Australasian and Pacific history Books

Book SynopsisA beautiful and sweeping historical novel that takes the reader from the west coast of New Zealand, to Scotland and Melbourne in the 1870s'Its portrayal of life in a gold-rush town is vivid, and Rose's story is absorbing' The Times'Worth reading for its occasional streaks of brilliance and insight' Telegraph India'A epic read . . . a beautifully written, evocative novel that I anticipate you reading and re-reading for years to come' Woman's Way'A gripping page-turner' Woman 1866. Will Stewart is one of many who have left their old lives behind to seek their fortunes in New Zealand's last great gold rush. The conditions are hostile and the outlook bleak, but he must push on in his uncertain search for the elusive buried treasure.Rose is about to arrive on the shores of South Island when a storm hits and her ship is wrecked. Just when all seems lost she is snatched from the jaws of death by Will, who risks his life to save her. Drawn together by circumstance, they stay together by choice and for a while it seems that their stars have finally aligned.But after a terrible misunderstanding they are cruelly separated, and their new-found happiness is shattered. As Will chases Rose across oceans and continents, he must come to terms with the possibility that he might never see her again. And if he does, he will have to face the man who took her . . .Readers love Alchemy and Rose:'A real rollercoaster of emotions' 5* reader review'One of her best yet' 5* reader review'Both gripping and romantic (quite a combination!) and keeps you hooked right up to the end' 5* reader review'One of those books that you need to find out what happened, but at the same time you don't want it to finish' 5* reader review'Couldn't put it down, a real page turner' 5* reader reviewTrade ReviewIts portrayal of life in a gold-rush town is vivid, and Rose's story is absorbing * The Times *Maine reworks the conventions of historical romance in a narrative that regularly undercuts expectations of what is to come * The Sunday Times (Culture) *A gripping page-turner * Woman Magazine *Worth reading for its occasional streaks of brilliance and insight * Telegraph India *This feels like an epic read, and it is a beautifully written, evocative novel that I anticipate you reading and re-reading for years to come * Woman's Way *

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Book Synopsis'Excellent' Financial Times'Stirring, impressively detailed' Time magazineThe Battle for the Falklands is a thoughtful and informed analysis of an astonishing chapter in modern British history from journalist and military historian Sir Max Hastings and political editor Simon Jenkins.Ten weeks. 28,000 soldiers. 8,000 miles from home.The Falklands War in 1982 was one of the strangest in British history. At the time, many Britons saw it as a tragic absurdity - thousands of men sent overseas for a tiny relic of empire - but the British victory over the Argentinians not only confirmed the quality of British arms but also boosted the political fortunes of Thatcher's Conservative government. However, it left a chequered aftermath and was later overshadowed by the two Gulf wars.Max Hastings’ and Simon Jenkins’ account of the conflict is a modern classic of war reportage and the definitive book on the conflict.Trade ReviewSkilfully woven with Simon Jenkins' sharp political passages are Max Hastings' wonderful dispatches * Sunday Times *Excellent * Guardian *An excellent account of the war * Financial Times *Stirring, impressively detailed * Time Magazine *Authoritative and very readable * Newsweek *Will probably endure as the standard history of the campaign. * New York Times *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of Maps Introduction - ii: Introduction Section - iii: Foreward Chapter - 1: Forgotten Islands Chapter - 2: The Seventeen Years' War Chapter - 3: Galtieri's Gamble Chapter - 4: The Admiral's Hour Chapter - 5: Task Force Chapter - 6: Haig's Doves Chapter - 7: Ascension to South Georgia Chapter - 8: Failure of a Mission Chapter - 9: A War at Sea Chapter - 10: Clearing the Decks Chapter - 11: Operation Sutton Chapter - 12: San Carlos Chapter - 13: Goose Green Chapter - 14: The Politics of the Land War Chapter - 15: Triumph on Kent, Tragedy at Fitzroy Chapter - 16: The Battle for the Mountains Chapter - 17: Aftermath Section - iv: Appendix A: Chronology of Military and Political Events Section - v: Appendix B: The Falkland Islands Task Force Section - vi: The Falkland Honours List Section - vii: Appendix D: The Franks Report Section - viii: Glossary Index - ix: Index

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Book Synopsis“Riveting.” —The New York Times Book Review Hundreds of miles from civilization, two ships wreck on opposite ends of the same deserted island in this true story of human nature at its best—and at its worst. It is 1864, and Captain Thomas Musgrave’s schooner, the Grafton, has just wrecked on Auckland Island, a forbidding piece of land 285 miles south of New Zealand. Battered by year-round freezing rain and constant winds, it is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. To be shipwrecked there means almost certain death. Incredibly, at the same time on the opposite end of the island, another ship runs aground during a storm. Separated by only twenty miles and the island’s treacherous, impassable cliffs, the crews of the Grafton and the Invercauld face the same fate. And yet where the Invercauld’s crew turns inward on itself, fighting, starving, and even turning to cannibalism, Musgrave’s crew bands together to build a cabin and a forge—and eventually, to find a way to escape. Using the survivors’ journals and historical records, award-winning maritime historian Joan Druett brings to life this extraordinary untold story about leadership and the fine line between order and chaos.

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Book SynopsisCal Flyn was very proud when she discovered that her ancestor, Angus McMillan, had been a pioneer of colonial Australia. However, when she dug deeper, she began to question her pride. McMillan had not only cut tracks through the bush, but played a dark role in Australia''s bloody history.In 1837 Angus McMillan left the Scottish Highlands for the other side of the world. Cutting paths through the Australian frontier, he became a feted pioneer, to be forever mythologised in status and landmarks. He was also Cal Flyn's great-great-great-uncle. Inspired by his fame, Flyn followed in his footsteps to Australia, where she would face horrifying family secrets.Blending memoir, history and travel,Thicker Than Water' evokes the startlingly beautiful wilderness of the Highlands, the desolate bush of Victoria and the reverberations on one from the other. A tale of blood and bloodlines, it is a powerful, personal journey into dark family history, grief and guilt.Trade ReviewSummer Reads of 2016, GuardianBooks of the Year 2016, The Times ‘Stunning. ‘Thicker Than Water’ is a thrilling debut, a true story that reads like a classy, compelling fiction’ The Times ‘A moving and impressive debut’ Telegraph ‘Deftly captures the looking-glass world of the antipodean landscape … Her account is vivid with a sense of strangeness … ‘Thicker Than Water’ is, to borrow a word Australians use when dealing with anything unsettling, a “confronting” book’ Guardian ‘Intelligently and evocatively written’ Allan Massie, Scotsman 'A searing tale of adventure and (self) discovery that shows the past is nearer than we think. Flyn is a writer with a gimlet eye and a big heart' Ben Rawlence ‘Thicker Than Water combines memoir, history, travelogue and lyrical nature writing; a true story that reads like classy, page-turning fiction’ Melanie Read, The Times ‘An unflinchingly honest, profoundly moving memoir’ Herald

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Book SynopsisOffering a fresh look at Oceania that incorporates new scholarship and perspectives from Indigenous voices, this book uses art to explore histories of expression and aesthetic innovation that epitomize this vast and expansive region. The visual arts of Oceania tell a wealth of dynamic stories about origins, ancestral power, performance, and initiation. This publication explores the deeply rooted connections between Austronesian-speaking peoples, whose ancestral homelands span Island Southeast Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the island archipelagoes of the northern and eastern Pacific. Unlike previous books, it foregrounds Indigenous perspectives, alongside multidisciplinary research in art history, ethnography, and archaeology, to provide an intimate look at Oceania, its art, and its culture. Stunning new photography highlights more than 130 magnificent objects, ranging from elaborately carved ancestral figures in ceremonial houses, towering slit drums, and dazzling turtle-shell masks to polished whale ivory breastplates. Underscoring the powerful interplay between the ocean and its islands, and the ongoing connection with spiritual and ancestral realms, Oceania: The Shape of Time presents an art-focused approach to life and culture while guiding readers through the artistic achievements of Islanders across millennia. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University PressExhibition Schedule: Museum of Art Pudong, ShanghaiJune 1–August 20, 2023National Museum of Qatar, DohaOctober 16, 2023–January 15, 2024 Accompanies the reopening of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in Spring 2025

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Book Synopsis''Brilliantly researched and sympathetically told, 44 DAYS is more than just a fitting tribute to brave but overlooked heroes. It''s also a top read.'' DAILY TELEGRAPHThe epic World War II story of the heroes of Australia''s 75 Squadron - and the 44 days when these brave and barely trained pilots fought alone against the Japanese.In March and April 1942, RAAF 75 Squadron bravely defended Port Moresby for 44 days when Australia truly stood alone against the Japanese. This group of raw young recruits scrambled ceaselessly in their Kittyhawk fighters to an extraordinary and heroic battle, the story of which has been left largely untold.The recruits had almost nothing going for them against the Japanese war machine, except for one extraordinary leader named John Jackson, a balding, tubby Queenslander - at 35 possibly the oldest fighter pilot in the world - who said little, led from the front, and who had absolutely no sense of physical fear.Time and time again this brave group were hurled into battle, against all odds and logic, and succeeded in mauling a far superior enemy - whilst also fighting against the air force hierarchy. After relentless attack, the squadron was almost wiped out by the time relief came, having succeeded in their mission - but also paying a terrible price.Michael Veitch, actor, presenter and critically acclaimed author, brings to life the incredible exploits and tragic sacrifices of this courageous squadron of Australian heroes.Trade ReviewAn entertaining and comprehensive tour . . . Few readers will remain unmoved. * SYDNEY MORNING HERALD on THE FORGOTTEN ISLANDS *A rich and enjoyable island-hopping journey. * SUNDAY HERALD SUN on THE FORGOTTEN ISLANDS *compelling * SYDNEY MORNING HERALD on HEROES OF THE SKIES *Tells the epic Second World War story of Australia's 75 Squadron. * Sunshine Coast Sunday *Brilliantly researched and sympathetically told. A fitting tribute to brave but overlooked heroes. A top read. * Adelaide Advertiser, Sunday Territorian, The Daily Telegraph *Included in Going Out v Staying In * Sunday Herald Sun *Vividly describes the extremely brave men, who with little preparation or material support, flew missions in Kittyhawks against the superior Japanese Zero aircraft. * Readplus *Epic WWII story. * Sunday Herald Sun *Review * Good Reading *heroism abounds in [44 Days] * Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin *profoundly moving and stunningly written * Sunshine Coast Sunday *well crafted, flowing and... an enjoyable read * Flightpath Magazine *This is a book for all those whose passion is military aviation * Australian Defence Magazine *thank you Michael Veitch * Golden Plains Miner *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Hannigan has the novelist's instinct for surprise and entertaining anecdotes pop up at every turn." --Bali Advertiser

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Book SynopsisA prominent figure in nineteenth-century Irish politics, Michael Davitt (18461906) published this book in 1898 after spending seven months travelling through the Australasian colonies. It offers a wealth of information on many aspects of nineteenth-century Australasia, with detailed observations of political and social norms across the different regions.Table of ContentsPreface; Part I. Western Australia: 1. Throwing the wrong man into the Suez Canal, and a moral; 2. En route for Coolgardie; 3. Opposing views on the Coolgardie goldfield; 4. Visit to the 'Londonderry' and 'Bayley's Reward'; 5. Coolgardie politics; 6. Impressions of Perth; 7. The Western Australian legislature; 8. The Aborigines; Part II. South Australia: 9. From Albany to Adelaide; 10. Impressions of Adelaide; 11. The constitution of South Australia; 12. Land taxation; 13. Impressions of the country on a journey from Adelaide to Broken Hill; 14. Broken Hill and its silver mines; 15. Other industries; Part III. The Murray River Labour Settlements: 16. Origin of the labour settlements; 17. Lyrup; 18. Pyap; 19. New residence camp; 20. Review of 'the big experiment'; Part IV. Victoria: 21. From Adelaide to Melbourne; 22. Australians at home; 23. Culture and education; 24. Colonial federation; 25. Some anecdotes; 26. The Victorian constitution; 27. The leading Protectionist colony; 28. Victorian land legislation; 29. A trip through the centre of Victoria; 30. The Bendigo Benevolent Asylum; 31. Echuca; Part V. New South Wales: 32. From Melbourne to Sydney; 33. Some talks with shearers; 34. Approaches to Sydney; 35. Sydney's racial mixtures; 36. Sydney's sensitiveness about its founders; 37. Ireland and the infant colony; 38. The evolution of self-government in Australia; 39. The Sydney legislature; 40. New South Wales legislation; 41. The rise of the New South Wales Labour party; 42. Over the Blue Mountains; 43. A squatter's home and opinions; 44. From Sydney to the border of Queensland; Part VI. Queensland: 45. Voyage from Sydney to Brisbane; 46. The Queensland legislature; 47. Country and goldfields; 48. Voyage to Rockhampton; 49. Mount Morgan; 50. Kanaka labour; 51. Australian scenery like Australian hospitality; 52. Charters Towers, its goldmines and prospects; 53. Queensland land laws; 54. Queensland's resources and industries; 55. South Queensland; Part VII. Tasmania: 56. From Melbourne to Tasmania; 57. The John Mitchel legend; 58. The country between the cities; 59. Population; 60. 'Van Diemen's Land'; Part VIII. New Zealand: 61. A voyage with Mark Twain; 62. From Tasmania to New Zealand; 63. Dunedin; 64. A drive to Westland; 65. The people of Westland; 66. New Zealand's capital; 67. New Zealand school system; 68. The labour laws of New Zealand; 69. The story of the colonization of New Zealand; 70. New Zealand land laws; 71. Among the Maoris; 72. Summary of impressions of New Zealand; 73. Australasia and new homes; Part IX. Australasian Prisons: 74. Compared with British prisons - New Zealand; 75. Tasmania; 76. Queensland; 77–78. New South Wales; 79–80. Victoria; 81. South Australia; 82. Western Australia; 83. The romantic escape of John Boyle O'Reilly; 84. The rescue of the Fenian military prisoners from Fremantle.

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Book SynopsisOffering insight into nineteenth- and early twentieth-century medical school dissecting rooms and anatomy museums, this book explores how collected human remains have shaped Western biomedical knowledge and attitudes towards the body. To explore the role Australia played in the narrative of Western medical development, Pacitti focuses on how and why Australian anatomists and medical students obtained human body parts. As medical knowledge circulated between Australia and Britain, the colony's physicians conformed to established specimen collecting practices and diverged from them to form a distinct medical identity. Interrogating how these literal and figurative bones of contention have left an indelible mark on the nation's medical profession, collecting institutions, and communities, Pacitti sheds new light on our understanding of Western medical networks and reveals the opportunities and challenges historic specimen collections pose in the present day.The Body

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Book SynopsisIn April 1941, as Churchill strove to counter the German threat to the Balkans, New Zealand troops were hastily committed to combat in the wake of the German invasion of Greece where they would face off against the German Kradschützen motorcycle troops. Examining three major encounters in detail with the help of maps and contemporary photographs, this lively study shows how the New Zealanders used all their courage and ingenuity to counter the mobile and well-trained motorcycle forces opposing them in the mountains and plains of Greece and Crete. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon first-hand accounts, this exciting account pits New Zealand's infantrymen against Germany's motorcycle troops at the height of World War II in the Mediterranean theatre, assessing the origins, doctrine and combat performance of both sides.Table of ContentsIntroduction /The opposing sides /Combat 1 /Combat 2 /Combat 3 /Analysis /Aftermath /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisThe first 'bushrangers' or frontier outlaws were escaped or time-expired convicts, who took to the wilderness 'the bush' in New South Wales and on the island of Tasmania. Initially, the only Crown forces available were redcoats from the small, scattered garrisons, but by 1825 the problem of outlawry led to the formation of the first Mounted Police from these soldiers. The gold strikes of the 1860s attracted a new group of men who preferred to get rich by the gun rather than the shovel. The roads, and later railways, that linked the mines with the cities offered many tempting targets and were preyed upon by the bushrangers. This 1860s generation boasted many famous outlaws who passed into legend for their boldness. The last outbreak came in Victoria in 1880, when the notorious Kelly Gang staged several hold-ups and deliberately ambushed the pursuing police. Their last stand at Glenrowan has become a legendary episode in Australian history. Fully illustrated with some rare periTrade ReviewAn excellent read – Miniature Wargames Recommends Medal. * Miniature Wargames *Table of ContentsIntroduction * Origins of British penal settlement in Australia, and how its character shaped governance and policing. [In each following chronological chapter, emphasis will be given not just to events, personalities, and organized groups, but also to appearance and weapons.] * The first 'bushrangers': escaped prisoners in the 1810s-20s – e.g., Matthew Brady, Martin Cash ('The Robin Hood of Van Diemen's Land'), and 'Bold Jack' Donohoe (the original 'Wild Colonial Boy' immortalised in song) * The government response: British regular troops, and creation of first Mounted Police from military personnel * The 1860s Gold Rush: a new breed of robber gangleaders – e.g., Frank Lowry, 'Captain Moonlight', 'Mad Dog' Dan Morgan, Frank Gardiner, and Ben Hall – formation of new Mounted Police in Victoria and Queensland * The 1870s: robberies, raids and gunfights – hunting down of bushranger gangs * Final outbreak in 1880: the Kelly Gang – Springbark Creek ambush of police – last shoot-out at Glenrowan * Summary and conclusion * Plate Commentaries.

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Book SynopsisSir Edmund Hillary described Douglas Mawson’s epic and punishing journey across 600 miles of unknown Antarctic wasteland as ‘the greatest story of lone survival in polar exploration’.This Accursed Land tells that story; how Mawson declined to join Captain Robert Scott’s ill-fated British expedition and instead lead a three-man husky team to explore the far eastern coastline of the Antarctic continent.But the loss of one member and most of the supplies soon turned the hazardous trek into a nightmare. Mawson was trapped 320 miles from base with barely nine days’ food and nothing for the dogs.Eating poisoned meat, watching his body fall apart, crawling over chasms and crevices of deadly ice, his ultimate and lone struggle for survival, starving, poisoned, exhausted and indescribably cold, is an unforgettable story of human endurance. Grippingly told by Lennard Bickel, this is the most extraordinary journey from the brutal golden age of Antarctic exploration. Perfect for fans of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air or Michael Palin’s Erebus.

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Book SynopsisEvery year, at the Wa Huang Gong temple in Hebei Province, China, people gather to worship the great mother, Nuwa, the oldest deity in Chinese myth, praising her for bringing them a happy life. It is a vivid demonstration of both the ancient reach and the continuing relevance of mythology in the lives of the Chinese people. Compiled from ancient and scattered texts and based on groundbreaking new research, Handbook of Chinese Mythology is the most comprehensive English-language work on the subject ever written from an exclusively Chinese perspective. This work focuses on the Han Chinese people but ranges across the full spectrum of ancient and modern China, showing how key myths endured and evolved over time. A quick reference section covers all major deities, spirits, and demigods, as well as important places (Kunlun Mountain), mythical animals and plants (the crow with three feet; Fusang tree), and related items (Xirang-a kind of mythical soil; Bu Si Yao-mythical medicine for long li

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Book SynopsisThe landmark alternative history of the Cold War from the perspective of the Global South, reissued in paperback with a new introduction by the authorIn this award-winning investigation into the overlooked history of the Third World—with a new preface by the author for its fifteenth anniversary—internationally renowned historian Vijay Prashad conjures what Publishers Weekly calls “a vital assertion of an alternative future.” The Darker Nations, praised by critics as a welcome antidote to apologists for empire, has defined for a generation of scholars, activists, and dreamers what it is to imagine a more just international order and continues to offer lessons for the radical political projects of today. With the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rise of India and China on the global scene, this paradigm-shifting book of groundbreaking scholarship helps us envision the future of the Global South by restoring to memory the vibrant though flawed idea of the Third World whose demise, Prashad ultimately argues, has produced an impoverished and asymmetrical international political arena. No other book on the Third World—as a utopian idea and a global movement—can speak so effectively and engagingly to our troubled times.Trade ReviewPraise for The Darker Nations:“A global romp . . . filled with revealing anecdotes . . . [and] a handy alternative history of our planet in the post-World War II era.”—Amit Pal, The Progressive “Vijay Prashad is one of the great radical intellectuals of our times, and this book is essential reading for militants everywhere.”—Irvin Jim, general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) “Why isn’t everybody astonished and inspired by the Third World Project? Prashad traces the creative connection of many specific struggles through solidarity forged by way of conferences and institutions, parties and revolutions. Though The Darker Nations charts the historical geography of a future that did not survive its adversaries, this lively book inspires curiosity about the here and now. Around the world people energize remnant infrastructures and fresh formations with shape, stretch, purpose, and so much beauty.”—Ruth Wilson Gilmore, author of Abolition Geography “The Darker Nations is the first comprehensive political history of the Third World as a concept and as a project. It is essential background for rethinking this history and constructing a viable political program today.”—Immanuel Wallerstein“Darker nations, brighter nations: this book helps to uncover the shining worlds hidden under official history and dominant media.”—Eduardo Galeano “An original and challenging work. . . . Prashad surveys the history of the Third World with passionate engagement.”—Shashi Tharoor, author of Nehru: The Invention of India“A wonderful, thoughtful, and stimulating book.”—Paul Gilroy“Why isn’t everybody astonished and inspired by the Third World Project? Prashad traces the creative connection of many specific struggles through solidarity forged by way of conferences and institutions, parties and revolutions. Though The Darker Nations charts the historical geography of a future that did not survive its adversaries, this lively book inspires curiosity about the here and now. Around the world people energize remnant infrastructures and fresh formations with shape, stretch, purpose, and so much beauty.”—Ruth Wilson Gilmore, author of Abolition Geography

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Book SynopsisFamed for its breathtaking isolation, Easter Island was a verdant South-Sea idyll when a small canoeful of Polynesians arrived in c. AD 700. Centuries later the island's statues were famous throughout the world. This book presents a comprehensive history of Easter Island told by a writer who is intimately familiar with the island, its people and their extraordinary story. When voyaging in the South Pacific became far less widespread around 1500, Easter Islanders became stranded on their desert-like isle, and were forced to adapt to survive. The first European visitors, in 1722, encountered a people thriving in total isolation, surrounded by huge architectural platforms of fitted stones topped by hundreds of monolithic busts. Subsequent intruders brought trade, disease, violence, and the Easter Islanders adapted to this change, too, through cultural re-invention: new leaders, new rituals, new gods. Steven Roger Fischer relates the compelling history of this unique region: how wars, smallpox and the Great Death decimated the island, how Catholic missionaries arrived in 1866 to relieve the suffering of the dying people, and how a despotic Frenchman claimed the island for himself, but who was then killed by the remaining islanders a population of only 111. The author also examines the modern history of the island, its colonization and annexation by Chile, and its peaceful but insistent civil rights movement in 1964-65. Today, the population has increased, as has tourism of the island from 2,000 visitors in 1991 to 20,000 in 2001 and continues to be managed by the indigenous Rapanui people. Foreign interest in Easter Island has never been so keen, and this book is a much-needed history of this little-known but remarkable island.Trade Review'a fascinating and highly readable history of one of the most exotic islands on earth.' - The Economist 'There is a moving drama in [Fischer's] charting of a remarkable community that has lost its cultural identity and faces a uniquely challenging future.' - Daily Telegraph 'Steven Roger Fischer's exhaustive study ... touches all the bases.' - Geographical Magazine 'unlocks not only the mystery of the island but also its people and their extraordinary history.' - Graduate Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies

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Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of one of the most extraordinary and inspirational prison breaks in Australian history.New York, 1874. Members of the Clan-na-Gael - agitators for Irish freedom from the English yoke - hatch a daring plan to free six Irish political prisoners from the most remote prison in the British Empire, Fremantle Prison in Western Australia. Under the guise of a whale hunt, Captain Anthony sets sail on the Catalpa to rescue the men from the stone walls of this hell on Earth known to the inmates as a ''living tomb''. What follows is one of history''s most stirring sagas that splices Irish, American, British and Australian history together in its climactic moment.For Ireland, who had suffered English occupation for 700 years, a successful escape was an inspirational call to arms. For America, it was a chance to slap back at Britain for their support of the South in the Civil War; for England, a humiliation. And for a young Australia,Trade ReviewGripping * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisRemembering and Becoming: Oral history in Aotearoa New Zealand investigates how oral history enriches our understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand's past. The book provides clear explanations of oral history methodologies and insightful analyses of personal narratives while exploring themes such as ethnicity, culture, class, religion, gender, place, sexuality, and family. Drawing from diverse backgrounds and extensive experience, the contributing authors challenge conventional historical assumptions and highlight the unique insights oral histories provide.Accessible and engaging, Remembering and Becoming emphasises the vital role of oral history in deepening our understanding of the past.

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Book SynopsisThis profusely illustrated book offers a comprehensive look at the social and cultural history of Aborigines from the origins to the present.Trade Review'An ideal resource for secondary students looking at indigenous cultures … I found it fascinating' - School Library AssociationTable of Contents1. The Last Continent; 2. A Culture Celebrating Life; 3. An Empty Land? 4. We Have Survived!

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Book SynopsisSuburban Empire takes readers to the US missile base at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, at the matrix of postwar US imperial expansion, the Cold War nuclear arms race, and the tide of anti-colonial struggles rippling across the world. Hirshberg shows that the displacement of indigenous Marshallese within Kwajalein Atoll mirrors the segregation and spatial politics of the mainland US as local and global iterations of US empire took hold. Tracing how Marshall Islanders navigated US military control over their lands, Suburban Empire reveals that Cold Warera suburbanization was perfectly congruent with US colonization, military testing, and nuclear fallout. The structures of suburban segregation cloaked the destructive history of control and militarism under a veil of small-town innocence. Table of ContentsContents List of Illustrations A Note on Language Introduction—Home on the Range: US Empire and Innocence in the Cold War Pacific 1. From Wartime Victory to Cold War Containment in the Pacific: Building the Postwar US Security State on Marshallese Insecurity 2. New Homes for New Workers: Colonialism, Contract, and Construction 3. Domestic Containment in the Pacific: Segregation and Surveillance on Kwajalein 4. “Mayberry by the Sea”: Americans Find Home in the Marshall Islands 5. Reclaiming Home: Operation Homecoming and the Path toward Marshallese Self-Determination 6. US Empire and the Shape of Marshallese Sovereignty in the “Postcolonial” Era Conclusion: Kwajalein and Ebeye in a New Era of Insecurity Acknowledgments Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisThe cars, the stars, the thrills and the spills from 60 years of the Bathurst classic by Australia's premier motorsports journalist with a foreword by five-time winner Garth Tander The Bathurst 1000 is undoubtedly Australia's 'Great Race', forever part of the sporting fabric of the nation. The 1000-kilometre race, held on the world-famous Mount Panorama circuit, is both a legend-maker and a heartbreaker, all wrapped up in one thrilling ride. From its beginnings in the 1960s as a 500-mile race for standard production cars, the Bathurst 1000 has evolved into an annual multi-million dollar battle between purpose-built, millimetre-perfect V8-powered Supercars. After six decades of this extraordinary battle on the mountain, The Great Race takes a look back at the thrills, the spills, the legends and the losers of the race's history, from the legendary Ford and Holden battles to how the Mountain made household names of Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, Dick Johnson, Craig Lowndes, Mark Skaife and s

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Book SynopsisMeticulous detail and insightful analysis combine with a gripping chronological narrative to provide the essential guide to the Pacific Theater of World War II.On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes appeared from the clouds above Pearl Harbor and fundamentally changed the course of history; with this one surprise attack the previously isolationist America was irrevocably thrown into World War II. This definitive history explores each of the major battles that America would fight in the ensuing struggle against Imperial Japan, from the naval clashes at Midway and Coral Sea to the desperate, bloody fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa.Each chapter reveals both the horrors of the battle and the Allies'' grim yet heroic determination to wrest victory from what often seemed to be certain defeat, offering a valuable guide to the long road to victory in the Pacific.Table of ContentsForeword Introduction Pearl Harbor by Carl Smith Coral Sea by Mark Stille Midway by Mark Stille Guadalcanal by Joseph Mueller Tarawa by Derrick Wright Marshall Islands by Gordon L. Rottman Peleliu by Jim Moran and Gordon L. Rottman Leyte Gulf by Bernard Ireland Iwo Jima by Derrick Wright Okinawa by Gordon L. Rottman Index

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Book SynopsisSince the end of their involvement in the Vietnam War, the Australian Army has been modernized in every respect. After peacekeeping duties in South-East Asia, Africa and the Middle East in the 1980s90s, ''Diggers'' were sent to safeguard the newly independent East Timor from Indonesian harassment in 1999, and to provide long-term protection and mentoring since 2006. Australian Army units have served in the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Australian Special Forces are currently operating alongside US and British elements against ISIS in northern Iraq. During these campaigns the Australian SAS Regiment and Commandos have fully matured into ''Tier 1'' assets, internationally recognized for their wide range of capabilities. The book, written by an Australian author who has written extensively about modern warfare, traces the development of the Army''s organization, combat uniforms, load-bearing equipment, small arms and major weapon systems using specially commissionedTable of ContentsIntroduction: the 'Diggers' – history and character – recent organization; British and US influence/ The lean years, 1970s/ Modernization, 1980s/ Peace-keeping, 1980s–90s: Rwanda, Cambodia, Lebanon, Somalia/ East Timor: Op 'Stabilise', 1999; Op 'Astute', 2006/ Afghanistan: Special Forces Task Group, 2001–2002/ Iraq: Special Operations Forces, 2003; Battle Group, 2005–2008/ Back to Afghanistan: Special Forces/Special Operations Task Group, 2005–2013; Reconstruction Task Force, 2006–2012. * Evolution of Australian Special Ops Forces; return to Iraq/ The future: 2016 Defence White Paper/ Weapons, equipment and vehicles; uniforms, load-bearing equipment and body armor/ Select Bibliography/ Plate Commentaries

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Book SynopsisThroughout the first year of the war in the Pacific during World War II the USAAF was relatively ineffective against ships. Indeed, warships in particular proved to be too elusive for conventional medium-level bombing. High-level attacks wasted bombs, and torpedo attacks required extensive training. But as 1942 closed, the Fifth Air Force developed new weapons and new tactics that were not just effective, they were deadly. A maintenance officer assigned to a B-25 unit found a way to fill the bombardier's position with four 0.50-cal machine guns and strap an additional four 0.50s to the sides of the bomber, firing forward. Additionally, skip-bombing was developed. This called for mast-top height approaches flying the length of the target ship. If the bombs missed the target, they exploded in the water close enough to crush the sides. The technique worked perfectly when paired with strafe B-25s. Over the first two months of 1943, squadrons perfected these tactics. Then, in early March,Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index

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Book Synopsis**Voted Wisden Cricket Monthly's best cricket book ever in 2019**WINNER, BEST CRICKET BOOK, BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2010_________________Golden Boy is a blistering exposé of the tumultuous Lillee/Marsh/Chappells era of Australian cricket, as viewed through the lens of flawed genius Kim Hughes._________________Kim Hughes was one of the most majestic and daring batsmen to play for Australia in the last 40 years. Golden curled and boyishly handsome, his rise and fall as captain and player is unparalleled in cricketing history. He played several innings that count as all-time classics, but it's his tearful resignation from the captaincy that is remembered.Insecure but arrogant, abrasive but charming; in Hughes' character were the seeds of his own destruction. Yet was Hughes' fall partly due to those around him, men who are themselves legends in Australia's cricketing history? Lillee, Marsh, the Chappells, all had their agendas, all were unhappy with his selection and performance as captain - evidenced by Dennis Lillee's tendency to aim bouncers relentlessly at Hughes' head during net practice.Hughes' arrival on the Test scene coincided with the most turbulent time Australian cricket has ever seen - first Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, then the rebel tours to South Africa. Both had dramatic effects on Hughes' career. As he traces the high points and the low, Christian Ryan sheds new and fascinating light on the cricket - and the cricketers - of the times.Trade ReviewChristian Ryan's Golden Boy has this brawny lyricism ... It's really alive, that book. Like a great Australian novel. Hughes personifies something mercurial, ethereal, this artistic flair alongside these macho, rugged, brawny bruisers like Marsh and Lillee. It's told with such lyricism and tempo. I found it absolutely enthralling and a real revelation. -- William Fiennes, member of Wisden Cricket Monthly's Best Cricket Book Ever judging panelAt once unputdownable and also unpickupable, because if you pick it up you will eventually finish it, and what are you going to do then? -- Rob Smyth * Guardian *It made me laugh, it told me things, it reminded me why I love the subject I'm reading about and it put a series of images in my head that I won't ever forget. It's audacious, it's got chutzpah, it's done with a lyrical flourish. I didn't know cricket books could be written like this. -- Phil Walker, editor of Wisden Cricket MonthlyA cracking read ... An almost tragic but compelling tale of how Hughes tried hard - and failed - to fit his smiling personality into the hard-faced world of his country's uniquely macho and badly moustached team. * The Observer *Graphic ... Shocking ... Devastating ... If half of what we read here is true, two Australian legends should hang their heads in shame. -- Simon Wilde * The Times *A valuable archive of the professional cricketer's lot during the 1980s - paltry wages, petty officials, vermin-infested hotels and astonishing levels of alcohol consumption ... a fascinating account of Australian cricket's leanest years. * Times Literary Supplement *Absolutely superb, one of the best cricket books I've read. -- John Stern * The Wisden Cricketer *

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Book SynopsisWhen the Japanese invade in 1942, the Australian men and women stationed at the New Guinea port of Rabaul flee into the jungle.Written off by their government as ‘hostages to fortune’, the little-known garrison on Australia’s tropic frontier has been left with no modern equipment, no lifeline to the outside, and no means of escape. Most are captured and killed in the sinking of the prison ship Montevideo Maru, which remains Australia’s worst sea disaster. But the surviving soldiers and nurses carry on, to fight the Japanese on other fronts, or to witness the collapse of the Japanese Empire from the inside. Having borne the brunt of defeat, their letters and diaries also record the turning point of the war and the march to victory. Rich in detail drawn from first person accounts, Should We Fall To Ruin illuminates this untold period in military history. It is a compelling tale of bravery and resilience in the face of a seemingly unstoppable enemy.Trade Reviewan important addition to the Australian wartime canon * The Saturday Paper *

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Book SynopsisThe Eventful History of the Mutiny and Piratical Seizure of H.M.S. Bounty: Its Cause and Consequences (1831) by Sir John Barrow is viewed as the classic example of the mutiny on the Bounty. It incorporates a description of the island of Tahiti, and a story of events from the embarkation of the Bounty in 1787 through to the trail of a portion of the mutineers in 1792 and the endurance of others on Pitcairn Island. The story is told with the help of the first reports for the case, which Borrow critically evaluates.It was first published in 1831 by John Murray as the 25th volume in their Family Library series. An American release followed under the title A Description of Pitcairn's island and its Inhabitants: The many later reissues incorporate a 1936 Oxford World's Works Classics edition.

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Book SynopsisA Dark Chapter from New Zealand History by James Hawthorne unfolds as a literary masterpiece that intricately weaves historic drama into the tapestry of New Zealand's past. In this compelling paintings, Hawthorne demonstrates his prowess as a terrific writer, creating a story that now not only delves into ancient occasions but additionally engages readers on an emotional and intellectual degree. The book, considered one among Hawthorne's crowning achievements, gives a brilliant exploration of a specific, perhaps tumultuous, bankruptcy in New Zealand's history. Through the lens of historic drama, the writer skillfully brings to life the characters, events, and landscapes that formed the state's trajectory. Hawthorne's writing is characterized by creativity and passion, infusing the narrative with a sense of vibrancy that transports readers to extraordinary eras and emotional landscapes. The work's brilliance lies no longer best in its historical accuracy but in its ability to attach human beings thru shared reports and information. With a fashionable but handy prose fashion, James Hawthorne invitations a numerous target audience to immerse themselves within the complexities and nuances of New Zealand's beyond. A Dark Chapter from New Zealand History stands as a literary gem, imparting each an insightful historical account and a charming exploration of the human revel in.

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Book SynopsisE. B. Sledge was born in Mobile, Alabama. In late 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was then sent to the Pacific where he fought at Peleliu and Okinawa. After returning from the war he immediately began working on a book based on the notes he had taken while posted in the Pacific theatre, which became With the Old Breed. Sledge joined the biology faculty of Alabama College, where he taught until his retirement. Sledge died on March 3rd, 2001.Trade ReviewOf all the books about the ground war in the Pacific, [With the Old Breed] is the closest to a masterpiece * The New York Review of Books *One of the most arresting documents in war literature. -- John KeeganEugene Sledge became more than a legend with his memoir, With The Old Breed. He became a chronicler, a historian, a storyteller who turns the extremes of the war in the Pacific - the terror, the camaraderie, the banal and the extraordinary - into terms we mortals can grasp. -- Tom HanksIn all the literature on the Second World War, there is not a more honest, realistic or moving memoir than Eugene Sledge's. This is the real deal, the real war: unvarnished, brutal, without a shred of sentimentality or false patriotism, a profound primer on what it actually was like to be in that war. It is a classic that will outlive all the armchair generals' safe accounts of--not the "good war"--but the worst war ever. -- Ken Burn

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Book SynopsisThe mutiny on HMS Bounty, in the South Pacific on 28 April 1789, is one of history''s great epics - and in the hands of Peter FitzSimons it comes to life as never before.Commissioned by the Royal Navy to collect breadfruit plants from Tahiti and take them to the West Indies, the Bounty''s crew found themselves in a tropical paradise. Five months later, they did not want to leave. Under the leadership of Fletcher Christian most of the crew mutinied soon after sailing from Tahiti, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 loyal crewmen adrift in a small open boat. In one of history''s great feats of seamanship, Bligh navigated this tiny vessel for 3618 nautical miles to Timor.Fletcher Christian and the mutineers sailed back to Tahiti, where most remained and were later tried for mutiny. But Christian, along with eight fellow mutineers and some Tahitian men and women, sailed off into the unknown, eventually discovering the isolated Pitcairn Island - at t

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2020 Australian Prime Minister's Literary Award for nonfiction and the 2019 NSW Premier''s History Awards for general historyWonderfully researched and beautifully written' Philip Hoare, author of LeviathanSucceeds in conjuring a lost world' Dava Sobel, author ofLongitudeFor more than a millennium, Polynesians have occupied the remotest islands in the Pacific Ocean, a vast triangle stretching from Hawaii to New Zealand to Easter Island. Until the arrival of European explorers they were the only people to have ever lived there. Both the most closely related and the most widely dispersed people in the world before the era of mass migration, Polynesians can trace their roots to a group of epic voyagers who ventured out into the unknown in one of the greatest adventures in human history.How did the earliest Polynesians find and colonise these far-flung islands? How did a people without writing or metal tools conquer the largest ocean in the world? This conundrum, which came tTrade Review‘I loved this book. I found Sea People the most intelligent, empathic, engaging, wide-ranging, informative, and authoritative treatment of Polynesian mysteries that I have ever read. Christina Thompson’s gorgeous writing arises from a deep well of research and succeeds in conjuring a lost world’ Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and The Glass Universe ‘To those of the western hemisphere, the Pacific represents a vast unknown, almost beyond our imagining; for its Polynesian island peoples, this fluid, shifting place is home. Christina Thompson’s wonderfully researched and beautifully written narrative brings these two stories together, gloriously and excitingly. Filled with teeming grace and terrible power, her book is a vibrant and revealing new account of the watery part of our world’ Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan ‘A compelling story, beautifully told, the best exploration narrative I’ve read in years’ Richard Rhodes, author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb ‘Fascinating and satisfying’ Simon Winchester, author of The Map that Changed the World ‘Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Polynesia, the Pacific, or the spread of humanity around the globe’ Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World ‘Christina Thompson…is perhaps ideally placed to try to answer the question [of Polynesian origins] – and in Sea People, her fascinating and satisfying addition to an already considerable body of Polynesian literature, she succeeds admirably’ New York Times Book Review ‘Compelling… These pages will unleash the imagination [and] spark insight’ National Geographic ‘Superb. . . . An illuminating read for amateur sleuths and professional scholars alike’ Spectator

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Book SynopsisWhy everything you think you know about Australia’s Vietnam War is wrong. When Mark Dapin first interviewed Vietnam veterans and wrote about the war, he swallowed (and regurgitated) every misconception. He wasn’t alone. In Australia’s Vietnam, Dapin reveals that every stage of Australia’s commitment to the Vietnam War has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and shrouded in myth. From army claims that every national serviceman was a volunteer; and the level of atrocities committed by Australian troops; to the belief there no welcome home parades until the late 1980s and returned soldiers were met by angry protesters. Australia’s Vietnam is a major contribution to the understanding of Australia’s experience of the war and will change the way we think about memory and military history. Acclaimed journalist and bestselling military historian Mark Dapin busts long-held and highly charged myths about the Vietnam War Dapin reveals his own mistakes and regrets as a journalist and military historian and his growing realisation that the stereotypes of the Vietnam War are far from the truth This book will change the way military history is researched and written

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Book SynopsisHow did the word ''kiwi'' migrate from the Mãori name of a secretive bird to signify a New Zealander, a globally recognised fruit, and be used in all manner of national and international branding? In this highly illustrated study of a key aspect of New Zealand identity, cultural historian Richard Wolfe explores the evolution of ''kiwi'' through to its multiplicity of uses today. With extensive colour illustrations and ephemera, and Wolfe''s trademark eye for the curious, Kiwi is both entertaining and important.

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Book SynopsisIn September 1944, to prevent Japanese air interdiction against General MacArthur's planned invasion of the Southern Philippines, the Americans attacked Peleliu and Angaur in the Palau group of the Western Caroline Islands. Admiral Halsey, commanding the US Third Fleet, feared the heavily defended Palaus would be costly for his III Amphibious Corps comprising the 1st Marine Division and the 81st Infantry Division. While Angaur fell in four days, on Peleliu the Japanese resisted tenaciously using their underground fortifications on the Umurbrogel Ridge overlooking the airfield. It was only after over two months' bitter fighting that the Americans finally controlled the Island. Despite the heavy cost, the benefits of this hard fought and costly victory were doubtful. In the event, Mindanao and other Southern Philippine Islands were bypassed by MacArthur in favour of a direct assault on Leyte on 20 October. But, as the graphic images and well researched text bear witness, there is no denying the courage and determination shown by the attacking US forces.

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