Reviews (1)

STILL AN ENIGMA
Valerie Lawson has done something P. L. Travers claimed she didn't want anyone to do: write her biography.It's a very good book.Travers discouraged personal questions in interviews, and preferred to discuss her work and, in later years, her philosophy of life -- the essence of experience as opposed to the mundane details of living.Lawson makes the case that if Travers had been serious about this she would have destroyed her papers -- which she decidedly did not do.Whatever her true feelings on the matter, this is a fascinating book, filled with insights into Travers' life and work, and with a respectable amount of attention to the work itself, especially the meanings and importance of the Mary Poppins books.
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Subjects:  1. 20th Century English Novel And Short Story    2. 20th century    3. Australians    4. Authors, Australian    5. Authors, English    6. Biography    7. Biography & Autobiography    8. Biography / Autobiography    9. Biography/Autobiography    10. England    11. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    12. Literary    13. Women    14. Women As Authors (English Literature)    15. Biography & Autobiography / Literary   

Reviews (1)

The Greatest Unknown
The fact the Sir George Hubert Wilkins is a virtual unknown against the supposed greatness of his contemporaries, Hurley and Mawson, is due mainly to his "aggressive modesty".
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Subjects:  1. (George Hubert),    2. 1888-1958    3. Adventurers & Explorers    4. Australia    5. Australian    6. Biography    7. Biography & Autobiography    8. Biography / Autobiography    9. Biography And Autobiography    10. Biography/Autobiography    11. Discovery and exploration    12. Explorers    13. General    14. Polar regions    15. Sir,    16. Wilkins, George H.    17. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Australian cattle dog    2. Biography    3. Dogs    4. Dogs - Breeds - Working & Herding Dogs    5. Essays    6. Hartwig, David,    7. Pets    8. Quinlan    9. Skidboot (Dog)    10. Texas   

Reviews (1)

Welcome Addition to World War I Aviation Literature
The survival time of a new pilot flying for the British in April of 1917 was 17 1/2 hours. Stan Dallas flew in combat from the end of 1915 (there's come confusion about the exact date) to June 1, 1918 after having fifty victories, one of the highest scores on the allied side. (Eddie Rickenbacker, America's top scoring pilot had 26 victories.)
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Military    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - World War I    7. Air forces & warfare    8. Australasian & Pacific history: First World War    9. Australia    10. Biography: historical    11. First World War, 1914-1918    12. History / Military / World War I   

Subjects:  1. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    2. Australia & New Zealand - General    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. General    5. Historical - General    6. History    7. History: World    8. Military    9. Political    10. 20th century    11. Australasian & Pacific history: from c 1900 -    12. Biography: general    13. Victoria    14. Academic: Biography/Academic: Australian Studies   

Subjects:  1. Aerial Operations    2. Aerial operations, American    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. History    5. Military    6. Military - Veterans    7. Military - Vietnam War    8. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    9. Military Science    10. Personal narratives, Australian    11. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    12. History / Military / Vietnam War   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Criminals & Outlaws    4. History    5. Rockhampton (Qld.)   

Reviews (4)

A worthwhile read
I started reading this slim volume quite a few months ago and I put it down, never intending to finish it. Some of the early parts of the book rubbed me the wrong way, to the point where I wondered just how much of a true Christian Mr. West really was. Recently, I picked it up and basically started where I left off, and my previous judgementalism gave way to a certain admiration. Morris West has not only the wisdom of a man of advanced years but the worldly experience that gives him a valuable perspective to share on such issues as evil, violence, dissent, and death. He has seen things most of us with never see, and this book is all the more enlightening because of that fact. Although not a Catholic like Mr. West is, I share his experience of a life that is centered around the institution of the church, and can appreciate the love/hate relationship one can have with the Body of Christ. Like many, he cries out for a church that values the person above laws and regulations. I look forward in the future to reading some of his fiction (although much of it is out of print and rather hard to get at this time).

Thank You!
I've long admired West's ability to move me with words.His papal trilogy in particular ranks as one of my favorite in literary fiction. To read this delightfully honest and heartfelt memoir is to gain even greater insight tothe wisdom and insights of his fictional work. West�s revealing memoir and inspiring spiritual testament
With sales of his books having exceeded sixty million copies, Morris West is not only Australia's best-selling writer, but also one of our best-known storytellers. With his so-called `Vatican Trilogy' - `The Shoes of the Fisherman', `The Clowns of God' and `Lazarus' - he virtually invented a genre, the papal novel.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1916-    2. 20th century    3. Australia    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Catholics    8. Novelists, Australian    9. Religious    10. West, Morris - Prose & Criticism    11. West, Morris L.,    12. West, Morris L   

Reviews (8)

St. Pierre, Dada Artist!
The inside back dustjacket flap of this book notes that Paul Matthew St. Pierre is a Dada artist.I suspect (duh!) that he has written his Barry Humphries study precisely in his capacity as a Dadaist, as a tribute to Humphries (himself a Dada artist) but also as, what he calls in the book, a "dadact", an act of subversion in the spirit of Dada.What is he subverting?Well, I think he's deconstructing the whole idea of academic criticism, the very thing that Humphries himself deplores, being taken seriously.If you accept this premise, A Portrait of the Artist as Australian: L'Oeuvre bizarre de Barry Humphries becomes a very complicated book, at once subverting the whole idea of the academic study and undertaking a daunting research project into just about everything Humphries has ever done as a writer and a performer.Did I like the book?Yes, I think it's amazing.It's certainly unlike any other book I have read about Humphries, by John Lahr, Peter Coleman, Ian Britain, and Stephen Alomes.A singular performer, Humphries certainly deserved this kind of singular treatment.Kudos to St. Pierre for having the pluck (Humphries would say the spunk) to write it!

Barry Humphries and Criticism
In his well researched and provocatively written book, Paul Matthew St. Pierre has made a sound case for Barry Humphries as a writer of literature.Certainly, I had not known that Humphries has been writing books throughout his career on the stage.St. Pierre addresses all of Humphries' writing and much of his stage and television work, and comes up with some original interpretations.As an academic, St. Pierre draws on some pretty infamous critics like Derrida and Barthes, but he also mentions some really interesting writers such as Es'kia Mphahlele and my late countrywoman Janet Frame, and somehow makes the mix work.In addition, he seems to be trying something nonacademic by writing a new kind of criticism.I am not sure what kind it is, but Dada criticism comes to mind, the subversion of conventional criticism.This aspect of the book offered a real challenge to me as a reader, because I realized the author was trying to change the rules of the critical game precisely as I was reading his book, which put some of the responsibility on me to play along.I see this as St. Pierre's intellectual challenge to the most avid readers.

Reading to Learn
I have just finished reading A Portrait of the Artist as Australian: L'Oeuvre bizarre de Barry Humphries, which I found an engaging and informative book.Having been familiar with Barry Humphries mainly as Dame Edna Everage, from television and The Royal Tour, I evidently had a lot to learn about him.I hadn't known he was a writer, for example, the author of 29 books.Nor had I known that he draws on music hall and dada in his stage performances as Edna and Sir Les Patterson.One of the most fascinating parts of the book is a chart in which St. Pierre compares some of Dame Edna's and Les Patterson's lines with the conventional spiel of the music hall chairman, who presided over stage shows a century ago: that Humphries might be invigorating some of these old formulas I found quite fascinating.St. Pierre claims that "Sandy Agonistes", which is a Sandy Stone monoloque, is the greatest Australian poem of the 20th-century.I wouldn't know.I haven't had a chance to find a copy of the poem yet, and, I must confess, I am not always sure whether I can take all of St. Pierre's claims seriously, but he has made me very very curious.I know I have to read this poem.So now I have started looking to purchase Humphries' books, records, and CDs (St. Pierre lists hundreds of them in his bibliography), because St. Pierre has intrigued me about the man beneath the make-up, who, I am convinced, must be a great artist.I realize that I knew NOTHING about Barry Humphries before reading this book.Now I think I know quite a bit.But, more important, St. Pierre has made me want to learn EVERYTHING about Humphries.He has created an interest in me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Criticism and interpretation    3. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    4. Humphries, Barry    5. National characteristics, Australian, in literature    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Australia    10. Individual actors & performers   

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Australian English    3. Biography: general    4. New Zealand    5. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    6. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art, Australian    5. Australia    6. Biography    7. Criticism    8. Feminism & Feminist Theory    9. Feminism and art    10. History and criticism    11. Women And Art    12. Women artists    13. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    14. Women's studies   

Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Australia & New Zealand - General    3. Australia & Oceania - Australia    4. Biography    5. Discovery And Exploration (General)    6. Earth Sciences - Geography    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Explorers    9. France    10. Great Britain    11. Travel    12. Travel - General    13. Voyages And Travels    14. Geographical discovery & exploration    15. Maritime history    16. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    17. Travel writing    18. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    19. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (6)

A must read!
The author went through some really horrific situations but at the same time can describe the strength of the human spirit. The author also has a great sense of humor. I think books like this are rare these days in our politically correct world. Well worth the read.
Read it!
The Naked Island excellent, poignant,harrowing read
One of my first introductions to Australian and Far East reading of WW11, thoroughly enjoyable, could not put it down until it was finished.Would recommend this book to all generations. Has given me the taste to find outmore about the Far East and familiarise myself with further Australianliterature.Thought only John Pilger could write riveting literature, Iwas wrong! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Japan    2. Australia    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Braddon, Russell    6. Historical - British    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. History: World    10. Military    11. Military - General    12. Military - World War II    13. Personal narratives, Australia    14. Personal narratives, Australian    15. Prisoners and prisons, Japanes    16. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    17. Prisoners of war    18. World War, 1939-1945   

Reviews (2)

Good account of Mem's life...
I enjoyed this quick read.Mem is such a clear and concise writer.It provides a entertaining overview of Mem's life experiences.Contrary to the other review on Amazon this book BARELY covers the process of getting a children's book published.I would estimate that 5 pages MAX of the over 200 pages is devoted to this so don't buy this book for this reason.Otherwise a worthwhile read if you wanted to know more about what goes on behind the scenes of writing a children's book.

Trememdous insight into writing children's books
Having never read a Mem Fox book, it was the title of this book that caught my eye.For anyone who has fancied writing children's books, this is a must-read.It covers the writing and editing processes and providesinsight into obtaining publishers and illustrators.Great book, as are allof Ms. Fox's books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. 20th century    3. Authors, Australian    4. Authorship    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Children's stories    9. Fox, Mem,    10. General    11. Juvenile Literature    12. Literary    13. Education / General    14. Fox, Mem   

Reviews (1)

Barry Petersen,Special Forces Soldier,Vietnam.
Barry Petersen is one of the most fascinating people that I have ever met.My Dad (an ex-soldier) and I drank a lot of beer and heard a lot of stories from Baz,as he was our neighbour.All of them check out,in fact Baz was quite modest about his experiences.
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Subjects:  1. Asian history: Vietnam War    2. Biography: general    3. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    4. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle    5. Vietnam   

Subjects:  1. Australian & Oceanian    2. Authors, New Zealand    3. Biography    4. Encyclopedias    5. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    6. Literary Criticism    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. New Zealand    9. New Zealand Literature    10. Reference    11. English    12. Literary Criticism & Collections / Australian & Oceanian    13. Literary studies: general    14. Literature/English | World Literature | Australia    15. Reference works   

Reviews (4)

something for everyone
What a fantastic book! I had no idea dogs played a role like this in the war. Whether your interested in war, working dogs or just want to read a great story i would recommend this book. Pete describes perfectly the innocent nature of a dog even in these extreme circumstances. I can't say enough good things about Tracker's so just pick it up and enjoy.....

well written book of the australian tracker dog teams
wonderfully written book of the australian involvement of tracker dog teams in vietnam...thousands of allied lives were saved through the relationship built by the tracker dogs and handlers, together with the scout, sentry, mine, tunnel, booby trap, and other military working dog teams...over 4,000 dogs and in excess of 10,000 handlers kept our troops safe....the lives of our allied military forces depended on the trust built between handler and dog....

Outstanding
I love books written by people who have been in the working dog field with dogs such as Service Dogs of the Police,Military working roles. I personally find books written on the obedience trailling and Schuzhund competitions basically repetitive and in the main, boring.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Australia & New Zealand - General    3. Dogs    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. Military    7. Military - General    8. Military - Other    9. Participation, Australian    10. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    11. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    12. War use    13. 1948-    14. Asian history: Vietnam War    15. Australia    16. Biography    17. Europe    18. European history: Second World War    19. Haran, Peter,    20. Soldiers    21. Vietnam    22. War & defence operations    23. c 1960 to c 1970    24. c 1970 to c 1980   

Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    3. Australia & New Zealand - General    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Expeditions & Discoveries    8. Australasian & Pacific history: c 1750 to c 1900    9. Australia    10. Biography: historical    11. Geodesy & surveying for maps & charts    12. Geographical discovery & exploration    13. Maritime history    14. c 1800 to c 1900    15. Academic: History/Academic: Australian Studies   

Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Authors, Australian    3. Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. History & Theory - General    6. History: American    7. National characteristics, Aust    8. National characteristics, Australian    9. Political History    10. Political Science    11. Shame    12. Australasian & Pacific history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. Literary studies: from c 1900 -    14. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    15. Social, group or collective psychology   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Reference