Oceania Books

In this gripping and controversial biography, Anne-Maree Whitaker uncovers the role of Joseph Foveaux, a neglected and sometimes unfairly criticised key figure in the colony's development.

The vivid prose plunges the reader into the worlds in which Foveaux moved: the elaborate milieu of parliamentary politics and patronage in London, and the rough and tumble of the colonies of Norfolk Island and New South Wales where he was lieutenant governor.

We meet the irascible William Bligh, the visionary Lachlan Macquarie, leading colonists including John Macarthur and D'Arcy Wentworth and an enormous cast of supporting characters in Britain and the colonies.

"I have never yet met with any Officer...that is more eminently qualified for forming and conducting to maturity and perfection any infant colony committed to his charge," wrote Governor Macquarie in 1810, praising Joseph Foveaux, the man who had presided over the colony of New South Wales since the controversial Governor Bligh was relieved of his duties two years before.

If you saw any of the Sydney during the Olympics, you are sure to find this account of its early years a fascinating revelation. Based on the life of Lieutenant Governor Joseph Foveaux, demonised in Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore, this book reveals the links and patronage networks which held the British empire together. I liked the way the author in each chapter flung the reader into a physical description of the place where the action happens. And I even found myself caring about Foveaux's successes and setbacks. This is a warm, elegantly written and compelling new departure in Australian historical writing.

This is a pretty damn nice debut. The story Many Many Elephants is probably worth about twenty bucks alone. we're boppin around Southeast Asia to britian and around the world in a hundred and ninety six pages. Bring on the Novel man!

I had almost given up on short stories as a genre, but Adam Lewis Schroeder gives new hope in this collection of stories that are wildly different in location, theme and approach to most other collections I've read, and yet jive with my own experiences as a traveller and as a human being. He avoids the trappings of post-colonial guilt and instead focusses on relationships, memories, experiences and events in ways that made me feel I was there. The novella at the end is wonderful. More, please!

This map is the best in the market for a clear, concise overview of both New Zealand islands.

Very good product. Durable and has the ability to be written on with laminate pens.

After buying The Last Castaways while in London a year prior, I fell madly in love with the adventures of Grandfather and Roo. I had to have more, so the next trip, I bought all the rest of the series. They can be read in any order. Each tale stands alone. They are funny, warm-hearted and clever. Your children will love each one.

What a pleasure to read to my granddaughter a book that was witty, clever and sophisticated. Harry Horse's Last Gold Digger is not your run of the mill children's book. Its humor is at times subtle, a bit eccentric, and just plain fun. And best of all, it's great fun for the adult reading the book to a child.

Peter Alexander has written a biography that does come close to doing justice to perhaps the greatest living poet in English. It is not only a well crafted account of the details of Murray's hard early life; it is, more tellingly, a compelling yarn about the pain, struggle and triumph of a troubled, stubborn and divine genius.

It can also serve as a useful primer. And not just to some of Murray's more diffcult poems, but to poetry itself. You are put closer to the poet's seemingly impossible aspirations for his words, and thereby participate more keenly in the truth of his poetic gifts in revealing the spirituality of the ordinary.

It is hoped too that this biography is as premature as its title suggests, as I, for one, want to hear a lot more of Murray's poetry in years to come.

Les Murray is the leading poet in the English-speaking world today. This account of his often strange life and work is scholarly, well researched and lifts the lid on some of the dirty tricks of Murray's rivals and enemies in the Australian literary scene (there were unsuccessful attempts to ban it). Sheds light on many aspects of poetry, culture in general, and the human condition.

this guide is very informative and well-written. it hits allthe major touristy places and a lot of out of the way sites too. ifyou've never been to new zealand, and are on a budget, this is the guide for you. good options for hostels and restaurants. lots of cheap walking tours and affordable things to do. thumbs up!

As a student traveler I found that this book helped out more than any of the other travel books. It gives good recommendations, lists cheap places to stay, and has more descriptions of the small towns than any other travel book. My next journey is to the UK and I have already bought a Let's Go book for it.

Having traveled a great deal using a vast array of guides, this is one of the best guides I've ever encountered. Reviews are frank, accurate, and honest. The writers are friendly and assume you know little to nothing about the area itself. It features all the standard maps as well as many options for lodging, food, and entertainment in virtually all tourist destinations- even those off the beaten track. It is worth noting that if you are interested in staying in five-star hotels, this is not the book to consult. It is geared mainly for young travellers sticking to a budget, willing to stay in hostels and looking for cheap deals on food, drink and entertainment.

The editors provide lots of practical information, such as hours of operation and directions to places such as train stations, airports, bus terminals, places to buy traveler's checks, and where you can access the Internet. Their numbers, addresses, and prices are up-to-date, something of which other guides such as Lonely Planet would do well to take note.

Descriptions of hostels provide contact information as well as candid observations about the clientele, room quality, and quirks, such as resident dogs and friendly staff members. I found it particularly helpful since there were so many hostels in major cities - the descriptions give you more to go on than just the price and location.

I spent six months travelling around Australia, and the binding on my book was broken within several weeks. I always consulted it before hitting the road and found so much useful information. I later loaned it out to a friend who found it equally helpful. I always carry at least two guidebooks to a destination, but can honestly say the Let's Go guide was sufficient on its own to carry me through my travels. Australia is a wonderful country with much to see and do. I highly recommend this guide for getting around, particularly if you are travelling on a budget.

For student travelers, Let's Go is the only guide book you need. Perhaps for older travelers--or those wanting to aviod the youth hostel party travel adventure--Lonely Planet would be a better chioce, but Let's Go is a great book. I spent a semester at the University of Sydney, and Let's Go was indespenable. Since it is revised yearly by college students it contains up to date information that comes from a piont of view that I could easly identify with. It is important to reilize that no writing is without bias. That having been said, knowing that I shared much in common with the aothors of the book made it easy to trust Let's go as a guide book.

The best travel guide to budget travellers among look alike guides.

Vastly superior to it's competitor, this book still has a few inaccuracies but nothing compared to the mistake ridden Lonely Planet Australia. This new edition by Let's Go isn't too different to its predecessors but it is slightly smaller in size. Every centimetre and gram of weight does count when you're lugging the thing around the vast continent of Australia.

A fair number of hostel listings are in here but not all of them. There are lots of free publications in a lot of hostels with most hostels listed so if buying the book for this reason alone maybe save your money. There is still a lot of weight unnecessarily taken up with stuff such as hotels and restaurants which backpackers obviously never use. Let's Go should produce two versions, one for travellers interested in that kind of stuff and one for backpackers. This book would then be half the size and weight.

This book is good for general information on Australia especially if you've never been here before or don't know much. You don't really need one of these types of books to travel Australia or anywhere else but if you must get one definitely get this over Lonely Planet.

I've found this book to be a wealth of good ideas for activities while in Sydney. The reviews are concise and interesting and the information is timely. Great book. Mini-maps are very helpful as well.

Overall I would highly recommend.

This book is absolutely perfect for traveling in or around Sydney. Its small size belies its extensive information pertaining to nine major neighborhoods in metropolitan Sydney (City Centre; the Rocks & Circular Quay; Chinatown & Darling Harbour; Inner West; Surry Hills; Kings Cross; Darlinghurst & Around; Paddington & Woollahra; Bondi Bronti & Cooge and Manly). Each of these neighborhoods comes with a readable inset map and descriptions of sights to see as well as places to shop eat and have fun around the given area.

If all of this wasn't enough, the rest of the book contains a brief rundown of Sydney's history and culture as well as things to avoid while in the city.

I will be spending 10 months in Sydney starting in March 2008 and I can tell you that this book will never be far from my person.

Content: 5/5
Presentation/Functionality: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Overall: 5/5

Lonely Planet seems to me to be the most thorough of the guide-book publishers. The Guide to Queensland, the state that covers the northeastern part of Australia, is no exception. I think the town plans are particularly good.

Obviously purchase this book if you intend to visit Queensland only. I travelled for a month covering, Brisbane, Surfer's Paradise, Cairns, Cow Bay, Daintree, Cooktown, Undara, & Mission Beach. The information on hostels, transportation, things to do and see, and maps were right on. I used this book extensively and highly recommend it.