Bill and Horrie: Australia's Greatest War Horse and War Dog by Roland Perry

$29.99 AUD

Category: Australian History

Two bestselling stories of Australian animals during wartime, now in one volume.

Moonlite: The Tragic Love Story of Captain Moonlite and the Bloody End of the Bushrangers by Garry Linnell

$34.99 AUD

Category: Australian History

Charismatic, intelligent and handsome, George Scott is unlike any other bushranger. Born into a privileged life in famine-wracked Ireland, Scott's family loses its fortune and is forced to flee to New Zealand. There, Scott joins the local militia and fights as a soldier against the Maori in the brutal N ew Zealand wars. After recovering from a series of serious gunshot wounds, he sails to Australia and becomes a Lay Preacher, captivating churchgoers with his fiery and inspiring sermons. But Scott is also prone to bursts of madness. The local villagers back in Ireland often whispered that a 'wild drop' ran in the blood of the Scott family. One night he dons a mask in a small country town, arms himself with a gun and, dubbing himself Captain Moonlite, brazenly robs a bank before staging one of the country's most audacious jailbreaks. After falling in love with fellow prisoner James Nesbitt, a boyish petty criminal desperately searching for a father figure, Scott finds himself unable to shrug off his criminal past. Pursued and harassed by the police, he stages a dramatic siege and prepares for a final showdown with the law - and a macabre executioner without a nose. Meticulously researched and drawing on previously unpublished material, Moonlite is a brilliant work of non-fiction that reads like a novel. Told at a cracking pace, and based on many of the extensive letters Scott wrote from his death cell, Moonlite is set amid the violent and sexually-repressed era of Australia in the second half of the 19th century. With a cast of remarkable characters, it weaves together the extraordinary lives of our bushrangers and the desperation of a young nation eager to remove the stains of its convict past. But most of all, Moonlite is a tragic love story. For these are the dying days of the bushrangers and Captain Moonlite is about to make his last stand. ...Show more

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

$22.99 AUD

Category: Australian History

Dark Emu argues for a reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession. Accomplished author Bruce Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia's past is required. ...Show more

The Last Bushrangers by Mike Munro

$14.99 AUD

$34.99 (57% off)

Category: Australian History | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

The story of Australia's last bushranging gang - the murderous Kenniffs. Easter Sunday, 1902, deep in the Carnarvon Ranges a police constable and station manager are slain then later incinerated, their remains stuffed into saddlebags. Accused of the ghoulish crime are two members of the bushranging Ken niff gang, fast gaining notoriety as Queensland's equivalent of the Kelly gang. Yet the murders are a bold escalation from the petty fraud, horse stealing and cattle duffing the gang is known for. Starving and exhausted after three long months on the run, the brothers are finally captured, and so the wheels of justice start to turn. The story of the Kenniffs has fascinated Mike Munro for decades - ever since he found out these last bushrangers were his family. If not for Mike's grandfather illegally changing his name in shame from Kenniff to Munro, this major figure in Australian television would be known to us as Mike Kenniff. But who were Mike's relatives? What drove them to their life of crime? And were the brothers really responsible for such terrible murders? In answering these questions Mike Munro takes us back to the dawn of Federation, when bush skills and horsemanship could help outlaws escape the police, when remote pastoralists were vulnerable targets for thieves and marauders, when race and class divides were entrenched - but resented - and when brutal, feckless outlaws faced the ultimate punishment. This is a story that is both gripping and personal, and an insight into an Australia just coming of age. PRAISE FOR THE LAST BUSHRANGERS 'All families have a secret ... but Mike's is a doozy! This touching, TRUE story is a terrific read!' Di Morrissey ...Show more

Matthew Flinders, Navigator and Chartmaker by Geoffrey C. Ingleton

$29.99 AUD

$199.99 (85% off)

Category: Australian History

The Harbour by Scott Bevan

$14.99 AUD

$49.99 (70% off)

Category: Australian History

In the bestselling tradition of Peter Ackroyd's The Thames, a celebration of one of the world's great waterways Everyone knows Sydney Harbour. At least, we think we do. Everyone can see the harbour, whether we have ever been to Sydney or not. By as little as a word or two, the harbour floats into our mind's eye. The Bridge. The Opera House. Fireworks on New Year's Eve. When we see those images, we feel a sense of belonging. No matter who we are or where we're from, we see the harbour and we feel good. In this beautiful, authoritative and meditative journey, Scott Bevan takes us from cove to cove, by kayak, yacht and barge to gather the harbour's stories, past and present, from boat builders, ship captains and fishermen to artists, divers, historians and environmentalists, from signs of ancient life to the submarine invasion by the Japanese. This is the ultimate story of Sydney Harbour - a city's heart and a country's soul. Praise for The Harbour 'The finest harbour deserves the finest book ... A colourful, fascinating and enduring account of the greatest waterway in the hemisphere.' SIMON WINCHESTER 'Sydney Harbour. I know what it looks like. I know what it feels like. Now with this wonderful book, I know its story. This book is a joy to read. And essential for anyone who loves Sydney Harbour ... and who doesn't?' Ken Done 'A beautiful mosaic of space through time, covering art, architecture, biography and history, with a sprinkling of memoir' Sydney Morning Herald 'For the lover of history, adventure and meticulous research, delivered with a punch.' Courier Mail ...Show more

The Convict Valley: The Bloody Struggle on Australia's Early Frontier by Mark Dunn

$32.99 AUD

Category: Australian History

In 1790, five convicts escaped Sydney by boat and were swept ashore near present day Newcastle. They were taken in by the Worimi people, given Aboriginal names and started families. Thus began a long and at times dramatic series of encounters between Aboriginals and convicts in the second settlement in Australia. The fertile valley of the Hunter river was the first area outside of Sydney explored by the British, and it became one of the largest penal settlements. Yet today manicured lawns and prosperous vineyards hide the struggles, violence and toil of the thousands of convicts who laid its foundations. The Convict Valley uncovers this rich colonial past, as well as the story of the original Aboriginal landholders. While there were friendships and alliances in the early years, in the mad scramble for land in the 1820s as the Valley was opened to free settlers, tensions increased and bloodshed ensued. With fascinating stories about convicts, white settlers and the Aboriginal inhabitants that have long been forgotten, The Convict Valley is a new Australian history classic. ...Show more

Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Anita Heiss

$29.99 AUD

Category: Australian History

Childhood stories of family, country and belonging What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia? This anthology, compiled by award-winning author Anita Heiss, showcases many diverse voices, experiences and stories in order to answer that question. Accounts from well-known authors and high-profile identities sit alongside those from newly discovered writers of all ages. All of the contributors speak from the heart - sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect. This groundbreaking collection will enlighten, inspire and educate about the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia today. Contributors include- Tony Birch, Deborah Cheetham, Adam Goodes, Terri Janke, Patrick Johnson, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Jack Latimore, Celeste Liddle, Amy McQuire, Kerry Reed-Gilbert, Miranda Tapsell, Jared Thomas, Aileen Walsh, Alexis West, Tara June Winch, and many, many more. ...Show more

Red Lead: The Legendary Australian Ship's Cat Who Survived the Sinking of HMAS Perth and the Thai-Burma Railway by Roland Perry

$29.99 AUD

Category: Australian History

The legendary Australian ship's cat who survived the sinking of HMAS Perth and the Thai-Burma Railway. Just after midnight on the 1st March 1942, Australia's most celebrated cruiser, HMAS Perth, was sunk by Japanese naval forces in the Sunda Strait off the coast of Java. Of the 681 men aboard, 328 survi ved the sinking and made it to shore - and one cat. Her name was Red Lead, and she was the ship's cat, beloved by the crew and by HMAS Perth's legendary captain Hec Waller. But surviving shell fire, torpedoes and the fierce currents of the Sunda Strait was only the start of the terrible trials Red Lead and the surviving crew were to face over the next three and a half years. From Java to Changi and then on the Thai-Burma Railway, Red Lead was to act as a companion, mascot and occasional hunter of food for a small group of sailors who made it their mission to keep her alive in some of the most hellish prison camps on earth.Red Lead's extraordinary story is one of courage, loyalty and love amidst battle, imprisonment and death, brought vividly to life by bestselling author Roland Perry.   ...Show more

The Harbour by Scott Bevan

$14.99 AUD

$35.00 (57% off)

Category: Australian History | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

In the bestselling tradition of Peter Ackroyd's The Thames, a celebration of one of the world's great waterways Everyone knows Sydney Harbour. At least, we think we do. Everyone can see the harbour, whether we have ever been to Sydney or not. By as little as a word or two, the harbour floats into our mind's eye. The Bridge. The Opera House. Fireworks on New Year's Eve. When we see those images, we feel a sense of belonging. No matter who we are or where we're from, we see the harbour and we feel good. In this beautiful, authoritative and meditative journey, Scott Bevan takes us from cove to cove, by kayak, yacht and barge to gather the harbour's stories, past and present, from boat builders, ship captains and fishermen to artists, divers, historians and environmentalists, from signs of ancient life to the submarine invasion by the Japanese. This is the ultimate story of Sydney Harbour - a city's heart and a country's soul. Praise for The Harbour 'The finest harbour deserves the finest book ... A colourful, fascinating and enduring account of the greatest waterway in the hemisphere.' SIMON WINCHESTER 'Sydney Harbour. I know what it looks like. I know what it feels like. Now with this wonderful book, I know its story. This book is a joy to read. And essential for anyone who loves Sydney Harbour ... and who doesn't?' Ken Done 'A beautiful mosaic of space through time, covering art, architecture, biography and history, with a sprinkling of memoir' Sydney Morning Herald 'For the lover of history, adventure and meticulous research, delivered with a punch.' Courier Mail ...Show more

Depends What You Mean By Extremist by John Safran

$14.99 AUD

$34.99 (57% off)

Category: Australian History

No one turns up where they're not wanted quite like John Safran. In this hilarious and disorienting adventure he gets among our diverse community of white nationalists, ISIS supporters, anarchists and more, digging away at the contradictions that many would prefer be left unexamined. Who is this black p uppet-master among the white nationalists? And this Muslim fundamentalist who geeks out on Monty Python? Is there a secret radicalisation network operating in John's own Jewish suburb? And ultimately - is hanging with all these radicals washing off on John himself? Populated by an extraordinary cast of 'ordinary' Australians, Depends What You Mean by Extremistis a startling, confronting portrait of contemporary Australia. We all think we know what's going on in our own country, but this larger-than-life, timely, and alarmingly insightful true story will make you think again . . . Drinking shots with nationalists and gobbling falafel with radicals, John Safran was there the year the extreme became the mainstream. 'Totes recommend John Safran's latest. Deplorable in the best sense.' Louis Theroux 'An original, insightful, frequently deadpan-funny read . . . John Safran confirms that he's a major writing talent with his second book . . . Like his professional doppelgangers, Jon Ronson and Louis Theroux, Safran has a gift for eliciting information from his subjects by way of his unthreatening yet relentlessly unquestioning persona.' Jo Case, Readings Monthly 'Safran has always had an unusually receptive antenna for the fraught collision of racial, cultural and religious difference . . . This is an Australia where as soon as you draw a cultural, racial or religious battle line somebody strolls up to smudge it.' James Robert Douglas, The Guardian (Australia) ...Show more

Captain Cook's Epic Voyage by Geoffrey Blainey

$34.99 AUD

Category: Australian History | Reading Level: near fine

In 1768 Captain James Cook and his crew set out on a small British naval vessel in search of a missing continent. 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of that voyage, and Cook's 'discovery' of Australia. Captain Cook's Epic Voyage reveals the hardships and adventure of this remarkable quest, and the euphori a of discovering new lands. Drawing from his previous book, Sea of Dangers, in Captain Cook's Epic Voyage Professor Geoffrey Blainey takes readers once again on a vivid journey through history, challenging accepted views and the intersection of myth, science and exploration. ...Show more