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Animals and Environmental Science
Wildlife
AUSTRALIAN FAUNA:
100 Australian Butterflies, Bees, Beetles & Bugs, Georgia Angus
100 Australian Butterflies, Bees, Beetles & Bugs is your beginner’s guide to unlocking the weird and wonderful world of creepy crawlies. Australia is renowned for its wacky contributions to the insect world, and with this easy-to-read field guide you’ll be ready to explore your own backyard and beyond to the fullest.
No matter where you are across the continent, nature-enthusiast Georgia Angus has taken the guesswork out of wondering what’s wriggling and buzzing in your garden. From bogong moths to witjuti grubs, this book will share how to find and identify 100 of Australia’s key native species. All the information you need is paired with distribution maps and Georgia’s annotated and intricately hand-drawn illustrations. Contributions from Gumbaynggirr, Yugambeh, Alyawarr and Warlpiri Peoples provide insect names in language and First Nations traditional knowledge for many of these species.
100 Australian Butterflies, Bees, Beetles & Bugs is for anyone wanting a comprehensive yet accessible (and entertaining) guide to anything that flies, crawls, writhes and wriggles.
Thanks to Jamil Tye for reviewing First Nations content for this publication.
No matter where you are across the continent, nature-enthusiast Georgia Angus has taken the guesswork out of wondering what’s wriggling and buzzing in your garden. From bogong moths to witjuti grubs, this book will share how to find and identify 100 of Australia’s key native species. All the information you need is paired with distribution maps and Georgia’s annotated and intricately hand-drawn illustrations. Contributions from Gumbaynggirr, Yugambeh, Alyawarr and Warlpiri Peoples provide insect names in language and First Nations traditional knowledge for many of these species.
100 Australian Butterflies, Bees, Beetles & Bugs is for anyone wanting a comprehensive yet accessible (and entertaining) guide to anything that flies, crawls, writhes and wriggles.
Thanks to Jamil Tye for reviewing First Nations content for this publication.
Australia's Most Dangerous, Australian Geographic
Packed full of interesting and useful facts, this handy reference will help you to appreciate and avoid these often unfairly maligned animals. Each chapter, written by a recognised expert, describes aspects of the animals habits and where and in what circumstances you are likely to encounter them. Identification is made easy through clear distribution maps, colour photos and other useful aids. And in the unlikely event that you have an unpleasant encounter with one of these creatures, the comprehensive first-aid and medical-treatment section will be invaluable. Whether you live int he city or the bush, this book is a must - you never know when youll cross paths with one of Australias most dangerous inhabitants
Australian Geographic A Naturalist's Guide To The Dangerous Creatures Of Australia, Peter Rowland, Scott Eipper
Photographic identification guide to the 280 species of dangerous creature most commonly seen in Australia which is perfect for resident and visitor alike.
High quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the dangerous creatures of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status as at 2015.
High quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the dangerous creatures of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status as at 2015.
Australian Geographic A Naturalist's Guide To The Frogs Of Australia, Scott Eipper, Peter Rowland
A Naturalist’s Guide to the Frogs of Australia is an introductory photographic guide to the 247 species and 9 subspecies of frog most commonly seen in Australia, and is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. The second edition includes eight new species, updated taxonomy and numerous new photographs. Also included is an up-to-date checklist of all of the frogs of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, its presence in a particular state or territory and its global IUCN status as at 2018.
Australian Geographic A Naturalist's Guide To The Reptiles Of Australia, Peter Rowland, Chris Farrell
This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 reptile species most commonly seen in Australia is perfect for resident and visitor alike.
High quality photographs from Australia's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the threats to reptiles, types of habitat, anatomy of reptiles, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the reptiles of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status.
High quality photographs from Australia's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the threats to reptiles, types of habitat, anatomy of reptiles, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the reptiles of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status.
Australian Geographic Naturalist's Guide To The Insects Of Australia, Peter Rowland, Rachel Whitlock
A Naturalist’s Guide to the Insects of Australia is an easy-to-use photographic identification guide to 292 species of insect commonly seen in Australia, and is perfect for residents and visitors alike. The 2nd edition includes updated taxonomy and an extensive collection of new images of the species covered. High quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habitat and habits. The user-friendly introduction covers modern Australian insects, non-insect hexapods and life cycles. Also included is an up-to-date checklist of the insect families of Australia listing the number of genera and species in each family.
Australian Geographic Naturalist's Guide To The Snakes Of Australia 2/E, Scott Eipper, Tyese Eipper
The fully revised 2nd edition of this easy-to-use identification guide to all of Australia’s 239 snake species and subspecies includes 6 new species, updated accounts for 20 species and around 30 new photographs. The high quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the snakes of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status as at 2018.
Australian Geographic's A Naturalist's Guide To The Butterflies Of Australia, Rachel Whitlock, John Nielsen, Peter Rowland
A Naturalist’s Guide to the Butterflies of Australia is an introductory photographic guide to 280 butterfly species commonly seen in Australia, and is perfect for residents and visitors alike. The 2nd edition includes extensive updates to the text, featuring revised taxonomy and multiple new images of the species covered. High-quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habitat and habits. The user-friendly introduction covers the structure and life cycle of butterflies and their behaviour as a key to observing them. Also included is an up-to-date checklist of the butterflies of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific names and is IUCN status.
Australian Geographics A Naturalist Guide To The Lizards Of Australia, Scott Eiper, Tyese Eiper
Featuring 280 of Australia’s most beautiful, unusual and commonly encountered lizard species, this lavishly illustrated guide provides a thorough introduction to the land of the lizard. Stunning photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the lizards of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, which state it is present in and its IUCN Red List status.
Australian Geographics A Naturalist's Guide To The Mammals Of Australia, Peter Rowland, Chris Farrell
This revised and updated second edition of the introductory identification guide to the 300 mammal species most commonly seen in Australia is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are
accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the mammals of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status as at 2015.
accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the mammals of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status as at 2015.
NON-FICTION:
The Living Planet: A Portrait Of The Earth, David Attenborough
A new, fully updated narrative edition of David Attenborough’s seminal biography of our world, The Living Planet.
Nowhere on our planet is devoid of life. Plants and animals thrive or survive within every extreme of climate and habitat that it offers. Single species, and often whole communities adapt to make the most of ice cap and tundra, forest and plain, desert, ocean and volcano. These adaptations can be truly extraordinary: fish that walk or lay eggs on leaves in mid-air; snakes that fly; flightless birds that graze like deer; and bears that grow hair on the soles of their feet.
In The Living Planet, David Attenborough’s searching eye, unfailing curiosity and infectious enthusiasm explain and illuminate the intricate lives of the these colonies, from the lonely heights of the Himalayas to the wild creatures that have established themselves in the most recent of environments, the city. By the end of this book it is difficult to say which is the more astonishing – the ingenuity with which individual species contrive a living, or the complexity of their interdependence on each other and on the habitations provided by our planet.
In this new edition, the author, with the help of zoologist Matthew Cobb, has added all the most up-to-date discoveries of ecology and biology, as well as a full-colour 64-page photography section. He also addresses the urgent issues facing our living planet: climate change, pollution and mass extinction of species.
Nowhere on our planet is devoid of life. Plants and animals thrive or survive within every extreme of climate and habitat that it offers. Single species, and often whole communities adapt to make the most of ice cap and tundra, forest and plain, desert, ocean and volcano. These adaptations can be truly extraordinary: fish that walk or lay eggs on leaves in mid-air; snakes that fly; flightless birds that graze like deer; and bears that grow hair on the soles of their feet.
In The Living Planet, David Attenborough’s searching eye, unfailing curiosity and infectious enthusiasm explain and illuminate the intricate lives of the these colonies, from the lonely heights of the Himalayas to the wild creatures that have established themselves in the most recent of environments, the city. By the end of this book it is difficult to say which is the more astonishing – the ingenuity with which individual species contrive a living, or the complexity of their interdependence on each other and on the habitations provided by our planet.
In this new edition, the author, with the help of zoologist Matthew Cobb, has added all the most up-to-date discoveries of ecology and biology, as well as a full-colour 64-page photography section. He also addresses the urgent issues facing our living planet: climate change, pollution and mass extinction of species.
Delia Akeley And The Monkey: A Human-Animal Story Of Captivity, Patriarchy And Nature, Iain McCalman
By telling this story, Iain McCalman illuminates much about human-animal relations and the tyranny of gender inequality. He reinstates a twentieth century story of a dedicated amateur primatologist and her adopted Vervet monkey.
On an East-African hunting expedition in 1909, Delia Akeley, a forty-year-old American woman, captured a baby female monkey. Delia's loneliness in an isolating patriarchal world, and her long-frustrated desire to adopt a child, had motivated her to nurture the animal. She named the monkey JT Jr and decided to study her interactions with humans.
The unique relationship between Delia and JT unlocked Delia's latent talents of research and observation, anticipating both Jane Goodall's chimpanzee writings and Margaret Mead's Samoan ethnographies. However, Delia's love for JT clashed with her husband Carl's obsession to create a temple of African wildlife dioramas at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Nursing Carl's broken body and realising their diverging interests pushed Delia into a breakdown in Uganda, which led to a savage divorce in Manhattan, and the heartbreaking caging of JT in a Washington zoo. Carl's death triggered a long battle between Delia and Carl's widow, who succeeded in obliterating most of Delia's achievements.
In Delia Akeley and the Monkey, Iain McCalman uses official records and personal documents to build a story of passionate love and hate among women, men, animals and museums that predates our times but speaks to our present. It illuminates much about human-animal relations and the tyranny of gender inequality, through reinstating an obscured story of a dedicated amateur primatologist.
On an East-African hunting expedition in 1909, Delia Akeley, a forty-year-old American woman, captured a baby female monkey. Delia's loneliness in an isolating patriarchal world, and her long-frustrated desire to adopt a child, had motivated her to nurture the animal. She named the monkey JT Jr and decided to study her interactions with humans.
The unique relationship between Delia and JT unlocked Delia's latent talents of research and observation, anticipating both Jane Goodall's chimpanzee writings and Margaret Mead's Samoan ethnographies. However, Delia's love for JT clashed with her husband Carl's obsession to create a temple of African wildlife dioramas at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Nursing Carl's broken body and realising their diverging interests pushed Delia into a breakdown in Uganda, which led to a savage divorce in Manhattan, and the heartbreaking caging of JT in a Washington zoo. Carl's death triggered a long battle between Delia and Carl's widow, who succeeded in obliterating most of Delia's achievements.
In Delia Akeley and the Monkey, Iain McCalman uses official records and personal documents to build a story of passionate love and hate among women, men, animals and museums that predates our times but speaks to our present. It illuminates much about human-animal relations and the tyranny of gender inequality, through reinstating an obscured story of a dedicated amateur primatologist.
Questions Raised By Quolls, Harry Saddler
When Harry Saddler first encountered a quoll while camping as a boy, he was struck by the beauty of the timid creature who had emerged from the bush, sniffing for dinner. As Harry frantically snapped a photo, the agile-spotted quoll stole his fruitcake and disappeared into the undergrowth.
That blurry photo records the only time Harry would see a quoll in the wild. After years of habitat destruction, the species is now on the brink of extinction and Harry, contemplating fatherhood, aches for the absence of all the species lost to children born today.
Questions Raised By Quolls is an eloquent examination of extinction and conservation set against the backdrop of global climate change. From his own family lineage, Harry reveals how the prosperity of the human race runs parallel with the decline of the natural world. Evocative and challenging, this eulogy to lost species will force you to question your place in the vast interconnected web of life.
That blurry photo records the only time Harry would see a quoll in the wild. After years of habitat destruction, the species is now on the brink of extinction and Harry, contemplating fatherhood, aches for the absence of all the species lost to children born today.
Questions Raised By Quolls is an eloquent examination of extinction and conservation set against the backdrop of global climate change. From his own family lineage, Harry reveals how the prosperity of the human race runs parallel with the decline of the natural world. Evocative and challenging, this eulogy to lost species will force you to question your place in the vast interconnected web of life.
The Modern Bestiary, Joanna Bagniewska
From the familiar to the improbable, the gross to the endearing, The Modern Bestiary is a compendium of curious creatures. It includes both animals that have made headlines and those you've probably never heard of, such as skin-eating caecilians, harp sponges, or zombie worms - also known as bone-eating snot flowers.
Arranged by elements (Earth, Water, Air), The Modern Bestiary contains well-known species told from new, unexpected angles (rats that drive cars; fish that communicate by passing wind), as well as stranger and lesser-known creatures, including carnivorous mice that howl at the moon, cross-dressing cuttlefish, and antechinuses - small marsupials that literally mate themselves to death. Finally, there are the 'aliens on Earth' - the incredible, the surreal, the magical - such as tardigrades, tongue-eating lice and immortal jellyfish, creatures so astonishing that they make unicorns look rather commonplace.
Written by a zoologist with a flair for storytelling, this is a fascinating celebration of the animal kingdom.
Arranged by elements (Earth, Water, Air), The Modern Bestiary contains well-known species told from new, unexpected angles (rats that drive cars; fish that communicate by passing wind), as well as stranger and lesser-known creatures, including carnivorous mice that howl at the moon, cross-dressing cuttlefish, and antechinuses - small marsupials that literally mate themselves to death. Finally, there are the 'aliens on Earth' - the incredible, the surreal, the magical - such as tardigrades, tongue-eating lice and immortal jellyfish, creatures so astonishing that they make unicorns look rather commonplace.
Written by a zoologist with a flair for storytelling, this is a fascinating celebration of the animal kingdom.
Curious Encounters With The Natural World: From Grumpy Spiders To Hidden Tigers, Michael Jeffords, Susan Post, Peter H. Raven
Michael R. Jeffords and Susan L. Post have circled the globe--and explored their neighborhood--collecting images of the natural world. This book opens their personal cabinet of curiosities to tell the stories of the pair's most unusual encounters. From the "necking" battles of mate-hungry giraffes to the breathtaking beauty of millions of monarch butterflies at rest, Jeffords and Post share 200 stunning photographs and their own insightful essays to guide readers on a spectacular journey. Their training as entomologists offers unique perspectives on surprise stag beetle swarms and spider hunting habits. Their photographic eye, honed by decades of observation, finds expression in once-in-a-lifetime images. The result is an eyewitness collection of startling and unusual phenomena that illuminates the diverse life inhabiting our planet.
The Golden Mole, Katherine Rundell
A gloriously illustrated and fascinating bestiary of the world's most extraordinary endangered animals - a treasure trove of vanishing wonders.
'A rare and magical book. I didn't want it to end.' - Bill Bryson
A pangolin's tongue is longer than its body. It keeps it furled in a nifty pouch near the hip
A swift flies 200,000 miles in its lifetime. That's far enough to get to the moon and back - then back to the moon.
There's a fable that storks deliver babies. In fact, the Nazis used them to air-drop propaganda.
Each of these animals is extraordinary. And each of them may soon disappear from the earth.
A lavishly illustrated compendium of the staggering lives of some of the world's most endangered animals, The Golden Mole is a chance to be awestruck and lovestruck - to fall for the likes of the wondrous Pygmy Hippo, the seahorse, the narwhal and, as astonishing and endangered as them all, the human.
'A rare and magical book. I didn't want it to end.' - Bill Bryson
A pangolin's tongue is longer than its body. It keeps it furled in a nifty pouch near the hip
A swift flies 200,000 miles in its lifetime. That's far enough to get to the moon and back - then back to the moon.
There's a fable that storks deliver babies. In fact, the Nazis used them to air-drop propaganda.
Each of these animals is extraordinary. And each of them may soon disappear from the earth.
A lavishly illustrated compendium of the staggering lives of some of the world's most endangered animals, The Golden Mole is a chance to be awestruck and lovestruck - to fall for the likes of the wondrous Pygmy Hippo, the seahorse, the narwhal and, as astonishing and endangered as them all, the human.
World of Animals, MURRAY BOOKS
Animal Liberation Now, Peter Singer
The landmark book that opened the world's eyes to the suffering of animals, fully rewritten and entirely updated
Animal Liberation started a worldwide movement when it revealed the abuse of animals in factory farms and laboratories. It demonstrated that these and other practices were the cause of appalling and unnecessary suffering and therefore morally indefensible. In the fifty years since, science has further vindicated Peter Singer's arguments about animal sentience, vegetarianism has become widespread, and the book has helped change the minds of millions. But the situation for animals has in many ways grown worse.
Despite improvements in animal welfare in some regions - brought about in large part by this book - in many others the scale of their abuse has reached staggering new depths. This revised edition, of which about two-thirds is entirely new, documents these and other developments, such as the impact of meat consumption on climate and the spread of dangerous new viruses. It refines its arguments in light of new evidence, equips the reader with fresh tools and advice, and shows us all the road ahead. The result, Animal Liberation Now, is a book of galvanising power, relevance and importance.
Animal Liberation started a worldwide movement when it revealed the abuse of animals in factory farms and laboratories. It demonstrated that these and other practices were the cause of appalling and unnecessary suffering and therefore morally indefensible. In the fifty years since, science has further vindicated Peter Singer's arguments about animal sentience, vegetarianism has become widespread, and the book has helped change the minds of millions. But the situation for animals has in many ways grown worse.
Despite improvements in animal welfare in some regions - brought about in large part by this book - in many others the scale of their abuse has reached staggering new depths. This revised edition, of which about two-thirds is entirely new, documents these and other developments, such as the impact of meat consumption on climate and the spread of dangerous new viruses. It refines its arguments in light of new evidence, equips the reader with fresh tools and advice, and shows us all the road ahead. The result, Animal Liberation Now, is a book of galvanising power, relevance and importance.
Birds
AUSTRALIAN BIRDS:
The Australian Bird Guide, Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke, Jeff Davies, Peter Marsack, Kim Franklin
Winner of the 2018 ABIA Small Publisher's Adult Book of the Year
Winner of the 2017 Whitley Medal
Australia's avifauna is large, diverse and spectacular, reflecting the continent's impressive range of habitats and evolutionary history. With specially commissioned paintings of over 900 species, The Australian Bird Guide is the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds ever seen.
This Revised Edition includes updated maps, artwork and species accounts, reflecting current knowledge of the biology and distribution of Australia's birds. It features around 4700 specially commissioned colour illustrations of over 900 species, with particular emphasis on providing the fine detail required to identify difficult groups and distinctive plumages. Comprehensive species accounts have been written by a dedicated team of ornithologists to ensure identification details, distribution and status are current and accurate. A new easier-to-use index is also included.
The Australian Bird Guide sets a new standard in field guides, providing an indispensable reference for all birders and naturalists looking to explore Australia's magnificent and unique birdlife.
Winner of the 2017 Whitley Medal
Australia's avifauna is large, diverse and spectacular, reflecting the continent's impressive range of habitats and evolutionary history. With specially commissioned paintings of over 900 species, The Australian Bird Guide is the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds ever seen.
This Revised Edition includes updated maps, artwork and species accounts, reflecting current knowledge of the biology and distribution of Australia's birds. It features around 4700 specially commissioned colour illustrations of over 900 species, with particular emphasis on providing the fine detail required to identify difficult groups and distinctive plumages. Comprehensive species accounts have been written by a dedicated team of ornithologists to ensure identification details, distribution and status are current and accurate. A new easier-to-use index is also included.
The Australian Bird Guide sets a new standard in field guides, providing an indispensable reference for all birders and naturalists looking to explore Australia's magnificent and unique birdlife.
The Compact Australian Bird Guide, Jeff Davies, Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke, Peter Marsack, Kim Franklin
The Compact Australian Bird Guide is an easy-to-use and beautifully illustrated quick identification guide to all bird species regularly occurring in Australia. The content has been carefully designed to provide the reader with key information to enable rapid identification of a bird, in a convenient form.
Based on the award-winning The Australian Bird Guide, this compact format features over 700 bird species that are resident or regular visitors to the Australian mainland and Tasmania, and surrounding seas accessible within a day trip by boat.
The Compact Australian Bird Guide will appeal to both the beginner and experienced birdwatcher, and includes up-to-date species descriptions, distribution maps, illustrations and quick guide comparison pages for major groups. Ideal for your next holiday, field trip or simply to use in your own backyard.
Based on the award-winning The Australian Bird Guide, this compact format features over 700 bird species that are resident or regular visitors to the Australian mainland and Tasmania, and surrounding seas accessible within a day trip by boat.
The Compact Australian Bird Guide will appeal to both the beginner and experienced birdwatcher, and includes up-to-date species descriptions, distribution maps, illustrations and quick guide comparison pages for major groups. Ideal for your next holiday, field trip or simply to use in your own backyard.
Complete Guide To Australian Birds, George Adams
A compact and up-to-date photographic guide to Australia’s birds from the author of Birdscaping Australian Gardens.
This book is the most up-to-date guide to Australian birds available. Written in everyday language, with crisp, brilliant digital images taken in the wild, this authoritative guide includes:
- The first entry and photograph of the previously believed extinct Night Parrot
- The recently recognised as a full specie Lesser Sooty Owl
- The Thick-billed Grasswren
- All seven species of Quail-thrush
- The Paperbark Flycatcher
- Rare photographs of the male Superb Lyrebird in courtship display
- The Bustard in courtship plumage
- The male Magnificent Riflebird in its courtship dance
- The first photograph of a nesting colony of Australian Swiftlets taken in a deep, dark cave in tropical Queensland . . . and much more.
Beyond a field guide, this book is divided into 27 chapters, with each chapter opening with fascinating background information. The easily accessible information on each bird includes: common and scientific names, size, description, behaviour, preferred habitat, feeding habits, voice, status and breeding. Distribution maps are arranged next to the photographic illustrations of the bird.
A binocular icon indicates ‘hot spots’ to find particular birds.
All wild birds that have been regularly recorded on the Australian mainland, Tasmania and offshore continental islands and oceans, including sub-species where the differences are recognisable in the field, have been included and photographed.
Features over 1400 photographs by some of Australia’s best wildlife photographers, including Colin Cock, Michael Schmid, Eric Sohn Joo Tan, Duade Patton, John Anderson, Alwyn Simple, Peter Jacobs, Andrew Bell, Tony Ashton, Nolan Caldwell, Chris Wiley, Maureen Goninan, Marlene Lyelle and George Adams to name but a few.
This book will be enjoyed by beginners and seasoned ‘birdos’ alike.
This book is the most up-to-date guide to Australian birds available. Written in everyday language, with crisp, brilliant digital images taken in the wild, this authoritative guide includes:
- The first entry and photograph of the previously believed extinct Night Parrot
- The recently recognised as a full specie Lesser Sooty Owl
- The Thick-billed Grasswren
- All seven species of Quail-thrush
- The Paperbark Flycatcher
- Rare photographs of the male Superb Lyrebird in courtship display
- The Bustard in courtship plumage
- The male Magnificent Riflebird in its courtship dance
- The first photograph of a nesting colony of Australian Swiftlets taken in a deep, dark cave in tropical Queensland . . . and much more.
Beyond a field guide, this book is divided into 27 chapters, with each chapter opening with fascinating background information. The easily accessible information on each bird includes: common and scientific names, size, description, behaviour, preferred habitat, feeding habits, voice, status and breeding. Distribution maps are arranged next to the photographic illustrations of the bird.
A binocular icon indicates ‘hot spots’ to find particular birds.
All wild birds that have been regularly recorded on the Australian mainland, Tasmania and offshore continental islands and oceans, including sub-species where the differences are recognisable in the field, have been included and photographed.
Features over 1400 photographs by some of Australia’s best wildlife photographers, including Colin Cock, Michael Schmid, Eric Sohn Joo Tan, Duade Patton, John Anderson, Alwyn Simple, Peter Jacobs, Andrew Bell, Tony Ashton, Nolan Caldwell, Chris Wiley, Maureen Goninan, Marlene Lyelle and George Adams to name but a few.
This book will be enjoyed by beginners and seasoned ‘birdos’ alike.
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia - 8th Edition, Nicholas Day
Since it was first published in 1984, Simpson & Day's Field Guide to the Birds of Australia has been one of the most - if not the most - respected bird guide in the country. It has sold over 500 000 copies. The guide contains 132 superb full-colour plates showing all Australian bird species; key points of identification using the latest classification system; distribution maps for all species; over 900 black and white line illustrations; breeding information; a vagrant bird bulletin; a core library list; and easy-to-use indexes. This eighth edition has been revised and updated, including some beautiful new plates.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia 9th Edition, F Knight, G Pizzey, S Pizzey
The definitive guide to identifying Australian birds.
the definitive and most respected guide to Australian bird identification, this book is a must for both experts and amateurs.First published in 1980, Graham Pizzey's Field Guide to the Birds of Australia combines a depth and breadth of knowledge with beautiful, full-colour illustrations by Frank Knight. Comprehensive and fully updated, this 9th edition of the Guide is more user-friendly than ever before. Species entries have been re-ordered and updated to reflect the new taxonomy, and the book has been expanded to include eighteen new species as well as a new section on vagrant species. It also features new information on bird family groups, more than 750 distribution maps based on the most recent bird atlas data, as well as a new Quick Find Index, to assist with quick identification of birds in the field. this is the essential reference for every bird enthusiast.
the definitive and most respected guide to Australian bird identification, this book is a must for both experts and amateurs.First published in 1980, Graham Pizzey's Field Guide to the Birds of Australia combines a depth and breadth of knowledge with beautiful, full-colour illustrations by Frank Knight. Comprehensive and fully updated, this 9th edition of the Guide is more user-friendly than ever before. Species entries have been re-ordered and updated to reflect the new taxonomy, and the book has been expanded to include eighteen new species as well as a new section on vagrant species. It also features new information on bird family groups, more than 750 distribution maps based on the most recent bird atlas data, as well as a new Quick Find Index, to assist with quick identification of birds in the field. this is the essential reference for every bird enthusiast.
A Naturalist's Guide To The Birds Of Australia (3rd Edition), Dean Ingwersen
A photographic identification guide to 280 bird species in Australia, including the most commonly seen and rare endemic species, perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from one of Australia's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers climate, vegetation, biogeography and the key sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, IUCN status. In this third edition many photos have been updated and species level taxonomy follows IOC version 9.2 (Gill & Donsker, 2019), while common names follow nomenclature of The BirdLife Australia Working List of Australian Birds version 3.0 (BirdLife Australia, 2019).
Birds And Animals Of Australia's Top End, Nick Leseberg, Iain Campbell
One of the most amazing and accessible wildlife-watching destinations on earth, the "Top End" of Australia's Northern Territory is home to incredible birds and animals--from gaudy Red-collared Lorikeets to sinister Estuarine Crocodiles and raucous Black Flying-foxes. With this lavishly illustrated photographic field guide, you will be able to identify the most common creatures and learn about their fascinating biology--from how Agile Wallaby mothers can pause their pregnancies to why Giant Frogs spend half the year buried underground in waterproof cocoons. The Top End stretches from the tropical city of Darwin in the north, to the savannas of Mataranka in the south, and southwest across the vast Victoria River escarpments to the Western Australian border. The region includes some of Australia's most popular and impressive tourist destinations, such as Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk, and Gregory national parks, and is visited by more than two hundred thousand tourists every year. An essential field guide for anyone visiting the Top End, this book will vastly enhance your appreciation of the region's remarkable wildlife.
* Features hundreds of stunning color photographs* Includes concise information on identification and preferred habitat for each species* Provides a summary of each species' life history, including interesting habits, and suggestions on where to see it* Offers valuable tips on searching for wildlife in the Top End* An essential guide for visitors to the Top End, from Darwin south to Katherine and Kununurra, including Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk and Gregory national parks
* Features hundreds of stunning color photographs* Includes concise information on identification and preferred habitat for each species* Provides a summary of each species' life history, including interesting habits, and suggestions on where to see it* Offers valuable tips on searching for wildlife in the Top End* An essential guide for visitors to the Top End, from Darwin south to Katherine and Kununurra, including Kakadu, Litchfield, Nitmiluk and Gregory national parks
Your Backyard Birds, Gráinne Cleary
The remarkable relationships between our often cheeky birds and humans in Australian backyards all over the country are revealed with humour and charm. An ideal gift for any bird lover.
A beautiful, inspiring and heartwarming book about our human relationships with the birds who share our backyards.
'Do you ever wonder what birds are talking about as they fly by you? The sounds and songs of birds constantly surround us as we go about our lives. But what are they talking about? Or are they even talking or just mindlessly squawking and chirping? Why are so many urban birds so loud? Is there a message in what the birds are telling each other?'
Observing and interacting with all the different birds who visit Australian backyards leads naturally to questions about their behaviours, habits and needs. Why are they visiting? What do they want from us?
For a bird, life in Australia means having mates: others who you can trust and work with to locate food and water, which can disappear as suddenly as it appears. As the humans who plant the gardens they live in and visit, what can we learn from Australia's often-cheeky birds?
With a foreword by science journalist and broadcaster Robyn Williams AM, and chapters dedicated to discovering extraordinary information about Australia's innovative birds, Your Backyard Birds is a delightful and compelling read. With real stories from bird-loving citizen scientists, this fascinating book features new insights about the lives of our avian friends.
Your Backyard Birds, written by a wildlife ecologist who is passionate about the vital role of citizen scientists, provides a fresh and lively perspective on human interaction with birds.
A beautiful, inspiring and heartwarming book about our human relationships with the birds who share our backyards.
'Do you ever wonder what birds are talking about as they fly by you? The sounds and songs of birds constantly surround us as we go about our lives. But what are they talking about? Or are they even talking or just mindlessly squawking and chirping? Why are so many urban birds so loud? Is there a message in what the birds are telling each other?'
Observing and interacting with all the different birds who visit Australian backyards leads naturally to questions about their behaviours, habits and needs. Why are they visiting? What do they want from us?
For a bird, life in Australia means having mates: others who you can trust and work with to locate food and water, which can disappear as suddenly as it appears. As the humans who plant the gardens they live in and visit, what can we learn from Australia's often-cheeky birds?
With a foreword by science journalist and broadcaster Robyn Williams AM, and chapters dedicated to discovering extraordinary information about Australia's innovative birds, Your Backyard Birds is a delightful and compelling read. With real stories from bird-loving citizen scientists, this fascinating book features new insights about the lives of our avian friends.
Your Backyard Birds, written by a wildlife ecologist who is passionate about the vital role of citizen scientists, provides a fresh and lively perspective on human interaction with birds.
A Guide To The Creatures In Your Neighbourhood, Zoë Sadokierski, Andrew Burrell, Dieter Hochuli, John Martin, Thom van Dooren
Tune in to the richness and diversity in your local environment with this playful, quirky guide that's packed with interactive projects, nature writing and sketching activities.
In cities and suburbs all over Australia, a staggering array of animals and plants make their homes among us. If we pay attention, each encounter with a bird, a flower or a bee is an invitation into a fascinating world of growth, decay, communication and sensation - and it's all going on right under our noses.
Did you know crows can identify humans by their faces? Or that ibises can 'see' with the tips of their bills? Let the team from the Urban Field Naturalist Project amaze you with weird and wonderful facts about cockatoos, magpies, spiders, possums and other animals just outside your doorstep. Then get inspired to cultivate a deeper connection with tips for observing, sketching, photographing and making field notes - or simply sitting still to observe and listen.
Whether for an afternoon of exploring or a walk to the letterbox, A Guide to the Creatures in Your Neighbourhood is your ticket to slow down and get curious about urban nature. No matter where you live, you'll have a front row seat!
In cities and suburbs all over Australia, a staggering array of animals and plants make their homes among us. If we pay attention, each encounter with a bird, a flower or a bee is an invitation into a fascinating world of growth, decay, communication and sensation - and it's all going on right under our noses.
Did you know crows can identify humans by their faces? Or that ibises can 'see' with the tips of their bills? Let the team from the Urban Field Naturalist Project amaze you with weird and wonderful facts about cockatoos, magpies, spiders, possums and other animals just outside your doorstep. Then get inspired to cultivate a deeper connection with tips for observing, sketching, photographing and making field notes - or simply sitting still to observe and listen.
Whether for an afternoon of exploring or a walk to the letterbox, A Guide to the Creatures in Your Neighbourhood is your ticket to slow down and get curious about urban nature. No matter where you live, you'll have a front row seat!
Australian Magpie, Gisela Kaplan
The Australian magpie is one of our nation’s most popular and iconic birds. It is loved for its impressive vocal abilities, propensity to play, excellent parenting and willingness to form enduring friendships with people.
Written by award-winning author Gisela Kaplan, a leading authority on animal behaviour and Australian birds, this second edition of Australian Magpie is a thoroughly updated and substantially expanded account of the behaviour of these birds. With new chapters on classification, cognition and caring for young, it reveals the extraordinary capabilities of the magpie, including its complex social behaviour. The author, who has devoted more than 20 years to studying and interacting with magpies, brings together the latest research on the magpie’s biology and behaviour, along with information on the origin of magpies, their development and health not published previously.
This fascinating book has a wide appeal to bird lovers, amateur ornithologists and naturalists, as well as those with a scientific or professional interest in avian behaviour and ecology and those interested in the importance of native birds to the environment.
Written by award-winning author Gisela Kaplan, a leading authority on animal behaviour and Australian birds, this second edition of Australian Magpie is a thoroughly updated and substantially expanded account of the behaviour of these birds. With new chapters on classification, cognition and caring for young, it reveals the extraordinary capabilities of the magpie, including its complex social behaviour. The author, who has devoted more than 20 years to studying and interacting with magpies, brings together the latest research on the magpie’s biology and behaviour, along with information on the origin of magpies, their development and health not published previously.
This fascinating book has a wide appeal to bird lovers, amateur ornithologists and naturalists, as well as those with a scientific or professional interest in avian behaviour and ecology and those interested in the importance of native birds to the environment.
NON-FICTION:
Bird Planet, Tim Laman
Birds inhabit every continent and major island, and are among the most diverse group of vertebrates on the planet. For ornithologist and National Geographic photographer Tim Laman, documenting these magnificent creatures has been a lifelong passion that has taken him from the Antarctic Peninsula to the uninhabited Foja Mountains of New Guinea, and more than one hundred other locations around the world.
Here, Laman shares his favourite bird photographs from more than twenty-five years in the field, along with some of his memorable adventures in pursuit of them. This collection includes some of his award-winning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year and National Geographic magazine together with brand-new work, but also many undiscovered gems - personal favourites that Laman has pulled from his vast archive that have never been published. His far-flung travels have brought him face to face with many legendary, rare and beloved species - from hornbills in the rainforest of Borneo to cranes in snowy Hokkaido to birds of paradise in the treetops of New Guinea to wandering albatrosses soaring over the Drake Passage, and including familiar visitors to his New England backyard.
Organised into eight geographical chapters, Bird Planet takes readers on a voyage around the world and through Laman's career, covering Southeast Asia, Japan, North America, Africa, South America, New Guinea, Australia and Antarctica. Featuring a foreword by distinguished ornithologist John W Fitzpatrick, this collection of evocative images of our endangered natural world is sure to inspire a greater appreciation for birds and the importance of protecting their environment, not just for the birds, but for all life on earth.
Here, Laman shares his favourite bird photographs from more than twenty-five years in the field, along with some of his memorable adventures in pursuit of them. This collection includes some of his award-winning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year and National Geographic magazine together with brand-new work, but also many undiscovered gems - personal favourites that Laman has pulled from his vast archive that have never been published. His far-flung travels have brought him face to face with many legendary, rare and beloved species - from hornbills in the rainforest of Borneo to cranes in snowy Hokkaido to birds of paradise in the treetops of New Guinea to wandering albatrosses soaring over the Drake Passage, and including familiar visitors to his New England backyard.
Organised into eight geographical chapters, Bird Planet takes readers on a voyage around the world and through Laman's career, covering Southeast Asia, Japan, North America, Africa, South America, New Guinea, Australia and Antarctica. Featuring a foreword by distinguished ornithologist John W Fitzpatrick, this collection of evocative images of our endangered natural world is sure to inspire a greater appreciation for birds and the importance of protecting their environment, not just for the birds, but for all life on earth.
Songs of Love and War: The Dark Heart of Bird Behaviour, Dominic Couzens
The dawn chorus: a single voice cutting through the darkness heralds a breaking wave of sound at the very beginning of the day. It is an iconic natural phenomenon with many familiar performers, yet it is a mysterious event for which there is no complete explanation. A mass of starlings gathers at the end of the midwinter day. As the sun sets, wave upon wave of bodies rolls in and embarks upon another of nature's great attempts to show off. The murmuration is another much-admired spectacle, but again its purpose is obscure and defies our understanding. From dawn until dusk, birds do things that are surprising and mystifying. Songs of Love and War delves into bird behaviour and uncovers its purpose and meaning. More than just an inside look at bird behaviour, this book also represents a personal journey of discovery. What starts as a desire to learn more about the birds encountered on a regular father-and-son walk through the woods leads to a realisation that a bird's life is very far from the idyllic scene that can often be glimpsed by the casual birdwatcher. Actually a bird's life is often unusual and surprising, but above all it is brief and much darker than you might think.
Tits, Boobies And Loons, Stuart Royall
From the monotonous lark to the rough-faced shag, these poor birds have us all asking: ARE ORNITHOLOGISTS OK?
Some people will literally name all the birds instead of going to therapy, and this book exposes all the weird and wonderful monikers these poor feathered creatures have been tarred with. From the go-away-bird and the common loon to the sad flycatcher and the sombre tit, we seriously have to wonder why such disturbed ornithologists even went into this line of work.
Tits, Boobies and Loons is for all fans of birds, language and rude words. Or anyone who secretly considers themselves a bit of a red-rumped bush tyrant.
Some people will literally name all the birds instead of going to therapy, and this book exposes all the weird and wonderful monikers these poor feathered creatures have been tarred with. From the go-away-bird and the common loon to the sad flycatcher and the sombre tit, we seriously have to wonder why such disturbed ornithologists even went into this line of work.
Tits, Boobies and Loons is for all fans of birds, language and rude words. Or anyone who secretly considers themselves a bit of a red-rumped bush tyrant.
What Birdo is that? (Signed by the author) A Field Guide to Bird-people, Libby Robin
Birds and the humans who love them
The idea that a bird is good news and needs all our support is probably the only thing amateur birdos, professional zoologists and 'birdscapers'-people who redesign their gardens to support birdlife-have in common. But together they form a conservation community that cares about the future of birds and their habitats, who are working to heal the damage wrought by those who don't notice birds What Birdo is That? reveals how bird-people in Australia have gone about their craft across the years. Its stories come from wild places - at sea as well as on the land-from dusty archives, from restoration projects, gardens and urban wastelands. They are human stories, but the birds themselves interject and interrupt any self-important anthropocentrism. They educate. They counter the imperialism of the ever-expanding economies of the new millennium. They turn up in unexpected places, giving surprise and joy. This field guide to Australia's bird-people provides…
The idea that a bird is good news and needs all our support is probably the only thing amateur birdos, professional zoologists and 'birdscapers'-people who redesign their gardens to support birdlife-have in common. But together they form a conservation community that cares about the future of birds and their habitats, who are working to heal the damage wrought by those who don't notice birds What Birdo is That? reveals how bird-people in Australia have gone about their craft across the years. Its stories come from wild places - at sea as well as on the land-from dusty archives, from restoration projects, gardens and urban wastelands. They are human stories, but the birds themselves interject and interrupt any self-important anthropocentrism. They educate. They counter the imperialism of the ever-expanding economies of the new millennium. They turn up in unexpected places, giving surprise and joy. This field guide to Australia's bird-people provides…
Goshawk Summer, James Aldred
In early 2020, wildlife film-maker James Aldred was commissioned to make a documentary following the lives of a family of Goshawks in the New Forest - the place of his childhood. He began to plan a treetop hide in a remote site that would allow him to film the Gos nest, their newly hatched chicks and the lives of this illusive and enchanting bird.
Then lockdown. And as the world retreated, something remarkable happened. The noise of our everyday stilled. No more cars, no more off-roaders, no more airplanes roaring in the skies, no one in the Goshawk woods - except James.
At this unique moment, James was granted a once in a lifetime opportunity to keep filming. And so, over that spring and into summer, he began to write about his experiences in a place empty of people, but filled with birdsong and new life.
Amidst the fragility and the fear, there was silver moonlight, tumbling fox cubs, calling curlew and, of course, the soaring Goshawks - shining like fire through one of our darkest times. A Goshawk summer unlike any other.
Then lockdown. And as the world retreated, something remarkable happened. The noise of our everyday stilled. No more cars, no more off-roaders, no more airplanes roaring in the skies, no one in the Goshawk woods - except James.
At this unique moment, James was granted a once in a lifetime opportunity to keep filming. And so, over that spring and into summer, he began to write about his experiences in a place empty of people, but filled with birdsong and new life.
Amidst the fragility and the fear, there was silver moonlight, tumbling fox cubs, calling curlew and, of course, the soaring Goshawks - shining like fire through one of our darkest times. A Goshawk summer unlike any other.
Around The World In 80 Birds, Mike Unwin, Ryuto Miyake
This beautiful and inspiring book tells the stories of 80 birds around the world: from the Sociable Weaver Bird in Namibia which constructs huge, multi-nest 'apartment blocks' in the desert, to the Bar-headed Goose of China, one of the highest-flying migrants which crosses the Himalayas twice a year.
Many birds come steeped in folklore and myth, some are national emblems and a few have inspired scientific revelation or daring conservation projects. Each has a story to tell that sheds a light on our relationship with the natural world and reveals just how deeply birds matter to us.
Many birds come steeped in folklore and myth, some are national emblems and a few have inspired scientific revelation or daring conservation projects. Each has a story to tell that sheds a light on our relationship with the natural world and reveals just how deeply birds matter to us.
Wintering, Stephen Rutt
In the autumn of 2018 Stephen Rutt and his partner moved to a house near the Solway Firth in Dumfries. As they settled into their new home thousands of pink-footed geese were arriving on the Firth from the Arctic Circle to make it their winter home. The arrival of huge flocks of geese in the UK is one of the most evocative and powerful harbingers of winter; a vast natural phenomenon to capture the imagination. And so begins an extraordinary odyssey. From his new home in the north to further afield in wide open spaces of the south, Stephen traces the lives and habits of five of the most common species of goose in the UK. With an expert eye and clear, elegant prose he paints perfect portraits of these large, startling, garrulous and cooperative birds. But this is also a compact and beautifully written study of the place the goose has in our culture, our history and, occasionally, on our festive table. A vivid tour of the inbetween landscapes they inhabit and a celebration of the short days, varied weathers and long nights of the season during which we share our home with these birds.
Papa Goose: One Year, Seven Goslings, And The Flight Of My Life, Michael Quetting
A scientist's life is changed forever when he is put in charge of raising seven goslings for flight research.
Michael Quetting is exhausted and covered in goose shit. One moment a gosling is sleeping soundly under his sweater and the next, there's one tugging at his shoelaces. Being father to a gaggle of goslings that won't let you out of their sight is a full-time job.
As a laboratory director at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Quetting must transform the motley gang into a disciplined flight crew so researchers can gather data about weather and flight patterns. Detaching from civilization and immersing himself in the training, Quetting leads his young on daily swims, retrieves them when they go astray, and watches as their personalities develop-feisty, churlish, loveable-while solving problems such as how to roll down the runway without running the geese over before they even get airborne.
This charming book traces Quetting's heart-warming and highly entertaining adventure as goslings Gloria, Nemo, and the rest of the crew conquer land, water, and air. By the time the journey is over, Quetting has learned from his charges more than he ever expected about nature and what it means to be human.
Michael Quetting is exhausted and covered in goose shit. One moment a gosling is sleeping soundly under his sweater and the next, there's one tugging at his shoelaces. Being father to a gaggle of goslings that won't let you out of their sight is a full-time job.
As a laboratory director at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Quetting must transform the motley gang into a disciplined flight crew so researchers can gather data about weather and flight patterns. Detaching from civilization and immersing himself in the training, Quetting leads his young on daily swims, retrieves them when they go astray, and watches as their personalities develop-feisty, churlish, loveable-while solving problems such as how to roll down the runway without running the geese over before they even get airborne.
This charming book traces Quetting's heart-warming and highly entertaining adventure as goslings Gloria, Nemo, and the rest of the crew conquer land, water, and air. By the time the journey is over, Quetting has learned from his charges more than he ever expected about nature and what it means to be human.
Why Do Birds Do That?, Grainne Cleary
An entrancing, informative book filled with answers to many of the common questions we ask about birds and their lives.
For thousands of years birds have fascinated us. We've observed what they do - their behaviours, their characteristics, their survival skills, the food they eat and their habitats - and wondered why they do it.
Why Do Birds Do That? answers many of these often-asked questions, such as: Why do birds sing in the mornings? Why are some birds so colourful and others are not? Why do starlings form murmurations? Why do birds have 3 eyelids? and Why do birds attack their own reflections?
In an easy-to-find question & answer format, Why Do Birds Do That? provides fascinating and comprehensive information about the birds we watch every day.
If you have ever wondered why birds behave as they do, you will find the answers in this book.
For thousands of years birds have fascinated us. We've observed what they do - their behaviours, their characteristics, their survival skills, the food they eat and their habitats - and wondered why they do it.
Why Do Birds Do That? answers many of these often-asked questions, such as: Why do birds sing in the mornings? Why are some birds so colourful and others are not? Why do starlings form murmurations? Why do birds have 3 eyelids? and Why do birds attack their own reflections?
In an easy-to-find question & answer format, Why Do Birds Do That? provides fascinating and comprehensive information about the birds we watch every day.
If you have ever wondered why birds behave as they do, you will find the answers in this book.
Flight Paths, Rebecca Heisman
For the past century, scientists and naturalists have been steadily unravelling the secrets of bird migration. How and why birds navigate the skies, traveling from continent to continent-flying thousands of miles across the earth each fall and spring-has continually fascinated the human imagination, but only recently have we been able to fully understand these amazing journeys. Although we know much more than ever before, even the most enthusiastic birdwatcher may not know how we got here, the ways that the full breadth of scientific disciplines have come together to reveal these annual avian travels.
Flight Paths is the never-before-told story of how a group of migration-obsessed scientists in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries engaged nearly every branch of science to understand bird migration-from where and when they take off to their flight paths and behaviors, their destinations and the challenges they encounter getting there. Uniting curious minds from across generations, continents, and disciplines, bird enthusiast and science writer Rebecca Heisman traces the development of each technique used for tracking migratory birds, from the first attempts to mark individual birds to the cutting-edge technology that lets ornithologists trace where a bird has been, based on unique DNA markers. Along the way, she touches on the biggest technological breakthroughs of modern science and reveals the almost-forgotten stories of the scientists who harnessed these inventions in service of furthering our understanding of nature (and their personal obsession with birds).
Flight Paths is the never-before-told story of how a group of migration-obsessed scientists in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries engaged nearly every branch of science to understand bird migration-from where and when they take off to their flight paths and behaviors, their destinations and the challenges they encounter getting there. Uniting curious minds from across generations, continents, and disciplines, bird enthusiast and science writer Rebecca Heisman traces the development of each technique used for tracking migratory birds, from the first attempts to mark individual birds to the cutting-edge technology that lets ornithologists trace where a bird has been, based on unique DNA markers. Along the way, she touches on the biggest technological breakthroughs of modern science and reveals the almost-forgotten stories of the scientists who harnessed these inventions in service of furthering our understanding of nature (and their personal obsession with birds).
FICTION:
Bluebird, Malcolm Knox
'Filled with biting observations about our culture and our families so starkly insightful, they make you gasp.' Charlotte Wood
A stunning new novel about longing, regret, redemption and the terrible legacy of decades of secrets buried in an Australian beachside suburb.
A house perched impossibly on a cliff overlooking the stunning, iconic Bluebird Beach. Prime real estate, yet somehow not real estate at all, The Lodge is, like those who live in it, falling apart.
Gordon Grimes has become the accidental keeper of this last relic of an endangered world. He lives in The Lodge with his wife Kelly who is trying to leave him, their son Ben who will do anything to save him, his goddaughter Lou who is hiding from her own troubles, and Leonie, the family matriarch who has trapped them here for their own good.
But Gordon has no money and is running out of time to conserve his homeland. His love for this way of life will drive him, and everyone around him, to increasingly desperate risks. In the end, what will it cost them to hang onto their past?
Acclaimed writer Malcolm Knox has written a classic Australian novel about the myths that come to define families and communities, and the lies that uphold them. It's about a certain kind of Australia that we all recognise, and a certain kind of Australian whose currency is running out. Change is coming to Bluebird, whether they like it or not. And the secrets they've been keeping and the lies they've been telling can't save them now.
Savage, funny, revelatory and brilliant, Bluebird exposes the hollowness of the stories told to glorify a dying culture and shows how those who seek to preserve these myths end up being crushed by them.
'If Winton is an aria, Knox is early Rolling Stones.' The Guardian
A stunning new novel about longing, regret, redemption and the terrible legacy of decades of secrets buried in an Australian beachside suburb.
A house perched impossibly on a cliff overlooking the stunning, iconic Bluebird Beach. Prime real estate, yet somehow not real estate at all, The Lodge is, like those who live in it, falling apart.
Gordon Grimes has become the accidental keeper of this last relic of an endangered world. He lives in The Lodge with his wife Kelly who is trying to leave him, their son Ben who will do anything to save him, his goddaughter Lou who is hiding from her own troubles, and Leonie, the family matriarch who has trapped them here for their own good.
But Gordon has no money and is running out of time to conserve his homeland. His love for this way of life will drive him, and everyone around him, to increasingly desperate risks. In the end, what will it cost them to hang onto their past?
Acclaimed writer Malcolm Knox has written a classic Australian novel about the myths that come to define families and communities, and the lies that uphold them. It's about a certain kind of Australia that we all recognise, and a certain kind of Australian whose currency is running out. Change is coming to Bluebird, whether they like it or not. And the secrets they've been keeping and the lies they've been telling can't save them now.
Savage, funny, revelatory and brilliant, Bluebird exposes the hollowness of the stories told to glorify a dying culture and shows how those who seek to preserve these myths end up being crushed by them.
'If Winton is an aria, Knox is early Rolling Stones.' The Guardian
Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
‘A dazzling epic of love, war and the joy of books’ Guardian
‘There is magic in this place … You just have to sit and breathe and wait and it will find you’
Fifteenth-century Constantinople. Present day Idaho. The future, and humanity’s last hope.
Across time and space, five young dreamers are bound by a single ancient text. Together, they tell a story of a world in peril; of the power of words, of resilience, and of hope against all odds.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See returns with a heart-breaking, magnificent epic of human connection and a love letter to storytelling itself.
‘Wonderment and despair, love and destruction and hope – all find their place in its sumptuously plotted pages’ Observer
‘Ingenious, hopeful and totally absorbing’ Financial Times
‘This engagingly written, big-hearted book is a must-read’ Daily Mirror
‘A dazzling epic of love, war and the joy of books’ Guardian
‘There is magic in this place … You just have to sit and breathe and wait and it will find you’
Fifteenth-century Constantinople. Present day Idaho. The future, and humanity’s last hope.
Across time and space, five young dreamers are bound by a single ancient text. Together, they tell a story of a world in peril; of the power of words, of resilience, and of hope against all odds.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See returns with a heart-breaking, magnificent epic of human connection and a love letter to storytelling itself.
‘Wonderment and despair, love and destruction and hope – all find their place in its sumptuously plotted pages’ Observer
‘Ingenious, hopeful and totally absorbing’ Financial Times
‘This engagingly written, big-hearted book is a must-read’ Daily Mirror
Flock, Ellen van Neerven
This wide-ranging and captivating anthology showcases both the power of First Nations writing and the satisfaction of a good short story. Curated by award-winning author Ellen van Neerven, Flock roams the landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, bringing together voices from across the generations. Featuring established authors such as Tony Birch and Melissa Lucashenko, and rising stars such as Adam Thompson and Mykaela Saunders, Flock confirms the ongoing resonance and originality of First Nations stories.
Kookaburra Cottage, Maya Linnell
A delightful, warm and captivating rural romance from the bestselling author of Paperbark Hill.
Limestone Coast horticulturalist April Lacey is determined to lead her family's winery into the future. She dreams of opening a bed and breakfast at Lacewing Estate, but soon discovers the crumbling historic building and her father's reluctance to join the food tourism revolution are just the beginning of her uphill battle.
English winemaker Connor Jamison has travelled to South Australia's iconic wine region to learn from the experts and carve a name for himself in the industry. However, it quickly becomes clear that no matter how many miles Connor puts between himself and the accident that flipped his world, the past keeps nipping at his heels.
Can April's fresh ideas save Lacewing Estate from folding or will they be a fool's folly? And will Connor's fierce loyalty come back to haunt him?
United by cooking classes, music and an unexpected involvement in the Penwarra Country Show, April and Connor seem like the perfect match, but with old flames, new challenges and careers conspiring to keep them apart, can this pair forge their own path together?
Praise for Maya Linnell:
'A rural romance to tug on the heartstrings.' - New Idea
'We can't get enough of the McIntyre sisters.' - Australian Romance Readers Association
'Linnell brings a good deal of authenticity and humour to her story ... an enjoyable tale about romance, family and dealing with change.' Canberra Weekly Magazine
'When a new Maya Linnell novel lands in the office, we pretty much draw the curtains and shut up shop until it's read.' Australian Country
Limestone Coast horticulturalist April Lacey is determined to lead her family's winery into the future. She dreams of opening a bed and breakfast at Lacewing Estate, but soon discovers the crumbling historic building and her father's reluctance to join the food tourism revolution are just the beginning of her uphill battle.
English winemaker Connor Jamison has travelled to South Australia's iconic wine region to learn from the experts and carve a name for himself in the industry. However, it quickly becomes clear that no matter how many miles Connor puts between himself and the accident that flipped his world, the past keeps nipping at his heels.
Can April's fresh ideas save Lacewing Estate from folding or will they be a fool's folly? And will Connor's fierce loyalty come back to haunt him?
United by cooking classes, music and an unexpected involvement in the Penwarra Country Show, April and Connor seem like the perfect match, but with old flames, new challenges and careers conspiring to keep them apart, can this pair forge their own path together?
Praise for Maya Linnell:
'A rural romance to tug on the heartstrings.' - New Idea
'We can't get enough of the McIntyre sisters.' - Australian Romance Readers Association
'Linnell brings a good deal of authenticity and humour to her story ... an enjoyable tale about romance, family and dealing with change.' Canberra Weekly Magazine
'When a new Maya Linnell novel lands in the office, we pretty much draw the curtains and shut up shop until it's read.' Australian Country
Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy
'An extraordinary novel... as beautiful and as wrenching as anything I've ever read.' Emily St John Mandel
'This novel is enchanting, but not in some safe, fairytale sense. Charlotte McConaghy has harnessed the rough magic that sears our souls. I recommend The Last Migration with my whole heart.' Geraldine Brooks
For readers of Station Eleven and Everything I Never Told You, a debut novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world's last birds - and her own final chance for redemption.
A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.
How far you would you go for love? Franny Stone is determined to go to the end of the earth, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.
As animal populations plummet and commercial fishing faces prohibition, Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south. But as she and the eccentric crew travel further from shore and safety, the dark secrets of Franny's life begin to unspool. A daughter's yearning search for her mother. An impulsive, passionate marriage. A shocking crime. Haunted by love and violence, Franny must confront what she is really running towards - and from.
The Last Migration is a wild, gripping and deeply moving novel from a brilliant young writer. From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, through crashing Atlantic swells to the bottom of the world, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened, and an epic story of the possibility of hope against all odds.
'Transporting' (New York Times) 'Hopeful' (Washington Post) 'Powerful' (Los Angeles Times) 'Thrilling' (TIME) 'Tantalizingly beautiful' (Elle) 'Suspenseful' (Vogue) 'Aching and poignant' (Guardian)
'This novel is enchanting, but not in some safe, fairytale sense. Charlotte McConaghy has harnessed the rough magic that sears our souls. I recommend The Last Migration with my whole heart.' Geraldine Brooks
For readers of Station Eleven and Everything I Never Told You, a debut novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world's last birds - and her own final chance for redemption.
A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.
How far you would you go for love? Franny Stone is determined to go to the end of the earth, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.
As animal populations plummet and commercial fishing faces prohibition, Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south. But as she and the eccentric crew travel further from shore and safety, the dark secrets of Franny's life begin to unspool. A daughter's yearning search for her mother. An impulsive, passionate marriage. A shocking crime. Haunted by love and violence, Franny must confront what she is really running towards - and from.
The Last Migration is a wild, gripping and deeply moving novel from a brilliant young writer. From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, through crashing Atlantic swells to the bottom of the world, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened, and an epic story of the possibility of hope against all odds.
'Transporting' (New York Times) 'Hopeful' (Washington Post) 'Powerful' (Los Angeles Times) 'Thrilling' (TIME) 'Tantalizingly beautiful' (Elle) 'Suspenseful' (Vogue) 'Aching and poignant' (Guardian)
Mr Peacock's Possessions, Lydia Syson
An intimate, intense, beautifully realised novel of possession, power and loss of innocence, for fans of Mister Pip and The Poisonwood Bible.
Oceania 1879. A family of settlers from New Zealand are the sole inhabitants of a remote volcanic island.
For two years they have struggled with the harsh reality of trying to make this unforgiving place a paradise they can call their own. At last, a ship appears. The six Pacific Islanders on board have travelled eight hundred miles across the ocean in search of work and new horizons. Hopes are high for all, until a vulnerable boy vanishes. In their search for the lost child, settlers and newcomers together uncover far more than they were looking for. The island's secrets force them all to question their deepest convictions.
Oceania 1879. A family of settlers from New Zealand are the sole inhabitants of a remote volcanic island.
For two years they have struggled with the harsh reality of trying to make this unforgiving place a paradise they can call their own. At last, a ship appears. The six Pacific Islanders on board have travelled eight hundred miles across the ocean in search of work and new horizons. Hopes are high for all, until a vulnerable boy vanishes. In their search for the lost child, settlers and newcomers together uncover far more than they were looking for. The island's secrets force them all to question their deepest convictions.
Nest, Inga Simpson
'[a] truly rich novel' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Once an artist and teacher, Jen now spends her time watching the birds around her house and tending her lush sub-tropical garden near the small town where she grew up. The only person she sees regularly is Henry, who comes after school for drawing lessons.
When a girl in Henry's class goes missing, Jen is pulled back into the depths of her own past. When she was Henry's age she lost her father and her best friend Michael - both within a week. The whole town talked about it then, and now, nearly forty years later, they're talking about it again.
Everyone is waiting - for the girl to be found and the summer rain to arrive. At last, when the answers do come, like the wet, it is in a drenching, revitalising downpour . . .
Longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2015
Longlisted for The Stella Prize 2015
Once an artist and teacher, Jen now spends her time watching the birds around her house and tending her lush sub-tropical garden near the small town where she grew up. The only person she sees regularly is Henry, who comes after school for drawing lessons.
When a girl in Henry's class goes missing, Jen is pulled back into the depths of her own past. When she was Henry's age she lost her father and her best friend Michael - both within a week. The whole town talked about it then, and now, nearly forty years later, they're talking about it again.
Everyone is waiting - for the girl to be found and the summer rain to arrive. At last, when the answers do come, like the wet, it is in a drenching, revitalising downpour . . .
Longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2015
Longlisted for The Stella Prize 2015
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest captured the radical anti-establishment mood of 1960s America. Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her psychiatric ward with an iron fist and a penchant for electric shock therapy, so when the boisterous McMurphy arrives - intent on disruption and showing the other patients a good time - a titanic battle of wills emerges. Kesey explores the shadowy boundaries between conformity and individuality, sanity and madness, with devastating effect.
Only Birds Above, Portland Jones
War doesn't happen just to the solider- its effects and after-effects are felt down the generations. Only Birds Above by Portland Jones spans two wars and two generations, looking at the lasting impacts of war on the lives it touches.
This is the story of Arthur Watkins, blacksmith, who leaves his beloved young wife Helen to serve with the 10th Light Horse Battalion in the Middle East in World War I. He returns without his horse, a man forever changed by what he has seen and suffered. Years later, Arthur's children Ruth and Tom are still feeling the effects of the first war when Tom is sent by his father to work in Sumatra. Tom Watkins is there in 1942 when the Japanese invade and is taken prisoner. This is the story of two wars that divide and unite a father and son, and all the years that lie in between.
This is the story of Arthur Watkins, blacksmith, who leaves his beloved young wife Helen to serve with the 10th Light Horse Battalion in the Middle East in World War I. He returns without his horse, a man forever changed by what he has seen and suffered. Years later, Arthur's children Ruth and Tom are still feeling the effects of the first war when Tom is sent by his father to work in Sumatra. Tom Watkins is there in 1942 when the Japanese invade and is taken prisoner. This is the story of two wars that divide and unite a father and son, and all the years that lie in between.
The Falconer, Dana Czapnik
'A novel of huge heart and fierce intelligence.' - Ann Patchett
'An electric debut' - New York Times
'Exhilarating' - Claire Messud
'Deeply affecting' - Salman Rushdie
A new coming-of-age classic, an early '90s New York-set novel of love, basketball, art and feminism Seventeen-year-old Lucy Adler, a street-smart, trash-talking baller, is often the only girl on the public courts. Lucy's inner life is a contradiction. She's by turns quixotic and cynical, insecure and self-possessed and, despite herself, is in unrequited love with her best friend and pick-up teammate Percy, son of a prominent New York family who is trying to resist his upper crust fate. As Lucy questions accepted notions of success, bristling against her own hunger for male approval, she is drawn into the world of a pair of provocative female artists living in what remains of New York's bohemia. In her hit US debut, Dana Czapnik memorably captures the voice of a young woman in the first flush of freedom searching for an authentic way to live and love.
'An electric debut' - New York Times
'Exhilarating' - Claire Messud
'Deeply affecting' - Salman Rushdie
A new coming-of-age classic, an early '90s New York-set novel of love, basketball, art and feminism Seventeen-year-old Lucy Adler, a street-smart, trash-talking baller, is often the only girl on the public courts. Lucy's inner life is a contradiction. She's by turns quixotic and cynical, insecure and self-possessed and, despite herself, is in unrequited love with her best friend and pick-up teammate Percy, son of a prominent New York family who is trying to resist his upper crust fate. As Lucy questions accepted notions of success, bristling against her own hunger for male approval, she is drawn into the world of a pair of provocative female artists living in what remains of New York's bohemia. In her hit US debut, Dana Czapnik memorably captures the voice of a young woman in the first flush of freedom searching for an authentic way to live and love.
Ocean Life
FISHING AND BEACH COMBING:
A Guide To Sea Fishes Of Australia, Rudie Kuiter
OVER 950 SPECIES DESCRIBED FULLY UPDATED NEW EDITION A comprehensive and practical handbook that identifies fishes commonly seen in Australian waters. The species entries are grouped in families in the internationally accepted scientific order. Families are arranged so that those with closely related features follow on from one another, making comparison easy. Length measurements for adults are given along with general text highlighting, diagnostic features, interesting aspects of the species and habitat. Every species account is accompanied by one or more colour photographs, nearly all of which show the fishes in their natural habitat, and a distribution map. All these features enable positive identification of over 950 species.
A Handbook to Seashells of Australia, Wilson Barry
A Handbook to Australian Seashells will help you to identify most of the shells you find, no matter where you are on the Australian coast. It includes over 375 species of the most common seashells found along our seashores. Each one is illustrated with a beautiful colour photograph showing its colours, patterns, shape and sculpture.
A Photographic Guide To Seashore Life Of Australia, Keith Davey
A Photographic Guide to Seashore Life of Australia will help you to easily identify the fascinating creatures you discover as you amble along the beach or gaze into rock pools.Coastal rock pools and beaches are alive with myriad forms of sea life - from slugs and worms to crabs, starfish, anemones and various creatures inhabiting shells. A Photographic Guide to Seashore Life of Australia will help you to easily identify the fascinating creatures you discover as you amble along the beach or gaze into rock pools. Each of the 232 species or groups in the book is illustrated with a colour photograph and each entry also includes a distribution map and a description of the creature. In addition, the introductory sections of the book explain the classification, biology and habitats of these creatures. This handy, pocket-sized guide is an ideal travelling companion for anyone exploring Australia?s coastline
Australian Fish ID Pocket Guide
The Australian Fish ID Pocket Guide is an invaluable reference for any angler, freshwater or saltwater, wanting to identify their catch. It contains detailed descriptions and accurate illustrations of each fish, as well as diagrams of the best rigs to catch them. Includes freshwater sportfish, freshwater bait, sharks, estuary / surf species, reef species, pelagic species, invertebrate species and saltwater bait species.
Whatever fish you're chasing you'll find all the information you need to catch it and identify it in the Australian Fish Guide.
Whatever fish you're chasing you'll find all the information you need to catch it and identify it in the Australian Fish Guide.
Australian Fishing Encyclopedia, Bill Classon, Nige Webster
The Australian Anglers Encyclopaedia covers everything the successful and beginner angler needs to know. In over 400 colour pages there are hundreds of techniques, tips, fishing systems and fishing tactics outlined for every style of fishing in Australia. Whether you fish in freshwater, saltwater, from Darwin to Hobart or Perth to Sydney there is every technique for every angler. No matter what your preference: lurecasting , fly fishing, game fishing, bait fishing or sport fishing - it is covered.
There is an extensive angler dictionary, baits and rigs guide, saltwater boat fishing, saltwater shore fishing, freshwater boat fishing, landbased freshwater fishing and fly fishing sections. The Encyclopedia includes a complete Australian Fish ID guide and an extensive and up to date section on Knots and Rigs compiled by experts Nigel Webster and Bill Classon and illustrated by Trevor Hawkins. Plus an 80 page section on all Australian lures and how to use them and a kayak section. At over 400 pages it is the largest and most comprehensive reference on Australian fishing.
There is an extensive angler dictionary, baits and rigs guide, saltwater boat fishing, saltwater shore fishing, freshwater boat fishing, landbased freshwater fishing and fly fishing sections. The Encyclopedia includes a complete Australian Fish ID guide and an extensive and up to date section on Knots and Rigs compiled by experts Nigel Webster and Bill Classon and illustrated by Trevor Hawkins. Plus an 80 page section on all Australian lures and how to use them and a kayak section. At over 400 pages it is the largest and most comprehensive reference on Australian fishing.
Field Guide To The Seashores Of South-Eastern Australia, Christine Porter, Ty G. Matthews, Alecia Bellgrove, Geoff Wescott
The types of plants and animals that live on seashores in temperate regions are similar around the globe, but many of the individual species in south-eastern Australia are found only in this region.
Field Guide to the Seashores of South-Eastern Australia features colour photographs, descriptions and ecological notes for around 240 species of the more common plants and animals found on rocky, sandy and muddy shores along the coastline from Port Lincoln, South Australia, to the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, and Tasmania.
This guide will allow beachgoers to learn interesting details about the plants and animals they come across, while also having sufficient scientific detail for natural history enthusiasts and biology students to develop their understanding of these shore ecosystems.
Field Guide to the Seashores of South-Eastern Australia features colour photographs, descriptions and ecological notes for around 240 species of the more common plants and animals found on rocky, sandy and muddy shores along the coastline from Port Lincoln, South Australia, to the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, and Tasmania.
This guide will allow beachgoers to learn interesting details about the plants and animals they come across, while also having sufficient scientific detail for natural history enthusiasts and biology students to develop their understanding of these shore ecosystems.
Photographic Guide To Sea Fishes Of Australia, Kuiter Rudie
Compact, easy-to-use format the ideal pocket-size travelling companion. Authoritative text describing key identification features. Full-colour photographs illustrating each of the 222 species. Thumbnail outlines of each family group enabling quick identification.
Swainston's Fishes of Australia: The Complete Illustrated Guide, Roger Swainston
Roger Swainston's breathtaking artwork provides a fascinating overview of the extraordinary diversity of Australia's marine and freshwater fishes.
More than 1500 remarkable illustrations portray every family of fishes ever recorded from Australian waters. The names of all known species are listed alongside detailed information on the taxonomy and biology of each family.
More than 1500 remarkable illustrations portray every family of fishes ever recorded from Australian waters. The names of all known species are listed alongside detailed information on the taxonomy and biology of each family.
The Complete Fishing Manual, DK
This is the perfect book for you - whether you're an experienced angler or have only just picked up a rod.
The Complete Fishing Manual is the definitive guide to fishing, covering everything from strategies and techniques, to choosing the perfect bait, tackle, and kit.
Whether you're beach-fishing for sharks or fly-fishing in the rivers of the UK, essential advice on anatomy, behaviour and habitat and detailed photography on every technique means that no fish is safe - no matter how wily.
And for those who want to cast their net further? A dedicated section of the book gives you an amazing insight into the world's best fishing destinations, and the once-in-a-lifetime species that you can find there.
Inspiring novices and experienced fishermen and women alike, The Complete Fishing Manual is an invaluable resource for keen anglers everywhere.
The Complete Fishing Manual is the definitive guide to fishing, covering everything from strategies and techniques, to choosing the perfect bait, tackle, and kit.
Whether you're beach-fishing for sharks or fly-fishing in the rivers of the UK, essential advice on anatomy, behaviour and habitat and detailed photography on every technique means that no fish is safe - no matter how wily.
And for those who want to cast their net further? A dedicated section of the book gives you an amazing insight into the world's best fishing destinations, and the once-in-a-lifetime species that you can find there.
Inspiring novices and experienced fishermen and women alike, The Complete Fishing Manual is an invaluable resource for keen anglers everywhere.
The Little Book Of Shells, Forrest Everett
Learn to identify some of the world’s most beautiful shells and meet the creatures who make them!
The Little Book of Shells, part of the Little Library of Natural History, introduces kids to the remarkable underwater world of mollusks, nautiluses, sand dollars, and the enchanting homes they leave behind. Gorgeous vintage artwork by some of the world’s most enduring nature illustrators fill this beachcomber’s handbook.
The Little Book of Shells, part of the Little Library of Natural History, introduces kids to the remarkable underwater world of mollusks, nautiluses, sand dollars, and the enchanting homes they leave behind. Gorgeous vintage artwork by some of the world’s most enduring nature illustrators fill this beachcomber’s handbook.
SURFING (FICTION AND NON-FICTION):
Barbarian Days, William Finnegan
A deeply rendered self-portrait of a lifelong surfer by the acclaimed New Yorker writer
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY 2016
Surfing only looks like a sport. To devotees, it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a mental and physical study, a passionate way of life.
William Finnegan first started surfing as a young boy in California and Hawaii. Barbarian Days is his immersive memoir of a life spent travelling the world chasing waves through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa, Peru and beyond. Finnegan describes the edgy yet enduring brotherhood forged among the swell of the surf; and recalling his own apprenticeship to the world's most famous and challenging waves, he considers the intense relationship formed between man, board and water.
Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, a social history, an extraordinary exploration of one man's gradual mastering of an exacting and little-understood art. It is a memoir of dangerous obsession and enchantment.
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY 2016
Surfing only looks like a sport. To devotees, it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a mental and physical study, a passionate way of life.
William Finnegan first started surfing as a young boy in California and Hawaii. Barbarian Days is his immersive memoir of a life spent travelling the world chasing waves through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa, Peru and beyond. Finnegan describes the edgy yet enduring brotherhood forged among the swell of the surf; and recalling his own apprenticeship to the world's most famous and challenging waves, he considers the intense relationship formed between man, board and water.
Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, a social history, an extraordinary exploration of one man's gradual mastering of an exacting and little-understood art. It is a memoir of dangerous obsession and enchantment.
Epic Surf Breaks Of The World, Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet explores the world's most righteous spots for riding waves in Epic Surf Breaks, the latest addition to its popular Epic series. From Java's G-Land to Hawaii's North Shore and on to Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia, surfers of all levels are sure to be thrilled. With stunning photography and gripping first hand accounts, there's no denying this ride will be epic.
Life After Ted, Rick Feneley
A tragic accident tests the strength of family ties.
Ted McCall is a legend among Bondi lifesavers. When he is killed in a surfing accident, his death exposes long-held family secrets and sets in motion a series of revelations and betrayals. Only one thing is certain: Ted's death is a defining moment for his loved ones. But will it make his family stronger, or break them apart?
Ted's adoring wife of forty years, Connie Blunt, witnesses the tragedy. Focused on her own grief, which plays out in unexpected ways, she is incapable of offering comfort to her son, Sebastian, who worshipped Ted.
Seb is an evangelical Christian. General practitioner Connie, seventy going on twenty-five, is a devout atheist, a free spirit with an edgy taste in music. Clever, sharp-tongued, often generous, cherished by both of Seb's children, she can also be intolerant, stubborn and on occasion downright unlikeable.
Yet Seb has never doubted his mother's love for his dad. Or not until three days after Ted's funeral, when he discovers her in bed with another man.
Ted's death turns an already tense mother-son relationship toxic. Seb demands answers, but Connie is not ready to reveal that she and Ted were keeping a secret from their son. For Connie, though, harder to confront will be the secret Ted kept from her.
Threaded with wry humour, Life after Ted is a compelling examination of family conflict. The iconic backdrop of Bondi Beach is a presence as vivid, changeable and fascinating as any of the flawed and complex characters navigating their way through grief, towards hope.
Ted McCall is a legend among Bondi lifesavers. When he is killed in a surfing accident, his death exposes long-held family secrets and sets in motion a series of revelations and betrayals. Only one thing is certain: Ted's death is a defining moment for his loved ones. But will it make his family stronger, or break them apart?
Ted's adoring wife of forty years, Connie Blunt, witnesses the tragedy. Focused on her own grief, which plays out in unexpected ways, she is incapable of offering comfort to her son, Sebastian, who worshipped Ted.
Seb is an evangelical Christian. General practitioner Connie, seventy going on twenty-five, is a devout atheist, a free spirit with an edgy taste in music. Clever, sharp-tongued, often generous, cherished by both of Seb's children, she can also be intolerant, stubborn and on occasion downright unlikeable.
Yet Seb has never doubted his mother's love for his dad. Or not until three days after Ted's funeral, when he discovers her in bed with another man.
Ted's death turns an already tense mother-son relationship toxic. Seb demands answers, but Connie is not ready to reveal that she and Ted were keeping a secret from their son. For Connie, though, harder to confront will be the secret Ted kept from her.
Threaded with wry humour, Life after Ted is a compelling examination of family conflict. The iconic backdrop of Bondi Beach is a presence as vivid, changeable and fascinating as any of the flawed and complex characters navigating their way through grief, towards hope.
Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid
A lifetime holding it together.
One party will bring it crashing down.
Malibu - August, 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas- Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control.
By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames.
But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family- the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.
One party will bring it crashing down.
Malibu - August, 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas- Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control.
By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames.
But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family- the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.
Patting The Shark, Tim Baker
A surfer's journey learning to live well with cancer
Tim Baker was living the dream. A best-selling and award-winning surf writer with a beautiful family, a lifetime of exotic travel and a home walking distance to quality waves.
That all changed on July 7, 2015, when he was diagnosed, out of the blue, with stage 4, metastatic prostate cancer. So began a descent into the debilitating world of aggressive cancer treatments and a fight for a survival as brutal as any big wave hold down.
Tim writes candidly and with a raw vulnerability about this perilous journey through chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation and surgery, and his own determined lifestyle strategies to maintain mind, body and spirit. Happily, surfing provided one of his most powerful forms of therapy, and writing about his experiences has proven deeply cathartic.
In 2020, 1.5 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer globally and 375,000 lost their lives. In Australia, one in seven men will develop prostate cancer. Yet mainstream oncology concedes its ability to keep men with prostate cancer alive has outstripped its ability to manage the often-devastating side effects of treatment. Men with prostate cancer are living longer but with a steadily declining quality of life.
Patting The Shark documents Tim's efforts to navigate his way through the maze of conventional and supportive therapies - meditation, diet, exercise, emotional support, counselling. Ultimately, it is a desperate plea for a more integrative approach to cancer care, treating the whole person and not just the cancer, allowing cancer patients a sense of empowerment and agency in charting their path through treatment.
This is a story about facing your mortality, staring down your fears, and working out what really matters in life, when so many elements of your identity are stripped away. It offers hope, comfort and empathy for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones.
Tim Baker was living the dream. A best-selling and award-winning surf writer with a beautiful family, a lifetime of exotic travel and a home walking distance to quality waves.
That all changed on July 7, 2015, when he was diagnosed, out of the blue, with stage 4, metastatic prostate cancer. So began a descent into the debilitating world of aggressive cancer treatments and a fight for a survival as brutal as any big wave hold down.
Tim writes candidly and with a raw vulnerability about this perilous journey through chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation and surgery, and his own determined lifestyle strategies to maintain mind, body and spirit. Happily, surfing provided one of his most powerful forms of therapy, and writing about his experiences has proven deeply cathartic.
In 2020, 1.5 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer globally and 375,000 lost their lives. In Australia, one in seven men will develop prostate cancer. Yet mainstream oncology concedes its ability to keep men with prostate cancer alive has outstripped its ability to manage the often-devastating side effects of treatment. Men with prostate cancer are living longer but with a steadily declining quality of life.
Patting The Shark documents Tim's efforts to navigate his way through the maze of conventional and supportive therapies - meditation, diet, exercise, emotional support, counselling. Ultimately, it is a desperate plea for a more integrative approach to cancer care, treating the whole person and not just the cancer, allowing cancer patients a sense of empowerment and agency in charting their path through treatment.
This is a story about facing your mortality, staring down your fears, and working out what really matters in life, when so many elements of your identity are stripped away. It offers hope, comfort and empathy for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones.
Perfect Breaks, Dorothy Topfer
Frankie can catch a perfect wave but in real life she gets dumped - over and over again.
Frankie's future seems known - happiness with Charlie her childhood sweetheart and living in a small coastal town in southern New South Wales with extended family and most importantly, fantastic surfing breaks.
Then that future shatters and Frankie must decide what she really wants in her life. Her surfing skills land her a role in a popular TV soapie and she is reborn as Francesca McAdam. A glittering adventure in Sydney with fame, glamour and designer clothes follows.
When scandal engulfs her, Frankie seeks safety in the familiar - running for the security of her family and her beloved beaches. Is it possible to settle back in the environment that she had once been so keen to leave behind? How can she help her older sister who has troubles of her own?
And what is the mystery surrounding Archie, Charlie's older brother who is struggling to keep the family dairy farm afloat and why does his father behave so strangely?
Frankie's future seems known - happiness with Charlie her childhood sweetheart and living in a small coastal town in southern New South Wales with extended family and most importantly, fantastic surfing breaks.
Then that future shatters and Frankie must decide what she really wants in her life. Her surfing skills land her a role in a popular TV soapie and she is reborn as Francesca McAdam. A glittering adventure in Sydney with fame, glamour and designer clothes follows.
When scandal engulfs her, Frankie seeks safety in the familiar - running for the security of her family and her beloved beaches. Is it possible to settle back in the environment that she had once been so keen to leave behind? How can she help her older sister who has troubles of her own?
And what is the mystery surrounding Archie, Charlie's older brother who is struggling to keep the family dairy farm afloat and why does his father behave so strangely?
Surf Life, Gill Hutchison, Willem-Dirk du Toit
Surfing represents freedom, creative expression and a connection to nature.
The women of Surf Life are strong, independent and resilient - incredible surfers who live, work and create on the coast. They are connected to their community and well-respected in their fields. Here you'll learn about their lives by the sea, their experiences learning to surf, how surfing influences their creative processes, advice to new surfers and what they fear about surfing (no, it's not just sharks). With stunning photography and in-depth interviews, Surf Life gorgeously showcases these women, their creativity and their coastal lifestyle.
'Real stories about real women. A refreshing insight into the beautiful addiction of surfing and its unique culture and lifestyle. Stunning visuals too.'
- Pauline Menczer, 1993 World Surfing Champion, 20 Champion Tour event wins, 2018 Surfing Hall of Fame inductee
The women of Surf Life are strong, independent and resilient - incredible surfers who live, work and create on the coast. They are connected to their community and well-respected in their fields. Here you'll learn about their lives by the sea, their experiences learning to surf, how surfing influences their creative processes, advice to new surfers and what they fear about surfing (no, it's not just sharks). With stunning photography and in-depth interviews, Surf Life gorgeously showcases these women, their creativity and their coastal lifestyle.
'Real stories about real women. A refreshing insight into the beautiful addiction of surfing and its unique culture and lifestyle. Stunning visuals too.'
- Pauline Menczer, 1993 World Surfing Champion, 20 Champion Tour event wins, 2018 Surfing Hall of Fame inductee
Troppo, Madelaine Dickie
This topical novel exploring Australia's relationship to Indonesia takes place in Sumatra in November 2004- not long after the Bali and Denpasar bombings, and just before the Boxing Day tsunami.
Troppo is a story about black magic, big waves and mad Aussie expats. Set in Sumatra, it's told from the perspective of Penny, a young surfer who's landed a job managing a resort for the notorious Aussie Shane. Penny is drifting, partying, hanging out - a thousand miles away from claustrophobic Perth and her career-minded boyfriend. But things take a dangerous turn when Penny learns about Shane's reputation as a troublemaker.
Caught up in the hostility directed at Shane, and flirting and surfing with the hell-man Matt, Penny soon finds herself swept into a world where two very different cultures will collide.
Troppo is a story about black magic, big waves and mad Aussie expats. Set in Sumatra, it's told from the perspective of Penny, a young surfer who's landed a job managing a resort for the notorious Aussie Shane. Penny is drifting, partying, hanging out - a thousand miles away from claustrophobic Perth and her career-minded boyfriend. But things take a dangerous turn when Penny learns about Shane's reputation as a troublemaker.
Caught up in the hostility directed at Shane, and flirting and surfing with the hell-man Matt, Penny soon finds herself swept into a world where two very different cultures will collide.
Unearthed, Stephen Cooney
In 1971 Stephen Cooney left school when he was 14 years old to pursue his love of surfing fulltime, eventually joining Albe Falzon for the filming of the seminal surf film Morning of The Earth. Stephen had just turned 15 when they travelled to Bali and became the first known person to surf Uluwatu in Bali. The film went on to win a Gold Record for its soundtrack and is included in the NFSA list of the top 100 Australian films ever made.Stephen's account of his childhood and youthful adventures is in turn both funny and poignant as he reveals some of his family's tragedies and struggles. It takes courage to review your life and challenge the family folklore and stories you had long thought to be true. In doing so, Stephen was rewarded by reconnecting with his eldest brother who he had believed dead for over 50 years. In the mid-1960s, John, or Rita as she was to become known, had identified as transgender and was one of the first in Australia to undergo full gender reassignment. Rita went on to win a Mo Award in London with well-known personality Carlotta, and worked at Les Girls in Kings Cross as well as having her own dance troupe.
All three acts of Stephen Cooney's early life will entertain and enlighten you with tales of Australian surf culture in the 1960s and 70s. Unearthed serves as a valuable companion piece to other works celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Morning of the Earth.
All three acts of Stephen Cooney's early life will entertain and enlighten you with tales of Australian surf culture in the 1960s and 70s. Unearthed serves as a valuable companion piece to other works celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Morning of the Earth.
Lockie Leonard: Legend, Tim Winton
Lockie's survived his first year of high school, settling into a new town and his first mad love affair - it's all behind him; he made it! But the world of weirdness hasn't finished with him yet. His little brother's hormones have kicked in, his baby sister refuses to walk or talk - but eats anything in sight - his Dad arrests a sheep and his Mum seems to have checked out of the here and now. As Lockie's world turns upside down, he learns that life is never as simple as it seems and along the way finds out a lot more about himself than he ever realised was there.
OCEAN LIFE IN FICTION:
The War Nurses, Anthea Hodgson
A moving and inspiring WWII novel of friendship and courage, based on the true events of the Bangka Island Massacre, by the bestselling author of The Drifter.
In 1942, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses - the girls on the beach - are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
Inspired by the author's own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
Praise for Anthea Hodgson-
'A beautifully woven story which absolutely broke my heart and then mended it in the most bittersweet way.' Amazon
'The Drifter heralds the arrival of a strong and fresh new voice in Australian rural literature.' Book Muster Down Under
In 1942, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.
When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses - the girls on the beach - are washed ashore on Banka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.
Inspired by the author's own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.
Praise for Anthea Hodgson-
'A beautifully woven story which absolutely broke my heart and then mended it in the most bittersweet way.' Amazon
'The Drifter heralds the arrival of a strong and fresh new voice in Australian rural literature.' Book Muster Down Under
Broken Bay, Margaret Hickey
From the author of the bestselling Cutters End and Stone Town, a captivating new crime novel featuring Detective Mark Ariti.
Old loyalties and decades-long feuds rise to the surface in this stunning crime novel, set in a spectacular Australian landscape known for its jagged cliffs and hidden caves.
Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti has taken a few days' holiday in Broken Bay at precisely the wrong time. The small fishing town on South Australia's Limestone Coast is now the scene of a terrible tragedy.
Renowned cave-diver Mya Rennik has drowned while exploring a sinkhole on the land of wealthy farmer Frank Doyle. As the press descends, Mark's boss orders him to stay put and assist the police operation.
But when they retrieve Mya's body, a whole new mystery is opened up, around the disappearance of a young local woman twenty years before . . .
Suddenly Mark is diving deep into the town's history - and in particular the simmering rivalry between its two most prominent families, the Doyles and Sinclairs.
Then Cherie Swinson, a former actress, is murdered in the Sinclairs' old home - and Mark is left wondering which is more dangerous- Broken Bay's hidden subterranean world or the secretive town above it . . .
'A tour de force.' Australian Women's Weekly on Cutters End
'Astonishingly assured crime novel. A pitch perfect outback noir.' Weekend Australian on Cutters End
'Hickey nicely layers the intrigue as we follow the always likeable Ariti, who once again discovers just how secretive and bizarre life in the rural hinterland can be.' Sydney Morning Herald on Stone Town
Cutters End was the winner of the BAD Danger Prize 2022 and was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction 2022.
Old loyalties and decades-long feuds rise to the surface in this stunning crime novel, set in a spectacular Australian landscape known for its jagged cliffs and hidden caves.
Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti has taken a few days' holiday in Broken Bay at precisely the wrong time. The small fishing town on South Australia's Limestone Coast is now the scene of a terrible tragedy.
Renowned cave-diver Mya Rennik has drowned while exploring a sinkhole on the land of wealthy farmer Frank Doyle. As the press descends, Mark's boss orders him to stay put and assist the police operation.
But when they retrieve Mya's body, a whole new mystery is opened up, around the disappearance of a young local woman twenty years before . . .
Suddenly Mark is diving deep into the town's history - and in particular the simmering rivalry between its two most prominent families, the Doyles and Sinclairs.
Then Cherie Swinson, a former actress, is murdered in the Sinclairs' old home - and Mark is left wondering which is more dangerous- Broken Bay's hidden subterranean world or the secretive town above it . . .
'A tour de force.' Australian Women's Weekly on Cutters End
'Astonishingly assured crime novel. A pitch perfect outback noir.' Weekend Australian on Cutters End
'Hickey nicely layers the intrigue as we follow the always likeable Ariti, who once again discovers just how secretive and bizarre life in the rural hinterland can be.' Sydney Morning Herald on Stone Town
Cutters End was the winner of the BAD Danger Prize 2022 and was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction 2022.
The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle, Sophie Green
It's 1982 in Australia. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is a box office hit and Paul Hogan is on the TV.
In a seaside suburb, housewife Theresa takes up swimming. She wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves.
From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, bathing is the one constant in her new life.
After finding herself in a desperate situation, 25-year-old Leanne only has herself to rely on. She became a nurse to help others, even as she resists help herself.
Elaine has recently moved from England. Far from home and without her adult sons, her closest friend is a gin bottle.
In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak; they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt. They will find solace and companionship, and learn that love takes many forms.
Most of all, they will cherish their friendship, each and every day.
'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea
'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum
'A delightful novel about the power of female friendship' Sunday Age
'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean.' - JOANNA NELL
Praise for Sophie Green's THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE FAIRVALE LADIES BOOK CLUB
'Tender, intimate, heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly
In a seaside suburb, housewife Theresa takes up swimming. She wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves.
From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, bathing is the one constant in her new life.
After finding herself in a desperate situation, 25-year-old Leanne only has herself to rely on. She became a nurse to help others, even as she resists help herself.
Elaine has recently moved from England. Far from home and without her adult sons, her closest friend is a gin bottle.
In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak; they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt. They will find solace and companionship, and learn that love takes many forms.
Most of all, they will cherish their friendship, each and every day.
'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea
'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum
'A delightful novel about the power of female friendship' Sunday Age
'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean.' - JOANNA NELL
Praise for Sophie Green's THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE FAIRVALE LADIES BOOK CLUB
'Tender, intimate, heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly
A Line In The Sand, Kevin Powers
FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE YELLOW BIRDS
'A stunning novel' New York Times
'A kickass mystery from a superb storyteller' David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 Man
'A spellbinding and totally original thriller' Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
An early morning on a beach in Virginia. As he is taking his daily swim, Arman Bajalan - formerly an interpreter in Iraq - discovers a dead body. After surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife and child, Arman has been given lonely sanctuary in the US. Now, sure that the murder is connected to his past, he knows he's still not safe.
Seasoned detective Catherine Wheel and her fresh-off-the-beat partner have little to go on beyond a bus ticket in the man's pocket. It leads them to Sally Ewell, a local journalist as grief-stricken as Arman by the Iraq war, who is investigating a nefarious corporation: one on the cusp of landing a multi-billion-dollar government defence contract.
As victims mount around Arman, taking the team down wrong turns and towards startling evidence, they find themselves in a race, committed to unravelling the truth and keeping Arman alive - even if it costs them everything.
A Line in the Sand is a sinuous, powerful and white-knuckle thriller, from the award-winning author of The Yellow Birds, shot through with treachery, trauma and the long tentacles of war.
'A tense, twisting, and thoughtful story of the intersection between grief and greed' Michael Koryta, author of Never Far Away
'A stunning novel' New York Times
'A kickass mystery from a superb storyteller' David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 Man
'A spellbinding and totally original thriller' Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
An early morning on a beach in Virginia. As he is taking his daily swim, Arman Bajalan - formerly an interpreter in Iraq - discovers a dead body. After surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife and child, Arman has been given lonely sanctuary in the US. Now, sure that the murder is connected to his past, he knows he's still not safe.
Seasoned detective Catherine Wheel and her fresh-off-the-beat partner have little to go on beyond a bus ticket in the man's pocket. It leads them to Sally Ewell, a local journalist as grief-stricken as Arman by the Iraq war, who is investigating a nefarious corporation: one on the cusp of landing a multi-billion-dollar government defence contract.
As victims mount around Arman, taking the team down wrong turns and towards startling evidence, they find themselves in a race, committed to unravelling the truth and keeping Arman alive - even if it costs them everything.
A Line in the Sand is a sinuous, powerful and white-knuckle thriller, from the award-winning author of The Yellow Birds, shot through with treachery, trauma and the long tentacles of war.
'A tense, twisting, and thoughtful story of the intersection between grief and greed' Michael Koryta, author of Never Far Away
The Ferryman, Justin Cronin
'Next to impossible to put down . . . exciting, mysterious, and totally satisfying.'
STEPHEN KING
*****
The islands of Prospera lie in a vast ocean: in splendid isolation from the rest of humanity, or whatever remains of it. . .
Citizens of the main island enjoy privileged lives, attended to by the support staff who live on a cramped neighbouring island, where whispers begin to grow into cries for revolution.
Meanwhile, life for Prosperans is perfection - and when it's not, their bodies are sent to the mysterious third island: a facility named The Nursery, to be rebooted and restart life afresh.
Proctor Bennett is a Ferryman, who shepherds the soon-to-be retired into the unknown. He never questioned his work until the day he is delivered a cryptic message:
"The world is not the world..."
These simple words unravel something that he has secretly suspected. They seep into strange dreams - of the stars and the sea - and the unshakeable feeling that someone is trying to tell him something important.
Something greater than anyone could possibly imagine, which could change the fate of humanity itself...
*****
'A mind-bending novel full of big ideas and a rollercoaster's worth of twists and turns - so powerful and thrilling!'
ANDY WEIR, author of The Martian
STEPHEN KING
*****
The islands of Prospera lie in a vast ocean: in splendid isolation from the rest of humanity, or whatever remains of it. . .
Citizens of the main island enjoy privileged lives, attended to by the support staff who live on a cramped neighbouring island, where whispers begin to grow into cries for revolution.
Meanwhile, life for Prosperans is perfection - and when it's not, their bodies are sent to the mysterious third island: a facility named The Nursery, to be rebooted and restart life afresh.
Proctor Bennett is a Ferryman, who shepherds the soon-to-be retired into the unknown. He never questioned his work until the day he is delivered a cryptic message:
"The world is not the world..."
These simple words unravel something that he has secretly suspected. They seep into strange dreams - of the stars and the sea - and the unshakeable feeling that someone is trying to tell him something important.
Something greater than anyone could possibly imagine, which could change the fate of humanity itself...
*****
'A mind-bending novel full of big ideas and a rollercoaster's worth of twists and turns - so powerful and thrilling!'
ANDY WEIR, author of The Martian
The Investigators, Anthony Hill
A novel of high adventure, exploration, shipwreck and survival, based on the life of Matthew Flinders' cousin, fifteen-year-old midshipman John Franklin, by the award-winning author of Soldier Boy.
'Our discoveries have been great, but the risks and misfortunes many.'
John Franklin always wanted to be a sailor. As a volunteer in the Royal Navy at age fourteen, he found himself in the Battle of Copenhagan, but nothing could prepare him for the adventure of a lifetime, when he set off in 1801 with his cousin Matthew Flinders on HMS Investigator as it sought to chart the first circumnavigation of Australia.
Taking on responsibility for the chronometers, under the jealous eye of Flinders' younger brother, the young midshipman found all the action, adventure and excitement he'd hoped for in his new life at sea. It inspired him to become one of the great navigators and explorers of the 19th century.
However, he wasn't quite so prepared for the other challenges that life onboard had in store - the rivalries with fellow shipmates, the shortages of food, and the harsh realities of what they encountered in the colonies. Danger, disease and death seemed to follow in their wake, and even the Investigator was at serious risk of survival, and had to flee to Koepang in present-day Indonesia for repair.
The history books tell us that the first circumnavigation of Australia was completed on this voyage - but award-winning author Anthony Hill tells us how it was achieved. The Investigators is an unforgettable story of high adventure, exploration, shipwreck and survival as a young sailor comes of age.
'Our discoveries have been great, but the risks and misfortunes many.'
John Franklin always wanted to be a sailor. As a volunteer in the Royal Navy at age fourteen, he found himself in the Battle of Copenhagan, but nothing could prepare him for the adventure of a lifetime, when he set off in 1801 with his cousin Matthew Flinders on HMS Investigator as it sought to chart the first circumnavigation of Australia.
Taking on responsibility for the chronometers, under the jealous eye of Flinders' younger brother, the young midshipman found all the action, adventure and excitement he'd hoped for in his new life at sea. It inspired him to become one of the great navigators and explorers of the 19th century.
However, he wasn't quite so prepared for the other challenges that life onboard had in store - the rivalries with fellow shipmates, the shortages of food, and the harsh realities of what they encountered in the colonies. Danger, disease and death seemed to follow in their wake, and even the Investigator was at serious risk of survival, and had to flee to Koepang in present-day Indonesia for repair.
The history books tell us that the first circumnavigation of Australia was completed on this voyage - but award-winning author Anthony Hill tells us how it was achieved. The Investigators is an unforgettable story of high adventure, exploration, shipwreck and survival as a young sailor comes of age.
Tidelands, Philippa Gregory
England 1648. A dangerous time for a woman to be different . . . Midsummer's Eve, 1648, and England is in the grip of civil war between renegade King and rebellious Parliament. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even to the remote Tidelands - the marshy landscape of the south coast. Alinor, a descendant of wise women, crushed by poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that she is leading disaster into the heart of her life. Suspected of possessing dark secrets in superstitious times, Alinor's ambition and determination mark her out from her neighbours. This is the time of witch-mania, and Alinor, a woman without a husband, skilled with herbs, suddenly enriched, arouses envy in her rivals and fear among the villagers, who are ready to take lethal action into their own hands.Praise for Tidelands: ‘Utterly Gripping. Impossible to Put Down. This is the first book in The Fairmile Series, and I can't wait to see what happens next for Alinor and her descendants. A must read!' - BetterReading.com.au ‘The first in a planned series... The author crafts her material with effortless ease. Her grasp of social mores is brilliant, the love story rings true and the research is, as ever, of the highest calibre' - Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail
The Anniversary, Stephanie Bishop
There were things that I wanted to say. Things I knew I couldn't say but needed to tell someone. And then the things I knew I should say. What they wanted to hear. There is never only one version.
Novelist JB Blackwood is on a cruise with her husband, Patrick, to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Her one-time professor, Patrick is much older than JB. A maverick when they met, he seemed somehow ageless, as all new gods appear in the eyes of those who worship them. He is a film director. A cult figure. But now his success is starting to wane and JB is on the cusp of winning a major literary prize. Her art, that has been forever overseen by Patrick, is starting to overshadow his.
For days they sail in the sun. They lie about drinking, reading, sleeping, having sex. There is nothing but dark water all around them.
Then a storm hits. When Patrick falls overboard, JB is left alone, as the search for Patrick's body, the circumstances of his death and the truth about their marriage begins.
'The Anniversary is an example of both deft literary craft and an engrossing read - a feat rarer than it should be' AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW
'A surprisingly dark and complex novel. It is intelligent and literary in the best sense of the word: fluent in style, self-aware in its deployment of genre' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
'Compelling and dark, a psychological thriller that makes you want to peel back the layers ... For fans of Rachel Cusk or Siri Hustvedt' BOOKS+PUBLISHING
'A literary potboiler about love, obsession, professional rivalry between intimates and the dilemmas confronting a female artist. Riveting' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'Impossible to put down' DAILY MAIL
'The Anniversary is bejewelled with lovely moments and undeniably exquisite writing' THE SATURDAY AGE
'Stephanie Bishop's attention to detail reveals the minutiae of an intimate relationship, pitched against the backdrop of a life-changing traumatic event . . . The Anniversary unveils a riveting plot, which is gently and tenderly told, one that will surely be appreciated by a wide audience' ARTS HUB
Novelist JB Blackwood is on a cruise with her husband, Patrick, to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Her one-time professor, Patrick is much older than JB. A maverick when they met, he seemed somehow ageless, as all new gods appear in the eyes of those who worship them. He is a film director. A cult figure. But now his success is starting to wane and JB is on the cusp of winning a major literary prize. Her art, that has been forever overseen by Patrick, is starting to overshadow his.
For days they sail in the sun. They lie about drinking, reading, sleeping, having sex. There is nothing but dark water all around them.
Then a storm hits. When Patrick falls overboard, JB is left alone, as the search for Patrick's body, the circumstances of his death and the truth about their marriage begins.
'The Anniversary is an example of both deft literary craft and an engrossing read - a feat rarer than it should be' AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW
'A surprisingly dark and complex novel. It is intelligent and literary in the best sense of the word: fluent in style, self-aware in its deployment of genre' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
'Compelling and dark, a psychological thriller that makes you want to peel back the layers ... For fans of Rachel Cusk or Siri Hustvedt' BOOKS+PUBLISHING
'A literary potboiler about love, obsession, professional rivalry between intimates and the dilemmas confronting a female artist. Riveting' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'Impossible to put down' DAILY MAIL
'The Anniversary is bejewelled with lovely moments and undeniably exquisite writing' THE SATURDAY AGE
'Stephanie Bishop's attention to detail reveals the minutiae of an intimate relationship, pitched against the backdrop of a life-changing traumatic event . . . The Anniversary unveils a riveting plot, which is gently and tenderly told, one that will surely be appreciated by a wide audience' ARTS HUB
Meet Me At The Lake, Carley Fortune
One day. One promise. Two lives changed.
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist - a chance encounter that spiralled into a daylong city adventure. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn't.
At thirty-two, Fern's life hasn't turned out how she imagined it. She's back home, running her mother's lakeside resort, which is in disarray - and her ex-boyfriend is the manager. She needs a lifeline.
To Fern's surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives - nine years too late - with an offer to help. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. Yet how can she possibly trust this expensive suit-wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist - a chance encounter that spiralled into a daylong city adventure. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn't.
At thirty-two, Fern's life hasn't turned out how she imagined it. She's back home, running her mother's lakeside resort, which is in disarray - and her ex-boyfriend is the manager. She needs a lifeline.
To Fern's surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives - nine years too late - with an offer to help. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. Yet how can she possibly trust this expensive suit-wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
The Adventures Of Amina Al-Sirafi, S. A. Chakraborty
Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, launches a new trilogy of magic and mayhem with this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artefacts and ancient mysteries, and one woman’s quest to seize a final chance at glory…
A pirate of infamy and one of the most storied and scandalous captains to sail the seven seas.
Amina al-Sirafi has survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse, she jumps at the chance for one final adventure with her old crew that will make her a legend and offers a fortune that will secure her and her family’s future forever.
Yet the deeper Amina dives the higher the stakes. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savour just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.
A pirate of infamy and one of the most storied and scandalous captains to sail the seven seas.
Amina al-Sirafi has survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse, she jumps at the chance for one final adventure with her old crew that will make her a legend and offers a fortune that will secure her and her family’s future forever.
Yet the deeper Amina dives the higher the stakes. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savour just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.
NON-FICTION:
MEN WITHOUT COUNTRY THE TRUE STORY OF EXPLORATION AND REBELLION IN THE SOUTH SEAS, CHRISTIAN HARRISON
'What joy to be at sea again, adrift on the vast Pacific, in the clutches of a gifted storyteller. Harrison Christian and the mutineers of Men Without Country held me happily captive to the very last page.' Dava Sobel, author of Longitude
A mission to collect breadfruit from Tahiti becomes the most famous mutiny in history when the crew rise up against Captain William Bligh, with accusations of food restrictions and unfair punishments.
Bligh's remarkable journey back to safety is well documented, but the fates of the mutinous men remain shrouded in mystery. Some settled in Tahiti only to face capture and court martial, others sailed on to form a secret colony on Pitcairn Island, the most remote inhabited island on earth, avoiding detection for twenty years. When an American captain stumbled across the island in 1808, only one of the Bounty mutineers was left alive.
Told by a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian, Men Without Country details the journey of the Bounty, and the lives of the men aboard. Lives dominated by a punishing regime of hard work and scarce rations, and deeply divided by the hierarchy of class. It is a tale of adventure and exploration punctuated by moments of extreme violence - towards each other and the people of the South Pacific.
For the first time, Christian provides a comprehensive and compelling account of the whole story - from the history of trade and exploration in the South Seas to Pitcairn Island, which provided the mutineers' salvation, and then became their grave.
A mission to collect breadfruit from Tahiti becomes the most famous mutiny in history when the crew rise up against Captain William Bligh, with accusations of food restrictions and unfair punishments.
Bligh's remarkable journey back to safety is well documented, but the fates of the mutinous men remain shrouded in mystery. Some settled in Tahiti only to face capture and court martial, others sailed on to form a secret colony on Pitcairn Island, the most remote inhabited island on earth, avoiding detection for twenty years. When an American captain stumbled across the island in 1808, only one of the Bounty mutineers was left alive.
Told by a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian, Men Without Country details the journey of the Bounty, and the lives of the men aboard. Lives dominated by a punishing regime of hard work and scarce rations, and deeply divided by the hierarchy of class. It is a tale of adventure and exploration punctuated by moments of extreme violence - towards each other and the people of the South Pacific.
For the first time, Christian provides a comprehensive and compelling account of the whole story - from the history of trade and exploration in the South Seas to Pitcairn Island, which provided the mutineers' salvation, and then became their grave.
Rose: The extraordinary story of Rose de Freycinet: wife, stowaway and the first woman to record her voyage around the world, Suzanne Falkiner
Book Overview Author Info and Events
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About the Book
The voyage of Rose de Freycinet, the stowaway who defied the French for love.
In 1814, in the aftermath of the French Revolution, nineteen-year-old Rose Pinon married handsome naval officer Louis de Freycinet, fifteen years her senior. Three years later, unable to bear parting from her husband, she dressed in men's clothing and slipped secretly aboard his ship the day before it sailed on a voyage of scientific discovery to the South Seas. Living for three years as the sole female among 120 men, Rose de Freycinet defied not only bourgeois society's expectations of a woman in 1817, but also a strict prohibition against women sailing on French naval ships.
Whether dancing at governors' balls in distant colonies, or evading pirates and meeting armed Indigenous warriors on remote Australian shores, or surviving shipwreck in the wintry Falkland Islands, Rose used her quick pen to record her daily experiences, becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the world and leave a record of her journey.
Suzanne Falkiner tells this story of courage, enduring love, curiosity and a spirit of adventure - and of the pivotal voyages that led to it - while revealing a uniquely female view into the hitherto largely male world of 19th-century life at sea.
PRAISE
'A beautifully written, heart-lifting saga of adventure and romance' Grantlee Kieza
'A leisurely, thoughtful work, richly and broadly detailed, quietly absorbing' Helen Garner
facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonpinterest sharing buttonsharethis sharing button
About the Book
The voyage of Rose de Freycinet, the stowaway who defied the French for love.
In 1814, in the aftermath of the French Revolution, nineteen-year-old Rose Pinon married handsome naval officer Louis de Freycinet, fifteen years her senior. Three years later, unable to bear parting from her husband, she dressed in men's clothing and slipped secretly aboard his ship the day before it sailed on a voyage of scientific discovery to the South Seas. Living for three years as the sole female among 120 men, Rose de Freycinet defied not only bourgeois society's expectations of a woman in 1817, but also a strict prohibition against women sailing on French naval ships.
Whether dancing at governors' balls in distant colonies, or evading pirates and meeting armed Indigenous warriors on remote Australian shores, or surviving shipwreck in the wintry Falkland Islands, Rose used her quick pen to record her daily experiences, becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the world and leave a record of her journey.
Suzanne Falkiner tells this story of courage, enduring love, curiosity and a spirit of adventure - and of the pivotal voyages that led to it - while revealing a uniquely female view into the hitherto largely male world of 19th-century life at sea.
PRAISE
'A beautifully written, heart-lifting saga of adventure and romance' Grantlee Kieza
'A leisurely, thoughtful work, richly and broadly detailed, quietly absorbing' Helen Garner
Ten Rogues, Peter Grose
From the grim docks of nineteenth-century London to the even grimmer shores of the brutal penal colony of Norfolk Island, this is a roller-coaster tale. It has everything: defiance of authority, treachery, piracy and mutiny, escape from the hangman's noose and even love. Peopled with good men, buffoons, incompetents and larrikin convicts of the highest order, Ten Rogues is an unexpected and wickedly entertaining story from the great annals of Australia's colonial history.
With the lightness of touch of the master storyteller that he is, Peter Grose brings to irresistible life the story of a small band of convicts who managed to escape the living hell of the Tasmanian penal colony of Sarah Island. Their getaway began by stealing the leaky and untested brig they had helped to build, and then sailing it across the Pacific from Tasmania to Chile with neither a map nor a chronometer.
But their story does not begin or end there. From the strong connection between the slave trade and convict 'transportation' to the possible illegality of the whole convict system, Ten Rogues shines a light into some dark and previously well-hidden corners of colonial history.
With the lightness of touch of the master storyteller that he is, Peter Grose brings to irresistible life the story of a small band of convicts who managed to escape the living hell of the Tasmanian penal colony of Sarah Island. Their getaway began by stealing the leaky and untested brig they had helped to build, and then sailing it across the Pacific from Tasmania to Chile with neither a map nor a chronometer.
But their story does not begin or end there. From the strong connection between the slave trade and convict 'transportation' to the possible illegality of the whole convict system, Ten Rogues shines a light into some dark and previously well-hidden corners of colonial history.
The Battle Of The Bismarck Sea, Michael Veitch
'Readers look for and admire good writers and great writing. They will find it, in spades, in The Battle of the Bismarck Sea.' - The Canberra Times
In the thick of World War II, during the first week of March 1943, Japan made a final, desperate lunge for control of the South West Pacific. In the ensuing Battle of the Bismarck Sea, a force of land-based Australian and American planes attacked a massive convoy of Japanese warships. The odds were against them. But a devastating victory was won and Japan's hopes of regaining the initiative in New Guinea destroyed.
More importantly for Australians, the victory decisively removed any possibility that Australia might be invaded by Japanese forces. It was, for us, one of the most significant times in our history - a week when our future was profoundly in the balance.
Bestselling author Michael Veitch tells the riveting story of this crucial moment in history - how the bravery of young men and experienced fighters, renegades and rule-followers, overcame some of the darkest days of World War II.
In the thick of World War II, during the first week of March 1943, Japan made a final, desperate lunge for control of the South West Pacific. In the ensuing Battle of the Bismarck Sea, a force of land-based Australian and American planes attacked a massive convoy of Japanese warships. The odds were against them. But a devastating victory was won and Japan's hopes of regaining the initiative in New Guinea destroyed.
More importantly for Australians, the victory decisively removed any possibility that Australia might be invaded by Japanese forces. It was, for us, one of the most significant times in our history - a week when our future was profoundly in the balance.
Bestselling author Michael Veitch tells the riveting story of this crucial moment in history - how the bravery of young men and experienced fighters, renegades and rule-followers, overcame some of the darkest days of World War II.
The Epic Voyages of Maud Berridge: The seafaring diaries of a Victorian lady, Sally Berridge
Maud Berridge (1845–1907) was the wife of a Master Mariner, and she travelled with him on at least five occasions (1869, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1886), sailing to Melbourne with emigrants and cargo. The first occasion was 1869 just after they were married, when Henry was Captain of the Walmer Castle, and they returned via New Zealand instead of travelling east and around Cape Horn.
However, most of Henry and Maud's voyages were undertaken in the three-masted clipper Superb, sailing from Gravesend at the start of summer and leaving Melbourne for home at the end of the year (the southern summer, best for heading east with the trade winds and rounding Cape Horn). Record times taken from London to Melbourne under Captain Henry were 79 days (1878), 76 days (1881) and a final time of 74 days (1886).
In 1880, Maud and Henry took their two sons (aged six and eight) with them. In 1883, they sailed on from Melbourne to Newcastle in New South Wales to take on a load of coal, then on through the Windward Isles to San Francisco (51 days). Here they stayed for two months exploring SF and surrounds, unloaded the coal and took on a load of wheat (in large bags) at Port Costa. They then sailed down the west coast of the Americas, around Cape Horn and on to Queenstown in County Cork (134 days). The whole voyage took 14 months. There are also some photographs of Henry, Maud and the crew taken in San Francisco, and a photo from the State Library of Victoria showing the Superb at dock in Melbourne.
Maud wrote diaries of these voyages of which one in particular, that of the 1883 voyage, comprise some 50 000 words. The book will tell Maud's story through her own words and through a number of relevant contemporary documents and will paint a picture of the life of a captain's wife in the Victorian era as well as aspects of society in Britain, the US and Australia at the time. Her enthusiasm for new experiences shines through her writing.
However, most of Henry and Maud's voyages were undertaken in the three-masted clipper Superb, sailing from Gravesend at the start of summer and leaving Melbourne for home at the end of the year (the southern summer, best for heading east with the trade winds and rounding Cape Horn). Record times taken from London to Melbourne under Captain Henry were 79 days (1878), 76 days (1881) and a final time of 74 days (1886).
In 1880, Maud and Henry took their two sons (aged six and eight) with them. In 1883, they sailed on from Melbourne to Newcastle in New South Wales to take on a load of coal, then on through the Windward Isles to San Francisco (51 days). Here they stayed for two months exploring SF and surrounds, unloaded the coal and took on a load of wheat (in large bags) at Port Costa. They then sailed down the west coast of the Americas, around Cape Horn and on to Queenstown in County Cork (134 days). The whole voyage took 14 months. There are also some photographs of Henry, Maud and the crew taken in San Francisco, and a photo from the State Library of Victoria showing the Superb at dock in Melbourne.
Maud wrote diaries of these voyages of which one in particular, that of the 1883 voyage, comprise some 50 000 words. The book will tell Maud's story through her own words and through a number of relevant contemporary documents and will paint a picture of the life of a captain's wife in the Victorian era as well as aspects of society in Britain, the US and Australia at the time. Her enthusiasm for new experiences shines through her writing.
The Ghost And The Bounty Hunter, Adam Courtenay
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was
Just after Christmas 1803, convict William Buckley fled an embryonic settlement in the land of the Kulin nation (now the Port Phillip area), to take his chances in the wilderness. A few months later, the local Aboriginal people found the six-foot-five former soldier near death. Believing he was a lost kinsman returned from the dead, they took him in, and for thirty-two years Buckley lived as a Wadawurrung man, learning his adopted tribe's language, skills and methods to survive.
The outside world finally caught up with Buckley in 1835, after John Batman, a bounty hunter from Van Diemen's Land, arrived in the area, seeking to acquire and control the perfect pastureland around the bay. What happened next saw the Wadawurrung betrayed and Buckley eventually broken. The theft of Kulin country would end in the birth of a city. The frontier wars had begun.
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was, The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter is a fascinating and poignant true story from Australian colonial history.
Just after Christmas 1803, convict William Buckley fled an embryonic settlement in the land of the Kulin nation (now the Port Phillip area), to take his chances in the wilderness. A few months later, the local Aboriginal people found the six-foot-five former soldier near death. Believing he was a lost kinsman returned from the dead, they took him in, and for thirty-two years Buckley lived as a Wadawurrung man, learning his adopted tribe's language, skills and methods to survive.
The outside world finally caught up with Buckley in 1835, after John Batman, a bounty hunter from Van Diemen's Land, arrived in the area, seeking to acquire and control the perfect pastureland around the bay. What happened next saw the Wadawurrung betrayed and Buckley eventually broken. The theft of Kulin country would end in the birth of a city. The frontier wars had begun.
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was, The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter is a fascinating and poignant true story from Australian colonial history.
The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, Grantlee Kieza
The cross-dressing horse thief who became Australia's first female business tycoon.
As a teenage orphan in England in 1791, Mary Reibey was sentenced to death for stealing a horse. When police cornered her she was dressed as a boy, and she maintained that disguise until she was unmasked at her trial. Due to her 'tender age', Mary was spared the hangman's noose and sentenced to seven years' transportation to the colony of New South Wales. With the odds stacked against her, Mary went on to become Australia's first female business tycoon and the richest woman in the colony, founding the Bank of New South Wales (Westpac), now one of the nation's biggest financial institutions. In this engaging and meticulously researched portrait, the acclaimed author of bestsellers such as Mrs Kelly, Banks, Banjo and Monash, brings to vivid life the woman immortalised on the Australian $20 note.
As a teenage orphan in England in 1791, Mary Reibey was sentenced to death for stealing a horse. When police cornered her she was dressed as a boy, and she maintained that disguise until she was unmasked at her trial. Due to her 'tender age', Mary was spared the hangman's noose and sentenced to seven years' transportation to the colony of New South Wales. With the odds stacked against her, Mary went on to become Australia's first female business tycoon and the richest woman in the colony, founding the Bank of New South Wales (Westpac), now one of the nation's biggest financial institutions. In this engaging and meticulously researched portrait, the acclaimed author of bestsellers such as Mrs Kelly, Banks, Banjo and Monash, brings to vivid life the woman immortalised on the Australian $20 note.
The Scrap Iron Flotilla, Mike Carlton
The British Admiralty's telegram arrived at Navy Office in Melbourne, the order to go to all-out war. It was coldly succinct- TOTAL GERMANY ... The war at sea had begun.
When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, the British asked Australia for help. With some misgivings, the Australian government sent five destroyers to beef up the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean.
HMAS Vendetta, Vampire, Voyager, Stuart and Waterhen were old ships, small with worn-out engines. Their crews used to joke they were held together by string and chewing gum; when the Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels heard of them, he sneered that they were a load of scrap iron.
Yet by the middle of 1940, these destroyers were valiantly escorting troop and supply convoys, successfully hunting for submarines and indefatigably bombarding enemy coasts. Sometimes the weather could be their worst enemy - from filthy sandstorms blowing off Africa to icy gales from Europe that whipped up mountainous seas and froze the guns. Conditions on board were terrible - no showers or proper washing facilities; cramped and stinking sleeping quarters; unpleasant meals of spam and tinned sausages, often served cold in a howling squall. And always the bombing, the bombing. And the fear of submarines.
When Nazi Germany invaded Greece, the Allied armies - including Australian Divisions - reeled in retreat. The Australian ships were among those who had to rescue thousands of soldiers. Then came the Siege of Tobruk - Australian troops holding out in that small Libyan port city. The Australian destroyers ran 'the Tobruk Ferry' - bringing supplies of food, medicine and ammunition into the shattered port by night, and taking off wounded soldiers.
But the four destroyers now left were struggling, suffering from constant engine breakdowns, with crews beleaguered by two years of bombings, wild seas and the endless fear of being sunk. In late 1941 the ships were finally sent home, staggering back to Australia, proudly calling themselves the Scrap Iron Flotilla in defiance of the Goebbels' sneer. That flotilla is now an immortal part of Australian naval legend, and this is its story.
When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, the British asked Australia for help. With some misgivings, the Australian government sent five destroyers to beef up the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean.
HMAS Vendetta, Vampire, Voyager, Stuart and Waterhen were old ships, small with worn-out engines. Their crews used to joke they were held together by string and chewing gum; when the Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels heard of them, he sneered that they were a load of scrap iron.
Yet by the middle of 1940, these destroyers were valiantly escorting troop and supply convoys, successfully hunting for submarines and indefatigably bombarding enemy coasts. Sometimes the weather could be their worst enemy - from filthy sandstorms blowing off Africa to icy gales from Europe that whipped up mountainous seas and froze the guns. Conditions on board were terrible - no showers or proper washing facilities; cramped and stinking sleeping quarters; unpleasant meals of spam and tinned sausages, often served cold in a howling squall. And always the bombing, the bombing. And the fear of submarines.
When Nazi Germany invaded Greece, the Allied armies - including Australian Divisions - reeled in retreat. The Australian ships were among those who had to rescue thousands of soldiers. Then came the Siege of Tobruk - Australian troops holding out in that small Libyan port city. The Australian destroyers ran 'the Tobruk Ferry' - bringing supplies of food, medicine and ammunition into the shattered port by night, and taking off wounded soldiers.
But the four destroyers now left were struggling, suffering from constant engine breakdowns, with crews beleaguered by two years of bombings, wild seas and the endless fear of being sunk. In late 1941 the ships were finally sent home, staggering back to Australia, proudly calling themselves the Scrap Iron Flotilla in defiance of the Goebbels' sneer. That flotilla is now an immortal part of Australian naval legend, and this is its story.
The Shipwreck, Larry Writer
The epic story of one of Australia's greatest maritime disasters, the wreck of The Dunbar.
At the top of The Gap, the haunted cliffs that front the coast of Sydney's Watsons Bay, sits a massive, battered anchor. It belonged to the Dunbar, an 1186-tonne three-masted clipped en route to Sydney from Plymouth, England, that was swept by a gale onto the rocks at South Head on August 20, 1857. All but one of the 123 crew and passengers perished: drowned, dashed on rocks or mauled by sharks.
This book is the story of the Dunbar, using the wealth of contemporary sources that exist, and but written with narrative pace and excitement. It will follow the personal stories of many of ship's crew and passengers to bring to life the world of sail and its risks, and in particular it will focus on James Johnson, the sole survivor. The wreck was one of Australia's worst ever, and happened on the doorstep of the young city of Sydney, showing the precariousness of the new colony's link to the home country. It shocked the city, and its aftermath saw enormous changes to navigation and maritime safety, including the building of the lighthouse that still stands today overlooking The Gap. It is perhaps fitting that James Johnson, the survivor, became its lighthouse keeper. Written with the same impeccable research, eye for detail and powerful storytelling that made Larry's Razor such a perennial seller, Dunbar is a fascinating, terrible piece of our history.
At the top of The Gap, the haunted cliffs that front the coast of Sydney's Watsons Bay, sits a massive, battered anchor. It belonged to the Dunbar, an 1186-tonne three-masted clipped en route to Sydney from Plymouth, England, that was swept by a gale onto the rocks at South Head on August 20, 1857. All but one of the 123 crew and passengers perished: drowned, dashed on rocks or mauled by sharks.
This book is the story of the Dunbar, using the wealth of contemporary sources that exist, and but written with narrative pace and excitement. It will follow the personal stories of many of ship's crew and passengers to bring to life the world of sail and its risks, and in particular it will focus on James Johnson, the sole survivor. The wreck was one of Australia's worst ever, and happened on the doorstep of the young city of Sydney, showing the precariousness of the new colony's link to the home country. It shocked the city, and its aftermath saw enormous changes to navigation and maritime safety, including the building of the lighthouse that still stands today overlooking The Gap. It is perhaps fitting that James Johnson, the survivor, became its lighthouse keeper. Written with the same impeccable research, eye for detail and powerful storytelling that made Larry's Razor such a perennial seller, Dunbar is a fascinating, terrible piece of our history.
Three Sheets To The Wind, Adam Courtenay
How a motley crew of merchant seamen walked 600 miles to save 7000 gallons of rum
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was
When, in 1796, Calcutta-based Scottish merchants Campbell & Clark dispatched an Indian ship hurriedly renamed the Sydney Cove to the colony of New South Wales, they were hoping to make their fortune. The ship's speculative cargo was comprised of all kinds of goods to entice the new colony's inhabitants, including 7000 gallons of rum. The merchants were planning to sell the liquor to the Rum Corp, which ruled the fledgling colony with an iron grip, despite the recent arrival of Governor John Hunter.
But when the Sydney Cove went down north of Van Diemen's Land, cargo master William Clark and sixteen other crew members were compelled to walk 600 miles to Sydney Town to get help to save the rest of the crew and the precious goods. Assisted by at least six Indigenous clans on his journey, Clark saw far more of the country than Joseph Banks ever did, and his eventual report to Governor Hunter led to far-reaching consequences for the fledgling colony. And the rum? Some of it was saved.
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was and The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter, Three Sheets to the Wind is a rollicking account of a little-known event that changed the course of Australian history.
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was
When, in 1796, Calcutta-based Scottish merchants Campbell & Clark dispatched an Indian ship hurriedly renamed the Sydney Cove to the colony of New South Wales, they were hoping to make their fortune. The ship's speculative cargo was comprised of all kinds of goods to entice the new colony's inhabitants, including 7000 gallons of rum. The merchants were planning to sell the liquor to the Rum Corp, which ruled the fledgling colony with an iron grip, despite the recent arrival of Governor John Hunter.
But when the Sydney Cove went down north of Van Diemen's Land, cargo master William Clark and sixteen other crew members were compelled to walk 600 miles to Sydney Town to get help to save the rest of the crew and the precious goods. Assisted by at least six Indigenous clans on his journey, Clark saw far more of the country than Joseph Banks ever did, and his eventual report to Governor Hunter led to far-reaching consequences for the fledgling colony. And the rum? Some of it was saved.
By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was and The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter, Three Sheets to the Wind is a rollicking account of a little-known event that changed the course of Australian history.
Climate Crisis
NON-FICTION:
How Did We Get Into This Mess?, George Monbiot
George Monbiot is one of the most vocal, and eloquent, critics of the current consensus. How Did We Get into this Mess?, based on his powerful journalism, assesses the state we are now in: the devastation of the natural world, the crisis of inequality, the corporate takeover of nature, our obsessions with growth and profit and the decline of the political debate over what to do.
While his diagnosis of the problems in front of us is clear-sighted and reasonable, he also develops solutions to challenge the politics of fear. How do we stand up to the powerful when they seem to have all the weapons? What can we do to prepare our children for an uncertain future? Controversial, clear but always rigorously argued, How Did We Get into this Mess? makes a persuasive case for change in our everyday lives, our politics and economics, the ways we treat each other and the natural world.
While his diagnosis of the problems in front of us is clear-sighted and reasonable, he also develops solutions to challenge the politics of fear. How do we stand up to the powerful when they seem to have all the weapons? What can we do to prepare our children for an uncertain future? Controversial, clear but always rigorously argued, How Did We Get into this Mess? makes a persuasive case for change in our everyday lives, our politics and economics, the ways we treat each other and the natural world.
Humanity's Moment, Joëlle Gergis
A personal call to action from an Australian IPCC author
Acknowledging that the world as we know it is coming apart is an act of courage.
If I live to look back at this troubled time, I want to say that I did all that I could, that I was on the right side of history.
The question is, do you want to be part of the legacy that restores our faith in humanity?
When climate scientist Joelle Gergis set to work on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the research she encountered kept her up at night. Through countless hours spent with the world's top scientists to piece together the latest global assessment of climate change, she realised that the impacts were occurring faster than anyone had predicted.
In Humanity's Moment, Joelle takes us through the science in the IPCC report with clear-eyed honesty, explaining what it means for our future, while sharing her personal reflections on bearing witness to the heartbreak of the climate emergency unfolding in real time. But this is not a lament for a lost world. It is an inspiring reminder that human history is an endless tug-of-war for social justice. We are each a part of an eternal evolutionary force that can transform our world.
Joelle shows us that the solutions we need to live sustainably already exist - we just need the social movement and political will to create a better world. This book is a climate scientist's guide to rekindling hope, and a call to action to restore our relationship with ourselves, each other and our planet.
Acknowledging that the world as we know it is coming apart is an act of courage.
If I live to look back at this troubled time, I want to say that I did all that I could, that I was on the right side of history.
The question is, do you want to be part of the legacy that restores our faith in humanity?
When climate scientist Joelle Gergis set to work on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the research she encountered kept her up at night. Through countless hours spent with the world's top scientists to piece together the latest global assessment of climate change, she realised that the impacts were occurring faster than anyone had predicted.
In Humanity's Moment, Joelle takes us through the science in the IPCC report with clear-eyed honesty, explaining what it means for our future, while sharing her personal reflections on bearing witness to the heartbreak of the climate emergency unfolding in real time. But this is not a lament for a lost world. It is an inspiring reminder that human history is an endless tug-of-war for social justice. We are each a part of an eternal evolutionary force that can transform our world.
Joelle shows us that the solutions we need to live sustainably already exist - we just need the social movement and political will to create a better world. This book is a climate scientist's guide to rekindling hope, and a call to action to restore our relationship with ourselves, each other and our planet.
Race For Tomorrow, Simon Mundy
As featured on CNN’s Amanpour & Company and BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week with Andrew Marr
One of the Financial Times’ best books of 2021
In this compelling journey through twenty-six countries, Simon Mundy traces how the struggle to respond to the climate crisis is rapidly reshaping the modern world – shattering communities, shaking global business and propelling waves of cutting-edge innovation.
Telling unforgettable human stories, meeting scientists and business tycoons, activists and political leaders, this is an account of disaster and survival, of frantic adaptation and groundbreaking innovation, of hope, and of the forces that will define our future.
More praise
‘Urgent reading … A truly global journey’ SOPHY ROBERTS
‘Vivid and informed’ ADAM NICOLSON
‘I took a great sense of hope’ RICHARD POWERS
‘Reads like a thriller’ MARK LYNAS
‘An inspiring piece of work’ MICHAEL E. MANN
‘Utterly unlike any book yet written in this field’ ANAND MAHINDRA
‘Gripping … A must-read for every concerned global citizen’ NANDAN NILEKANI
One of the Financial Times’ best books of 2021
In this compelling journey through twenty-six countries, Simon Mundy traces how the struggle to respond to the climate crisis is rapidly reshaping the modern world – shattering communities, shaking global business and propelling waves of cutting-edge innovation.
Telling unforgettable human stories, meeting scientists and business tycoons, activists and political leaders, this is an account of disaster and survival, of frantic adaptation and groundbreaking innovation, of hope, and of the forces that will define our future.
More praise
‘Urgent reading … A truly global journey’ SOPHY ROBERTS
‘Vivid and informed’ ADAM NICOLSON
‘I took a great sense of hope’ RICHARD POWERS
‘Reads like a thriller’ MARK LYNAS
‘An inspiring piece of work’ MICHAEL E. MANN
‘Utterly unlike any book yet written in this field’ ANAND MAHINDRA
‘Gripping … A must-read for every concerned global citizen’ NANDAN NILEKANI
An Idea Can Go Extinct, Bill McKibben
In 21 short books, Penguin Classics brings you the new canon of great environmental works
Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement.
Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement.
Climate Wars, Mark Butler
As the consequences of climate change become perilously close to the point of no-return, time-wasting wars over what to do distract us from taking real action.
Mark Butler, the opposition minister for climate change and energy, makes a forceful case for using less and cleaner energy as part of global action to save the planet. Doing so will also make Australia attractive for the massive global market of investors and create new jobs in clean energy.
Climate Wars argues that only Labor, the party with a proven track record for national reform, has the plan and the will to ensure bold action before it is too late.
Mark Butler, the opposition minister for climate change and energy, makes a forceful case for using less and cleaner energy as part of global action to save the planet. Doing so will also make Australia attractive for the massive global market of investors and create new jobs in clean energy.
Climate Wars argues that only Labor, the party with a proven track record for national reform, has the plan and the will to ensure bold action before it is too late.
A Warning From The Golden Toad, Tim Flannery
In 21 short books, Penguin Classics brings you the new canon of great environmental works
Taking us on an extraordinary journey into the past and around the globe, from coral reefs to the North Pole, deserts to rainforests, Tim Flannery tells the story of the earth's climate, and how we have changed it.
Taking us on an extraordinary journey into the past and around the globe, from coral reefs to the North Pole, deserts to rainforests, Tim Flannery tells the story of the earth's climate, and how we have changed it.
Bugs In Danger, Mark Kurlansky
By now you've probably heard that bees are disappearing--but they aren't the only species at risk. Populations of fireflies, butterflies, and ladybugs have all been declining in recent years, too. This middle grade nonfiction explains the growth, spread, and recent declines of each of these four types of insects. Exploring human causes, like the Baltimore electric company that collected fireflies to attempt to harness their phosphorescent lighting source, to natural occurrences, like the mysterious colony collapse disorder that plagues bee populations, master nonfiction storyteller Mark Kurlansky shows just how much bugs matter to our world.
Electric Cars, James Taylor
An essential introduction to the surprisingly long history of the electric car, from the early pioneers, through to the first commercially viable marques such as Tesla.
An essential introduction to the surprisingly long history of the electric car, from the early pioneers, through to the first commercially viable marques such as Tesla.
After a century in the shadow of the internal combustion engine, the electric motor is making a seismic comeback. Battery-propelled vehicles in fact predate petrol and diesel engines; indeed, in the Edwardian era, electric vehicles could well have become the dominant form of transport. While limitations to their range and speed meant that fossil-fuelled cars rapidly left them behind, since the 1970s there have been several efforts to revive electric cars, and with recent carbon emissions commitments, offerings such as the Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Leaf have been well received. This fully illustrated introduction explains these developments, charting the most notable electric cars, from the eccentric Amitron and Zagato Zele to the now-mainstream models that are set to dominate the market, such as the BMW i3 and Renault Zoe.
An essential introduction to the surprisingly long history of the electric car, from the early pioneers, through to the first commercially viable marques such as Tesla.
After a century in the shadow of the internal combustion engine, the electric motor is making a seismic comeback. Battery-propelled vehicles in fact predate petrol and diesel engines; indeed, in the Edwardian era, electric vehicles could well have become the dominant form of transport. While limitations to their range and speed meant that fossil-fuelled cars rapidly left them behind, since the 1970s there have been several efforts to revive electric cars, and with recent carbon emissions commitments, offerings such as the Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Leaf have been well received. This fully illustrated introduction explains these developments, charting the most notable electric cars, from the eccentric Amitron and Zagato Zele to the now-mainstream models that are set to dominate the market, such as the BMW i3 and Renault Zoe.
Electrify, Saul Griffith
An optimistic--but realistic and feasible--action plan for fighting climate change while creating new jobs and a healthier environment: electrify everything.
Climate change is a planetary emergency. We have to do something now--but what? Saul Griffith has a plan. In Electrify, Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint--optimistic but feasible--for fighting climate change while creating millions of new jobs and a healthier environment. Griffith's plan can be summed up simply: electrify everything. He explains exactly what it would take to transform our infrastructure, update our grid, and adapt our households to make this possible. Billionaires may contemplate escaping our worn-out planet on a private rocket ship to Mars, but the rest of us, Griffith says, will stay and fight for the future.
Griffith, an engineer and inventor, calls for grid neutrality, ensuring that households, businesses, and utilities operate as equals; we will have to rewrite regulations that were created for a fossil-fueled world, mobilize industry as we did in World War II, and offer low-interest "climate loans." Griffith's plan doesn't rely on big, not-yet-invented innovations, but on thousands of little inventions and cost reductions. We can still have our cars and our houses--but the cars will be electric and solar panels will cover our roofs. For a world trying to bounce back from a pandemic and economic crisis, there is no other project that would create as many jobs--up to twenty-five million, according to one economic analysis. Is this politically possible? We can change politics along with everything else.
Climate change is a planetary emergency. We have to do something now--but what? Saul Griffith has a plan. In Electrify, Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint--optimistic but feasible--for fighting climate change while creating millions of new jobs and a healthier environment. Griffith's plan can be summed up simply: electrify everything. He explains exactly what it would take to transform our infrastructure, update our grid, and adapt our households to make this possible. Billionaires may contemplate escaping our worn-out planet on a private rocket ship to Mars, but the rest of us, Griffith says, will stay and fight for the future.
Griffith, an engineer and inventor, calls for grid neutrality, ensuring that households, businesses, and utilities operate as equals; we will have to rewrite regulations that were created for a fossil-fueled world, mobilize industry as we did in World War II, and offer low-interest "climate loans." Griffith's plan doesn't rely on big, not-yet-invented innovations, but on thousands of little inventions and cost reductions. We can still have our cars and our houses--but the cars will be electric and solar panels will cover our roofs. For a world trying to bounce back from a pandemic and economic crisis, there is no other project that would create as many jobs--up to twenty-five million, according to one economic analysis. Is this politically possible? We can change politics along with everything else.
Fen, Bog And Swamp, Annie Proulx
A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
‘A subject that could not be more important. A compact classic!’ Bill McKibben
‘I learned something new – and found something amazing – on every page’ Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See
From Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx – whose novels are infused with her knowledge and deep concern for the earth – comes an urgent and riveting history of wetlands, their ecological role and how the loss of them threatens the planet.
Fens, bogs, swamps and marine estuaries are the earth’s most desirable and dependable resources, and in four illuminating parts Proulx documents the emergence of their systemic destruction in the pursuit of profit and the consequent release of their stored carbon. Wide-ranging and idiosyncratic, Proulx’s explanation of wetlands takes readers to the fens of sixteenth-century England, Canada’s Hudson Bay Lowlands, Russia’s Great Vasyugan Mire and America’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and introduces the nineteenth-century explorers who launched the ravaging of the Amazon rainforest.
Proulx was born in the 1930s, a time, as she says, when ‘in the ever-continuing name of progress, Western countries busily raped their own and other countries of minerals, timber, fish and wildlife.’ Fen, Bog & Swamp is both a revelatory history and an urgent plea for wetland reclamation from a writer whose passionate devotion to observing and preserving the environment is on glorious display.
‘Magnificent, bringing to life hitherto overlooked habitats’ Guardian
‘Proulx's sparkling book will open your eyes to humanity's reckless trashing of wetlands’ Telegraph
‘A haunting tribute … Proulx’s poetic description of these places, and peat itself, is a pleasure to read’ Financial Times
‘A subject that could not be more important. A compact classic!’ Bill McKibben
‘I learned something new – and found something amazing – on every page’ Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See
From Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx – whose novels are infused with her knowledge and deep concern for the earth – comes an urgent and riveting history of wetlands, their ecological role and how the loss of them threatens the planet.
Fens, bogs, swamps and marine estuaries are the earth’s most desirable and dependable resources, and in four illuminating parts Proulx documents the emergence of their systemic destruction in the pursuit of profit and the consequent release of their stored carbon. Wide-ranging and idiosyncratic, Proulx’s explanation of wetlands takes readers to the fens of sixteenth-century England, Canada’s Hudson Bay Lowlands, Russia’s Great Vasyugan Mire and America’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and introduces the nineteenth-century explorers who launched the ravaging of the Amazon rainforest.
Proulx was born in the 1930s, a time, as she says, when ‘in the ever-continuing name of progress, Western countries busily raped their own and other countries of minerals, timber, fish and wildlife.’ Fen, Bog & Swamp is both a revelatory history and an urgent plea for wetland reclamation from a writer whose passionate devotion to observing and preserving the environment is on glorious display.
‘Magnificent, bringing to life hitherto overlooked habitats’ Guardian
‘Proulx's sparkling book will open your eyes to humanity's reckless trashing of wetlands’ Telegraph
‘A haunting tribute … Proulx’s poetic description of these places, and peat itself, is a pleasure to read’ Financial Times
FICTION:
Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy
'An extraordinary novel... as beautiful and as wrenching as anything I've ever read.' Emily St John Mandel
'This novel is enchanting, but not in some safe, fairytale sense. Charlotte McConaghy has harnessed the rough magic that sears our souls. I recommend The Last Migration with my whole heart.' Geraldine Brooks
For readers of Station Eleven and Everything I Never Told You, a debut novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world's last birds - and her own final chance for redemption.
A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.
How far you would you go for love? Franny Stone is determined to go to the end of the earth, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.
As animal populations plummet and commercial fishing faces prohibition, Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south. But as she and the eccentric crew travel further from shore and safety, the dark secrets of Franny's life begin to unspool. A daughter's yearning search for her mother. An impulsive, passionate marriage. A shocking crime. Haunted by love and violence, Franny must confront what she is really running towards - and from.
The Last Migration is a wild, gripping and deeply moving novel from a brilliant young writer. From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, through crashing Atlantic swells to the bottom of the world, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened, and an epic story of the possibility of hope against all odds.
'Transporting' (New York Times) 'Hopeful' (Washington Post) 'Powerful' (Los Angeles Times) 'Thrilling' (TIME) 'Tantalizingly beautiful' (Elle) 'Suspenseful' (Vogue) 'Aching and poignant' (Guardian)
'This novel is enchanting, but not in some safe, fairytale sense. Charlotte McConaghy has harnessed the rough magic that sears our souls. I recommend The Last Migration with my whole heart.' Geraldine Brooks
For readers of Station Eleven and Everything I Never Told You, a debut novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world's last birds - and her own final chance for redemption.
A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.
How far you would you go for love? Franny Stone is determined to go to the end of the earth, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.
As animal populations plummet and commercial fishing faces prohibition, Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south. But as she and the eccentric crew travel further from shore and safety, the dark secrets of Franny's life begin to unspool. A daughter's yearning search for her mother. An impulsive, passionate marriage. A shocking crime. Haunted by love and violence, Franny must confront what she is really running towards - and from.
The Last Migration is a wild, gripping and deeply moving novel from a brilliant young writer. From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, through crashing Atlantic swells to the bottom of the world, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened, and an epic story of the possibility of hope against all odds.
'Transporting' (New York Times) 'Hopeful' (Washington Post) 'Powerful' (Los Angeles Times) 'Thrilling' (TIME) 'Tantalizingly beautiful' (Elle) 'Suspenseful' (Vogue) 'Aching and poignant' (Guardian)
Once There Were Wolves, Charlotte McConaghy
From the author of the international bestseller Migrations comes a pulse-pounding new novel set in the wild Scottish Highlands
'So damn good. A page-turner that makes you think and has a huge emotional impact.'
Jeff Vandermeer, New York Times bestselling author of Annihilation (via Twitter)
'Blazing . . . Visceral . . . Stunning.'
Los Angeles Times
Inti Flynn arrives in the Scottish Highlands with fourteen grey wolves, a traumatised sister and fierce tenacity.
As a biologist, she knows the animals are the best hope for rewilding the ruined landscape and she cares little for local opposition. As a sister, she hopes the remote project will offer her twin, Aggie, a chance to heal after the horrific events that drove them both out of Alaska.
But violence dogs their footsteps and one night Inti stumbles over the body of a farmer. Unable to accept that her wolves could be responsible, she makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn't make the kill, then who did? And can she trust the man she is beginning to love when he becomes the main suspect?
Propulsive and unforgettable, Once There Were Wolves is the spellbinding story of a woman desperate to save her family, the wild animals and the natural world she loves, at any cost.
'So damn good. A page-turner that makes you think and has a huge emotional impact.'
Jeff Vandermeer, New York Times bestselling author of Annihilation (via Twitter)
'Blazing . . . Visceral . . . Stunning.'
Los Angeles Times
Inti Flynn arrives in the Scottish Highlands with fourteen grey wolves, a traumatised sister and fierce tenacity.
As a biologist, she knows the animals are the best hope for rewilding the ruined landscape and she cares little for local opposition. As a sister, she hopes the remote project will offer her twin, Aggie, a chance to heal after the horrific events that drove them both out of Alaska.
But violence dogs their footsteps and one night Inti stumbles over the body of a farmer. Unable to accept that her wolves could be responsible, she makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn't make the kill, then who did? And can she trust the man she is beginning to love when he becomes the main suspect?
Propulsive and unforgettable, Once There Were Wolves is the spellbinding story of a woman desperate to save her family, the wild animals and the natural world she loves, at any cost.
Final Storm, Deborah Abela
Isabella and her friends have settled into life in New City, attending school and making new friends--including the charming, talented, and eminently humble Aleksander Larson. Isabella quickly finds herself leaning on Aleksander's friendship, a move that distances her friends, particularly Xavier. Meanwhile, the world's weather patterns are becoming increasingly erratic, and the Bureau of Weather and Climate has been failing to predict severe weather events--a failure that endangers the lives of those in New City and plunges the city into rumor and doubt. As a massive storm of ice and snow sets in, it seems the New City can no longer be the safe home its inhabitants need. As friendships, politics, and the weather become increasingly unstable, Isabella, Griffin, Xavier, and their friends must decide where their loyalties lie, face that which seems too good to be true, and once again save this new city they've decided to call their home.
The Overstory, Richard Powers
Moving through America’s history and its landscape, this is a wondrous, exhilarating novel about nine strangers brought together by an unfolding natural catastrophe.
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A wondrous, exhilarating novel about nine strangers brought together by an unfolding natural catastrophe
‘Really, just one of the best novels, period’ Ann Patchett
‘The best book I’ve read in ten years’ Emma Thompson
‘Dazzlingly written’ Robert Macfarlane
‘Breathtaking’ Barbara Kingsolver
An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. An Air Force crewmember in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan.
This is the story of these and five other strangers, each summoned in different ways by the natural world, who are brought together in a last stand to save it from catastrophe.
‘It’s not possible for Powers to write an uninteresting book’
Margaret Atwood
‘The best… Should be mandatory reading the world over’
Emilia Clarke
‘It’s a masterpiece’
Tim Winton
‘Radical and exciting’
Jessie Burton
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A wondrous, exhilarating novel about nine strangers brought together by an unfolding natural catastrophe
‘Really, just one of the best novels, period’ Ann Patchett
‘The best book I’ve read in ten years’ Emma Thompson
‘Dazzlingly written’ Robert Macfarlane
‘Breathtaking’ Barbara Kingsolver
An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. An Air Force crewmember in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan.
This is the story of these and five other strangers, each summoned in different ways by the natural world, who are brought together in a last stand to save it from catastrophe.
‘It’s not possible for Powers to write an uninteresting book’
Margaret Atwood
‘The best… Should be mandatory reading the world over’
Emilia Clarke
‘It’s a masterpiece’
Tim Winton
‘Radical and exciting’
Jessie Burton
Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
‘A dazzling epic of love, war and the joy of books’ Guardian
‘There is magic in this place … You just have to sit and breathe and wait and it will find you’
Fifteenth-century Constantinople. Present day Idaho. The future, and humanity’s last hope.
Across time and space, five young dreamers are bound by a single ancient text. Together, they tell a story of a world in peril; of the power of words, of resilience, and of hope against all odds.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See returns with a heart-breaking, magnificent epic of human connection and a love letter to storytelling itself.
‘Wonderment and despair, love and destruction and hope – all find their place in its sumptuously plotted pages’ Observer
‘Ingenious, hopeful and totally absorbing’ Financial Times
‘This engagingly written, big-hearted book is a must-read’ Daily Mirror
‘A dazzling epic of love, war and the joy of books’ Guardian
‘There is magic in this place … You just have to sit and breathe and wait and it will find you’
Fifteenth-century Constantinople. Present day Idaho. The future, and humanity’s last hope.
Across time and space, five young dreamers are bound by a single ancient text. Together, they tell a story of a world in peril; of the power of words, of resilience, and of hope against all odds.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See returns with a heart-breaking, magnificent epic of human connection and a love letter to storytelling itself.
‘Wonderment and despair, love and destruction and hope – all find their place in its sumptuously plotted pages’ Observer
‘Ingenious, hopeful and totally absorbing’ Financial Times
‘This engagingly written, big-hearted book is a must-read’ Daily Mirror
The Last Woman In The World, Inga Simpson
AFTER THE FIRES. AFTER THE VIRUS. THEY CAME. A remarkable literary novel from the multi-award-nominated Australian writer
It's night, and the walls of Rachel's home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister.
A hammering on the door. There stands a mother, Hannah, with a sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside.
Now Rachel must face her worst fears: should she take up the fight to help these strangers survive in a society she has rejected for so long?
From the critically acclaimed author of Mr Wigg and Nest, The Last Woman in the World looks at how we treat our world and each other - and what it is that might ultimately redeem us.
'creepy and chilling, this becomes a hell-for-leather survival race through burning countryside' The Observer
'enthralling . . . a powerful allegory . . . every passage swells with the momentum of an action-flick. Each page is shaped with an impressive, world-building cinematic scope' Jessie Tu, Sydney Morning Herald
'Simpson's page-turner layers precise nature writing with a conspiratorial tone for our times, turning in a gripping apocalyptic thriller that infects the sublime features of the landscape with primal fear' The Guardian
'Chilling in its warnings. Powerful' Good Reading
'This novel is fast-paced, adrenalin-fuelled - and dramatic enough to keep me reading into the night' Sarah L'Estrange, ABC Online
'Seat-of-your-pants gripping' ArtsHub
'This book is deeply affecting. Inga Simpson writes with literary brilliance. The Last Woman in the World is an action driven novel, but it is also intensely philosophical, a clever study of character and intensely beautiful. Many fine books have been published in Australia in the last couple of years . . . This is amongst the best. It will stay with me long after the last page was turned' Living Arts Canberra
'The Last Woman in the World is heart-racing, page-turning, hiding-under-the-doona stuff. A smart and pacey thriller that is also a lament for a world we have failed to care for.' Kate Mildenhall, bestselling author of The Mother Fault
'The Last Woman in the World is a novel of fear, fire and an uncertain future. A powerful narrative in Inga Simpson's unique voice. Horrifying, yet humane and ultimately hopeful - a masterwork' Angela Slatter, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Bitterwood Bible
It's night, and the walls of Rachel's home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister.
A hammering on the door. There stands a mother, Hannah, with a sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside.
Now Rachel must face her worst fears: should she take up the fight to help these strangers survive in a society she has rejected for so long?
From the critically acclaimed author of Mr Wigg and Nest, The Last Woman in the World looks at how we treat our world and each other - and what it is that might ultimately redeem us.
'creepy and chilling, this becomes a hell-for-leather survival race through burning countryside' The Observer
'enthralling . . . a powerful allegory . . . every passage swells with the momentum of an action-flick. Each page is shaped with an impressive, world-building cinematic scope' Jessie Tu, Sydney Morning Herald
'Simpson's page-turner layers precise nature writing with a conspiratorial tone for our times, turning in a gripping apocalyptic thriller that infects the sublime features of the landscape with primal fear' The Guardian
'Chilling in its warnings. Powerful' Good Reading
'This novel is fast-paced, adrenalin-fuelled - and dramatic enough to keep me reading into the night' Sarah L'Estrange, ABC Online
'Seat-of-your-pants gripping' ArtsHub
'This book is deeply affecting. Inga Simpson writes with literary brilliance. The Last Woman in the World is an action driven novel, but it is also intensely philosophical, a clever study of character and intensely beautiful. Many fine books have been published in Australia in the last couple of years . . . This is amongst the best. It will stay with me long after the last page was turned' Living Arts Canberra
'The Last Woman in the World is heart-racing, page-turning, hiding-under-the-doona stuff. A smart and pacey thriller that is also a lament for a world we have failed to care for.' Kate Mildenhall, bestselling author of The Mother Fault
'The Last Woman in the World is a novel of fear, fire and an uncertain future. A powerful narrative in Inga Simpson's unique voice. Horrifying, yet humane and ultimately hopeful - a masterwork' Angela Slatter, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Bitterwood Bible
Anthem, Noah Hawley
'Epic... Apart from being the Emmy award-winning creator of the superb television series Fargo, the American author Noah Hawley is a talented deviser of high-class literary thrillers... It's a fabulous worst-of-all-fears scenario... Hawley attacks his narrative from a broad, TV drama-ish viewpoint, assembling a large, intercutting cast of characters' - The Sunday Times
'Noah Hawley taps into our existential anxiety- and transforms it into a hefty page-turner that's equal parts horrific, catastrophic and, at times, strangely entertaining' - New York Times
'Terrifyingly good... Hawley is such an experienced storyteller...this book is nothing if not art imitating life' - Irish Sunday Independent
From the visionary bestselling author of Before the Fall and The Good Father, an epic literary thriller set where America is right now . . . and the world will be tomorrow.
America spins into chaos as the last remnants of political consensus break apart. Against a background of environmental disaster and opioid addiction, debate descends into violence and militias roam the streets - while teenagers across the world seem driven to self-destruction, communicating by memes only they can understand.
Yet the markets still tick up and the super-rich, like Ty Oliver, fly above the flames in private jets.
After the death of his daughter, Ty dispatches his son Simon to an Anxiety Abatement Center. There he encounters another boy called the Prophet. And the Prophet wants him to join a quest.
Before long, Simon is on the road with a crew of new comrades on a rescue mission as urgent as it is enigmatic. Suddenly heroes of their own story, they are crossing the country in search of a young woman held in a billionaire's retreat - and, just possibly, the only hope of escape from the apocalypse bequeathed to them by their parents' generation.
Noah Hawley's epic literary thriller, full of unforgettably vivid characters, finds unquenchable lights in the darkest corners. Uncannily topical and yet as timeless as a Grimm's fairy tale, this is a novel of excoriating power, raw emotion and narrative verve, confirming Hawley as one of the most essential writers of our time.
'Hawley makes this sing by combining the social commentary of a Margaret Atwood novel with the horrors of a Stephen King book' - Publishers Weekly
* * *
PRAISE FOR NOAH HAWLEY:
'He has an intuitive understanding of human behaviour and an instinctive grasp of plot that make him a master storyteller'
Guardian
'An addictive thriller whose thematic richness is reminiscent of Franzen'
The Sunday Times
'Noah Hawley taps into our existential anxiety- and transforms it into a hefty page-turner that's equal parts horrific, catastrophic and, at times, strangely entertaining' - New York Times
'Terrifyingly good... Hawley is such an experienced storyteller...this book is nothing if not art imitating life' - Irish Sunday Independent
From the visionary bestselling author of Before the Fall and The Good Father, an epic literary thriller set where America is right now . . . and the world will be tomorrow.
America spins into chaos as the last remnants of political consensus break apart. Against a background of environmental disaster and opioid addiction, debate descends into violence and militias roam the streets - while teenagers across the world seem driven to self-destruction, communicating by memes only they can understand.
Yet the markets still tick up and the super-rich, like Ty Oliver, fly above the flames in private jets.
After the death of his daughter, Ty dispatches his son Simon to an Anxiety Abatement Center. There he encounters another boy called the Prophet. And the Prophet wants him to join a quest.
Before long, Simon is on the road with a crew of new comrades on a rescue mission as urgent as it is enigmatic. Suddenly heroes of their own story, they are crossing the country in search of a young woman held in a billionaire's retreat - and, just possibly, the only hope of escape from the apocalypse bequeathed to them by their parents' generation.
Noah Hawley's epic literary thriller, full of unforgettably vivid characters, finds unquenchable lights in the darkest corners. Uncannily topical and yet as timeless as a Grimm's fairy tale, this is a novel of excoriating power, raw emotion and narrative verve, confirming Hawley as one of the most essential writers of our time.
'Hawley makes this sing by combining the social commentary of a Margaret Atwood novel with the horrors of a Stephen King book' - Publishers Weekly
* * *
PRAISE FOR NOAH HAWLEY:
'He has an intuitive understanding of human behaviour and an instinctive grasp of plot that make him a master storyteller'
Guardian
'An addictive thriller whose thematic richness is reminiscent of Franzen'
The Sunday Times
Environmental Science
Black Holes, Professor Brian Cox, Professor Jeff Forshaw
A brilliant exploration of the most exotic objects in the universe by Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw.
At the heart of the Milky Way, there is a distortion in the fabric of the Universe. Caused by something 4 million times bigger than our Sun, it is where space and time are so warped that everything within 12 million kilometres is trapped, even light. This region of no return is called the event horizon, and inside it lies the end of time as we know it. We have named it Sagittarius A* and it is a supermassive black hole.
Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are the inevitable creations of gravity, when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail to fully describe them. The wonderful thing about the ever-increasing number of black holes we have discovered dotted across the Universe is that each one is an experiment conducted by nature that we cannot explain. This means we are missing something deep.
Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics collide. Originally thought to be so intellectually troubling that they simply could not exist, it is only in the past few years that we have begun to glimpse a new synthesis; a deep connection between gravity and quantum information theory that describes a holographic universe in which space and time emerge from a network of quantum bits, and wormholes span the void.
In this groundbreaking book, Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw take you to the edge of our understanding of black holes; a scientific journey to the research frontier spanning a century of physics, from Einstein to Hawking and beyond, which ends with the startling conclusion that our world may operate like a giant quantum computer.
At the heart of the Milky Way, there is a distortion in the fabric of the Universe. Caused by something 4 million times bigger than our Sun, it is where space and time are so warped that everything within 12 million kilometres is trapped, even light. This region of no return is called the event horizon, and inside it lies the end of time as we know it. We have named it Sagittarius A* and it is a supermassive black hole.
Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are the inevitable creations of gravity, when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail to fully describe them. The wonderful thing about the ever-increasing number of black holes we have discovered dotted across the Universe is that each one is an experiment conducted by nature that we cannot explain. This means we are missing something deep.
Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics collide. Originally thought to be so intellectually troubling that they simply could not exist, it is only in the past few years that we have begun to glimpse a new synthesis; a deep connection between gravity and quantum information theory that describes a holographic universe in which space and time emerge from a network of quantum bits, and wormholes span the void.
In this groundbreaking book, Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw take you to the edge of our understanding of black holes; a scientific journey to the research frontier spanning a century of physics, from Einstein to Hawking and beyond, which ends with the startling conclusion that our world may operate like a giant quantum computer.
The Universe, Andrew Cohen, Professor Brian Cox
Every night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.
We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that’s barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe – at least for now.
With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expanding Universe, which holds clues to the biggest mystery of all – how did it all begin? We now know more about those first moments of existence than we ever thought possible, and hidden in this story of how it all began are the clues to the fate of the Universe itself and everything in it.
We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that’s barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe – at least for now.
With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expanding Universe, which holds clues to the biggest mystery of all – how did it all begin? We now know more about those first moments of existence than we ever thought possible, and hidden in this story of how it all began are the clues to the fate of the Universe itself and everything in it.
Is The Moon Upside Down?, Greg Quicke
During his younger days working as a bush mechanic and pearl diver in remote WA, Greg Quick spent countless nights lying in a swag and staring at the stars. That daily distraction grew into a passion that has seen him become one of Australia's best known and most engaging astronomers.
In recent years Greg - aka 'Space Gandalf' - has taken on cult status among audiences via his appearances alongside Professor Brian Cox in the hit TV series Stargazing Live. Greg's practical explanations of the complexities of space have also earned him respect from astronomers around the world.
Is The Moon Upside Down? is an absorbing guided tour of the cosmos as seen through Greg's eyes. Unlike many of his peers who studied at university he offers a unique and refreshing perspective on astronomy that was instead forged on cliff tops outside Alice Springs, in the endless expanse of the Great Sandy Desert, on the floor of the Indian Ocean and in his own front yard in Broome.
No matter what mysteries you've pondered about Earth's astral dance with the Sun, planets, Moon and the stars, it's guaranteed Greg has thought about them too, and the answers can be found in the pages of this book.
In recent years Greg - aka 'Space Gandalf' - has taken on cult status among audiences via his appearances alongside Professor Brian Cox in the hit TV series Stargazing Live. Greg's practical explanations of the complexities of space have also earned him respect from astronomers around the world.
Is The Moon Upside Down? is an absorbing guided tour of the cosmos as seen through Greg's eyes. Unlike many of his peers who studied at university he offers a unique and refreshing perspective on astronomy that was instead forged on cliff tops outside Alice Springs, in the endless expanse of the Great Sandy Desert, on the floor of the Indian Ocean and in his own front yard in Broome.
No matter what mysteries you've pondered about Earth's astral dance with the Sun, planets, Moon and the stars, it's guaranteed Greg has thought about them too, and the answers can be found in the pages of this book.
Quantum Bullsh*t, Chris Ferrie
From bestselling author and physicist Chris Ferrie comes a book perfect for people with a sense of humor who f*cking love science
Science is so f*cking rad. We don't deserve it.
What actually is quantum physics? If you can answer that questions without bullsh*tting the person standing next to you in the bookstore, you can stop reading right now. But although most of us don't actually understand quantum physics, we know that it's mystical and awesome, and if we understood it we'd probably be rich and beautiful and happy, right? After all, there are plenty of people out there trying to sell you quantum crystals to align your quantum energy with your quantum destiny. Can they all be wrong?
Spoiler- yes. Yes, they can. There is no such thing as quantum crystals. Sorry!
Luckily, as pseudo-science takes over the internet and it's getting harder and harder to separate alternative facts from real science, Chris Ferrie (an actual quantum physicist!) is here to explain quantum physics in a way that makes sense, so you can see the hucksters and bullsh*tters coming from a mile away-and school them in what quantum entanglement actually is (it has nothing to do with your romantic life). If you f*cking love science and want to be slightly less dumb than you were when you woke up this morning, Quantum Bullsh*t is the truly out-of-this-world book for you.
Science is so f*cking rad. We don't deserve it.
What actually is quantum physics? If you can answer that questions without bullsh*tting the person standing next to you in the bookstore, you can stop reading right now. But although most of us don't actually understand quantum physics, we know that it's mystical and awesome, and if we understood it we'd probably be rich and beautiful and happy, right? After all, there are plenty of people out there trying to sell you quantum crystals to align your quantum energy with your quantum destiny. Can they all be wrong?
Spoiler- yes. Yes, they can. There is no such thing as quantum crystals. Sorry!
Luckily, as pseudo-science takes over the internet and it's getting harder and harder to separate alternative facts from real science, Chris Ferrie (an actual quantum physicist!) is here to explain quantum physics in a way that makes sense, so you can see the hucksters and bullsh*tters coming from a mile away-and school them in what quantum entanglement actually is (it has nothing to do with your romantic life). If you f*cking love science and want to be slightly less dumb than you were when you woke up this morning, Quantum Bullsh*t is the truly out-of-this-world book for you.
Astronomy, Krystal De Napoli, Karlie Noon, Margo Neale
What do you need to know to prosper for 65,000 years or more?
The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise and ingenuity of Indigenous Australians.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest scientists in human history. Many First Peoples regard the land as a reflection of the sky and the sky a reflection of the land. Sophisticated astronomical expertise embedded within the Dreamtime and Songlines is interwoven into a deep understanding of changes on the land, such as weather patterns and seasonal shifts, that are integral to knowledges of time, food availability, and ceremony.
In Astronomy: Sky Country, Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli explore the connections between Aboriginal environmental and cultural practices and the behaviour of the stars, and consider what must be done to sustain our dark skies, and the information they hold, into the future.
The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise and ingenuity of Indigenous Australians.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest scientists in human history. Many First Peoples regard the land as a reflection of the sky and the sky a reflection of the land. Sophisticated astronomical expertise embedded within the Dreamtime and Songlines is interwoven into a deep understanding of changes on the land, such as weather patterns and seasonal shifts, that are integral to knowledges of time, food availability, and ceremony.
In Astronomy: Sky Country, Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli explore the connections between Aboriginal environmental and cultural practices and the behaviour of the stars, and consider what must be done to sustain our dark skies, and the information they hold, into the future.
The First Astronomers, Duane Hamacher
The First Astronomers is the first book to reveal the rich knowledge of the stars and the planets held by First Peoples around the world.
Our eyes have been drawn away from the skies to our screens. We no longer look to the stars to forecast the weather, predict the seasons, or plant our gardens. Most of us cannot even see the Milky Way. But First Nations Elders around the world still maintain this knowledge, and there is much we can learn from them.
These Elders are expert observers of the stars. They teach that everything on the land is reflected in the sky, and everything in the sky is reflected on the land. How does this work, and how can we better understand our place in the universe?
Guided by six First Nations Elders, Duane Hamacher takes us on a journey across space and time to reveal the wisdom of the first astronomers. These living systems of knowledge challenge conventional ideas about the nature of science and the longevity of oral tradition. Indigenous science is dynamic, adapting to changes in the skies and on earth, pointing the way for a world facing the profound disruptions of climate change.
'A ground-breaking book of enormous scope.' - Brian Schmidt, Nobel Laureate in Physics
'A glimpse into Indigenous ways of reading landscapes reflected in the night sky through ancient processes of inquiry.' - Dr Tyson Yunkaporta, author of Sand Talk
'A wonderful combination of scholarship and poetry.' - Dr Annette S. Lee, Lakota astrophysicist
'Beautiful, engaging, and startlingly profound.' - Alan Duffy, Professor of Astrophysics
Our eyes have been drawn away from the skies to our screens. We no longer look to the stars to forecast the weather, predict the seasons, or plant our gardens. Most of us cannot even see the Milky Way. But First Nations Elders around the world still maintain this knowledge, and there is much we can learn from them.
These Elders are expert observers of the stars. They teach that everything on the land is reflected in the sky, and everything in the sky is reflected on the land. How does this work, and how can we better understand our place in the universe?
Guided by six First Nations Elders, Duane Hamacher takes us on a journey across space and time to reveal the wisdom of the first astronomers. These living systems of knowledge challenge conventional ideas about the nature of science and the longevity of oral tradition. Indigenous science is dynamic, adapting to changes in the skies and on earth, pointing the way for a world facing the profound disruptions of climate change.
'A ground-breaking book of enormous scope.' - Brian Schmidt, Nobel Laureate in Physics
'A glimpse into Indigenous ways of reading landscapes reflected in the night sky through ancient processes of inquiry.' - Dr Tyson Yunkaporta, author of Sand Talk
'A wonderful combination of scholarship and poetry.' - Dr Annette S. Lee, Lakota astrophysicist
'Beautiful, engaging, and startlingly profound.' - Alan Duffy, Professor of Astrophysics
Gemstones Minerals Of Australia, Lin Sutherland, Gayle Sutherland
Australia s gemstones and minerals are a treasure chest of world renown. This guide Gemstones and Minerals of Australia describes Australia s common minerals and gems as well as some rarities. It will assist collectors to identify a wide range of specimens. The book features over 300 colour photographs to accompany the gem and mineral entries.Part 1 introduces the reader to gems and minerals and their chemical and crystal systems. It also gives tips on recognising and valuing specimens.Part 2 describes each gemstone and mineral, detailing its composition, structure, habit, form, properties and distribution. Useful additions to the book are a glossary, a list of the chemical elements and information on the size and source of each specimen pictured.Dr Lin Sutherland is a Senior Research Fellow in Geoscience and the Australian Museum. Gayle Sutherland is a gemmologist in Geoscience at the Australian Museum. Most of the photographs were supplied by Jim Frazier and staff at the Australian Museum.
The Future Of Geography, Tim Marshall
Spy satellites orbiting the moon. Space metals worth more than most countries’ GDP. People on Mars within the next ten years.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s astropolitics.
Humans are heading up and out, and we’re taking our power struggles with us. Soon, what happens in space will shape human history as much the mountains, rivers and seas have on Earth. It’s no coincidence that Russia, China and the USA are leading the way. The next fifty years will change the face of global politics.
In this gripping book, bestselling author Tim Marshall lays bare the new geopolitical realities to show how we got here and where we’re going,
covering the new space race; great-power rivalry; technology; economics; war; and what it means for all of us down here on Earth. Written with all the insight and wit that have made Marshall the UK’s most popular writer on geopolitics, this is the essential read on power, politics and the future of
humanity.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s astropolitics.
Humans are heading up and out, and we’re taking our power struggles with us. Soon, what happens in space will shape human history as much the mountains, rivers and seas have on Earth. It’s no coincidence that Russia, China and the USA are leading the way. The next fifty years will change the face of global politics.
In this gripping book, bestselling author Tim Marshall lays bare the new geopolitical realities to show how we got here and where we’re going,
covering the new space race; great-power rivalry; technology; economics; war; and what it means for all of us down here on Earth. Written with all the insight and wit that have made Marshall the UK’s most popular writer on geopolitics, this is the essential read on power, politics and the future of
humanity.
Weather Journal, Australian Geographic
Whether marvelling at the beauty of an outback sunset or battening down against the terror of an approaching cyclone, Australians share a deep, instinctive fascination with the weather. The Australian Geographic Weather Journal offers the opportunity to record your own weather stories and share them with others. Featuring detailed meteorological information across beautifully layed out pages, the journal is a great tool for predicting and preparing for future weather events and marvelling at the beauty and diversity of Australian skies.
Extraordinary Weather, RICHARD HAMBLYN
Offers a selection of weather phenomena, from the snow rollers that form on icy rooftops to the displays of volcanic lightning. In this title, each photograph is accompanied by commentary that explains the science behind these extraordinary events. Discover the amazing world of extreme weather with this incredible image collection of some of the most bizarre weather types and tropical storms of all time. Richard Hamblyn offers a selection of truly breathtaking weather phenomena, from the beautiful snow rollers that form on icy rooftops to awe-inspiring displays of volcanic lightning. Each stunning photograph is accompanied by commentary by the award-winning science writer, whose intelligent and informative explanations make the science behind these extraordinary weather events accessible and entertaining. Stunning Photography Beautiful colours and full-page photography bring each extreme weather scene to life. Understand the science Richard Hamblyn's clever and accessible writing helps you get to grips with over 90 different bizarre and extreme weather types.
Science
Who Made That?, Tim Rayborn
Who Made That? uncovers the fascinating true stories behind the inventions and items that the world would be unimaginable without!
From the computer to the coat hanger, the world is simply unimaginable without certain items. Stop taking all that you enjoy for granted, step behind the curtain of boring, everyday existence, and discover a vibrant realm filled with genius and illumination. Who Made That? brings together history’s very best tales of innovation, providing endless inspiration to those who seek to launch their own revolution. With breathtaking storytelling and humorous, thought-provoking illustrations, Who Made That? brings you right inside the minds of humanity’s brightest lights, helping you make your own way in the world.
From the computer to the coat hanger, the world is simply unimaginable without certain items. Stop taking all that you enjoy for granted, step behind the curtain of boring, everyday existence, and discover a vibrant realm filled with genius and illumination. Who Made That? brings together history’s very best tales of innovation, providing endless inspiration to those who seek to launch their own revolution. With breathtaking storytelling and humorous, thought-provoking illustrations, Who Made That? brings you right inside the minds of humanity’s brightest lights, helping you make your own way in the world.
Man-Made, Tracey Spicer
Walkley Award-winning journalist Tracey Spicer exposes the next frontier of feminism. Man Made aims to open readers’ eyes to a transformative technological shift in society and give them the tools to make positive change.
`Mum, I want a robot slave.’
Broadcaster Tracey Spicer had an epiphany when her young son uttered these six words.
Suddenly, her life’s work fighting inequality seemed futile. What’s the point in agitating to change the present, if bigotry is being embedded into our futures?
And so began a quest to uncover who was responsible and hold them to account.
Who is the ultimate villain? Big Tech, whose titans refuse to spend money to fix the problem? The world’s politicians, who lack the will to legislate? Or should we all be walking into a hall of mirrors and taking a good, hard look at ourselves…?
This is a deeply researched, illuminating and gripping ride into an uncertain future, culminating in a resounding call to action that will shake the tech sector to its foundations.
`Mum, I want a robot slave.’
Broadcaster Tracey Spicer had an epiphany when her young son uttered these six words.
Suddenly, her life’s work fighting inequality seemed futile. What’s the point in agitating to change the present, if bigotry is being embedded into our futures?
And so began a quest to uncover who was responsible and hold them to account.
Who is the ultimate villain? Big Tech, whose titans refuse to spend money to fix the problem? The world’s politicians, who lack the will to legislate? Or should we all be walking into a hall of mirrors and taking a good, hard look at ourselves…?
This is a deeply researched, illuminating and gripping ride into an uncertain future, culminating in a resounding call to action that will shake the tech sector to its foundations.
Beyond Measure, James Vincent
A revelatory and vibrant story of measurement which will make you look at the world around you anew.
We measure rainfall and radiation, the depths of space and the emptiness of atoms, calories and steps, happiness and fear. If we could not measure then we could not observe the world around us; we could not experiment, learn, and co-operate. But why did this urge to measure flourish? And when did measurement become ubiquitous?
It is an incredible story that spans hunter-gatherer societies to ancient Egyptians, the French Revolution to the relentless quantification of the twenty-first century self. It is a tale that tracks humanity's search for dependable truths in a chaotic universe. Full of mavericks and visionaries, adventure and breakthroughs, Beyond Measure shows that measurement has not only made the world we live in, it has made us too.
We measure rainfall and radiation, the depths of space and the emptiness of atoms, calories and steps, happiness and fear. If we could not measure then we could not observe the world around us; we could not experiment, learn, and co-operate. But why did this urge to measure flourish? And when did measurement become ubiquitous?
It is an incredible story that spans hunter-gatherer societies to ancient Egyptians, the French Revolution to the relentless quantification of the twenty-first century self. It is a tale that tracks humanity's search for dependable truths in a chaotic universe. Full of mavericks and visionaries, adventure and breakthroughs, Beyond Measure shows that measurement has not only made the world we live in, it has made us too.
Nuts And Bolts, Roma Agrawal
*AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 START THE WEEK, OFF AIR WITH FI AND JANE AND 99% INVISIBLE*
'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES
'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE GARVEY
'A splendid book: clearly written, elegantly structured and full of facts you are unlikely to chance on anywhere else' DAILY MAIL
'A wonderful book' MARK MIODOWNIK
'A masterclass in storytelling' JESS WADE
'A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world.' ROMAN MARS
Smartphones, skyscrapers, spacecraft. Modern technology seems mind-bogglingly complex. But beneath the surface, it can be beautifully simple.
In Nuts and Bolts, award-winning Shard engineer and broadcaster Roma Agrawal deconstructs our most complex feats of engineering into seven fundamental inventions: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump. Each of these objects is itself a wonder of design, the result of many iterations and refinements. Together, they have enabled humanity to see the invisible, build the spectacular, communicate across vast distances, and even escape our planet.
Tracing the surprising journeys of each invention through the millennia, Roma reveals how handmade Roman nails led to modern skyscrapers, how the potter's wheel enabled space exploration, and how humble lenses helped her conceive a child against the odds.
She invites us to marvel at these small but perfectly formed inventions, sharing the stories of the remarkable, and often unknown, scientists and engineers who made them possible. The nuts and bolts that make up our world may be tiny, and are often hidden, but they've changed our lives in dramatic ways.
'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES
'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE GARVEY
'A splendid book: clearly written, elegantly structured and full of facts you are unlikely to chance on anywhere else' DAILY MAIL
'A wonderful book' MARK MIODOWNIK
'A masterclass in storytelling' JESS WADE
'A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world.' ROMAN MARS
Smartphones, skyscrapers, spacecraft. Modern technology seems mind-bogglingly complex. But beneath the surface, it can be beautifully simple.
In Nuts and Bolts, award-winning Shard engineer and broadcaster Roma Agrawal deconstructs our most complex feats of engineering into seven fundamental inventions: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump. Each of these objects is itself a wonder of design, the result of many iterations and refinements. Together, they have enabled humanity to see the invisible, build the spectacular, communicate across vast distances, and even escape our planet.
Tracing the surprising journeys of each invention through the millennia, Roma reveals how handmade Roman nails led to modern skyscrapers, how the potter's wheel enabled space exploration, and how humble lenses helped her conceive a child against the odds.
She invites us to marvel at these small but perfectly formed inventions, sharing the stories of the remarkable, and often unknown, scientists and engineers who made them possible. The nuts and bolts that make up our world may be tiny, and are often hidden, but they've changed our lives in dramatic ways.
Exactly: How Precision Engineers Created The Modern World, Simon Winchester
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2018
Bestselling author Simon Winchester writes a magnificent history of the pioneering engineers who developed precision machinery to allow us to see as far as the moon and as close as the Higgs boson.
Precision is the key to everything. It is an integral, unchallenged and essential component of our modern social, mercantile, scientific, mechanical and intellectual landscapes. The items we value in our daily lives – a camera, phone, computer, bicycle, car, a dishwasher perhaps – all sport components that fit together with precision and operate with near perfection. We also assume that the more precise a device the better it is. And yet whilst we live lives peppered and larded with precision, we are not, when we come to think about it, entirely sure what precision is, or what it means. How and when did it begin to build the modern world?
Simon Winchester seeks to answer these questions through stories of precision’s pioneers. Exactly takes us back to the origins of the Industrial Age, to Britain where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John ‘Iron-Mad’ Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. Thomas Jefferson exported their discoveries to the United States as manufacturing developed in the early twentieth century, with Britain’s Henry Royce developing the Rolls Royce and Henry Ford mass producing cars, Hattori’s Seiko and Leica lenses, to today’s cutting-edge developments from Europe, Asia and North America.
As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?
Bestselling author Simon Winchester writes a magnificent history of the pioneering engineers who developed precision machinery to allow us to see as far as the moon and as close as the Higgs boson.
Precision is the key to everything. It is an integral, unchallenged and essential component of our modern social, mercantile, scientific, mechanical and intellectual landscapes. The items we value in our daily lives – a camera, phone, computer, bicycle, car, a dishwasher perhaps – all sport components that fit together with precision and operate with near perfection. We also assume that the more precise a device the better it is. And yet whilst we live lives peppered and larded with precision, we are not, when we come to think about it, entirely sure what precision is, or what it means. How and when did it begin to build the modern world?
Simon Winchester seeks to answer these questions through stories of precision’s pioneers. Exactly takes us back to the origins of the Industrial Age, to Britain where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John ‘Iron-Mad’ Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. Thomas Jefferson exported their discoveries to the United States as manufacturing developed in the early twentieth century, with Britain’s Henry Royce developing the Rolls Royce and Henry Ford mass producing cars, Hattori’s Seiko and Leica lenses, to today’s cutting-edge developments from Europe, Asia and North America.
As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?
Anaximander And the Nature of Science, Carlo Rovelli
The bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics tells the thrilling story of one of the greatest intellectual leaps of all time.
Over two millennia ago, a Greek philosopher had a number of wondrous insights that paved the way to cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology and biology, setting in motion a new way of seeing the world. Anaximander's legacy includes the revolutionary idea that the earth floats in a void, that the world can be understood in natural rather than supernatural terms, that animals evolved, and that universal laws govern all phenomena. He introduced a new mode of rational thinking with an openness to uncertainty and to the progress of knowledge.
In this elegant work, acclaimed physicist Carlo Rovelli brings to light the importance of Anaximander's overlooked legacy to modern science. He examines Anaximander as a scientist interested in shedding light on the deep nature of scientific thinking, which Rovelli locates in his rebellious ability to reimagine the world again and again. Anaximander celebrates the radical lack of certainty that defines the scientific quest for knowledge.
Over two millennia ago, a Greek philosopher had a number of wondrous insights that paved the way to cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology and biology, setting in motion a new way of seeing the world. Anaximander's legacy includes the revolutionary idea that the earth floats in a void, that the world can be understood in natural rather than supernatural terms, that animals evolved, and that universal laws govern all phenomena. He introduced a new mode of rational thinking with an openness to uncertainty and to the progress of knowledge.
In this elegant work, acclaimed physicist Carlo Rovelli brings to light the importance of Anaximander's overlooked legacy to modern science. He examines Anaximander as a scientist interested in shedding light on the deep nature of scientific thinking, which Rovelli locates in his rebellious ability to reimagine the world again and again. Anaximander celebrates the radical lack of certainty that defines the scientific quest for knowledge.
The Best Australian Science Writing 2022, Ivy Shih, Norman Swan
What can a microbial gravesite on a moon teach us? Why are a group of scientists risking their life to safeguard a seed bank? How does a virus detective story show us why we need to be vigilant about the next disease outbreak? Great science writing compels us to pay attention to parts of the world often unseen, from a dusty gold mine which could help answer one of the biggest questions in astrophysics to a delightful date with the misunderstood blobfish.
This acclaimed anthology — now in its twelfth year — selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant and fascinating science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists.
With a foreword by health broadcaster and commentator Dr Norman Swan, this collection covers another remarkable year, not only filled with seismic moments in science, but also shining a light on important work that would otherwise be overlooked.
This acclaimed anthology — now in its twelfth year — selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant and fascinating science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists.
With a foreword by health broadcaster and commentator Dr Norman Swan, this collection covers another remarkable year, not only filled with seismic moments in science, but also shining a light on important work that would otherwise be overlooked.
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