE BETTER KNOWN IN THE GOOD OLD USA