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Vol. 21 No. 6
July 2014
WARM UP
AT THE
GLEEBOOKS
WINTER
SALE
UPSTAIRS AT #49 GLEBE PT RD
FRIDAY 18TH JULY
TO SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST
BARGAINS GALORE!
1
Lots to look
forward to
Australian Literature
Sweet One by Peter Docker ($30, PB)
I’ve three new and very different books by Australian women, illustrating the diversity and strength of contemporary writing, to recommend.
The first, My Year without Matches, by Clair Dunn, is
just out. I’d not imagined that I’d find the subject matter
of this memoir as refreshing and challenging as I have.
Dunn recounts her experience as a willing guinea pig
in a year’s 'Wilderness Studies' project on a 100 acre
property near Grafton with a handful of other participants. The physical challenges she describes are as formidable as they are fascinating to read about (eating
road kill, skinning trapped wallaby, making fire without matches). But the book crackles and sizzles with
the author’s reflections on the inner journey it entailed. It’s the (often painful) honesty of the discovery of her 'internal wilderness' that
makes it such compelling reading.
M
any followers of
Australian political
history forget that Robert
Menzies had many years in
the political wilderness not
knowing he would end up
being Australia’s longestserving prime minister. This
book focuses on the period
between 1941, when Menzies
lost the prime-ministership,
to 1949, when he regained it.
In the interim he travelled
around the world, spending
an extended time in Britain during World
War II, set up the Liberal Party and, the
author argues, developed the leadership
qualities that made him so successful.
T
his is the story of the
early battles of the South
West Pacific theatre – the
Coral Sea, Kokoda, Milne Bay,
Guadalcanal – presented as a
single air campaign that began
with the Japanese conquest
of Rabaul in January 1942. It
is a story of both Australian
and American airmen who
flew and fought in the face
of adversity and persisted
despite extreme exhaustion,
sickness, poor morale and the
near certainty of being murdered if they
The other two books are not yet published, but both are due in September. Of the first, Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett, I’ll say more
next month, but it is a brilliant, profoundly unsettling novel. Hartnett’s capacity for having the worlds of childhood and adults intersect
in the most disturbing ways has rarely, if ever, been more powerfully
expressed. Don’t miss it.
At the same time, you should catch up with Heat and
Light, Ellen van Neerven's debut novel, winner of the
David Unaipon Award for unpublished Indigenous writing. This is a three-part fictional journey—two sets of
stories book-ending a longer middle section. In the first,
Heat introduces us to the Kresinger family, across several generations. The stories, set in both rural and urban
locations, are at once discrete and connected, through
the compelling presence of Pearl. The middle section,
Water, is the longest, and is an oppressive and surreal
vision of a people whose very existence is threatened. In the
last section, Light, stories of connection and disconnection between
and within family and race, challenge and intrigue the reader. This is
a fine debut from a very talented writer.
David Gaunt
Win a Bike!
What Came Before by Anna George ($29.99, PB)
'My name is David James Forrester. I'm a solicitor. Tonight, at 6.10, I
killed my wife. This is my statement.' In Melbourne's inner west, David
sits in his car, dictaphone in hand. He's sick to his stomach but determined to record his version of events. His wife Elle hovers over her own
lifeless body as it lies in the laundry of the house they shared. David
thinks back on their relationship, and what led to this terrible night. From
her eerie vantage point, Elle traces the sweep of their shared past too.
Before David, she'd enjoyed a contented life—as a successful filmmaker,
a much-loved aunt and friend. But in the course of two years, she was
captivated and then undone by him. Not once in those turbulent times did she imagine that her
alluring, complex husband was capable of this.
Claustrophobia by Tracy Ryan ($29.95, PB)
Claustrophobia is the taut, compelling story of a young Perth wife who
sets about to protect her husband by stalking his ex-lover, but unexpectedly falls into a passionate affair and a world of lies. In a novel that
possesses the dark wit, psychological insight and narrative momentum
of a Patricia Highsmith, Tracy Ryan captures the disturbing elements
that sometimes lurk beneath the surface of a marriage. The realities of
obsessive attachment and social isolation are explored through a deft and
thought-provoking look at a complex personality and a plot that twists its
page-turning way into our psyche.
The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna ($30, PB)
Meet Jimmy Flick. He's not like other kids—he's both too fast and too
slow. He sees too much, and too little. Jimmy's mother Paula is the only
one who can manage him. She teaches him how to count sheep so that
he can fall asleep. She holds him tight enough to stop his cells spinning.
It is only Paula who can keep Jimmy out of his father's way. But when
everything falls apart, he has to navigate his unfathomable world on his
own, and make things right. Sofie Laguna's first novel One Foot Wrong
was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and shortlisted for
the Prime Minister's Literary Award.
New Angus & Robertson Classics, $15 each
Here's Luck by Lenny Lower
Henry Lawson Selected Stories
We of the Never-Never & The Little Black Princess by Aeneas Gunn
Luigi's Freedom Ride by Alan Murray
Luigi is a young Italian boy growing up in Tuscany in the
1920s, dreaming of cowboys and adventure, when a young
Englishman, passing through on his way to Rome, gives him
his first bicycle, thus sparking a lifelong passion. When World
War II begins, Luigi enlists with the Bersaglieri, the Italian
Army Cycling Corps (naturally), before unexpectedly finding
himself fighting alongside the Partisans. Despite encountering great sorrow and tragedy, Luigi's zest for life remains
undiminished, and his next adventure sees him cycling through the
Holy Land, Turkey and Sri Lanka before finding an unexpected home—and an
extraordinary surprise—in Australia. An irrepressibly
optimistic, sweetly funny story. ($28, PB)
Win a Bike!
went down in enemy territory.
www.newsouthbooks.com.au
2
When a senior Aboriginal war veteran dies horribly at the hands of state
government authorities, Izzy, a journalist and daughter of a war veteran
herself, flies to the goldfields of Western Australia to cover his death. But
Izzy is about to learn that for every action there is an equal and bloody
reaction. On the trail of the vigilantes, she finds herself embedded in a
secret war that is finally, irrevocably, going to explode onto the surface.
Buy a copy of Alan Murray's Luigi's Freedom Ride and go in
the draw for a Reid Vintage 6 Speed Ladies Bike worth $250
The Turning Tide by C. M. Lance ($30, PB)
When Mike Whalen revisits his former commando training grounds at
rugged, beautiful Wilson's Promontory, he's shocked by a chance meeting with the granddaughter of his glamorous old friends, Helen and
Johnny.When Johnny died in the Pacific War, Mike was left with a burden of buried secrets. And as he's drawn back into the life of Helen's
family, Mike finds himself overwhelmed by the past, from growing up in
melting-pot Broome to tragic guerrilla missions in Timor, desire in postwar Hiroshima and betrayal in the jazzy fifties. Before Mike can turn the
bitter tides of memory and have any hope of happiness, he must rebuild his bonds with wartime mates, face his long-held guilt, and finally confront Helen—and himself—with the truth.
Family Secrets by Liz Byrski ($30, PB)
When patriarch Gerald Hawkins passes away in his Tasmanian home,
after 10 years of serious illness, his family experience a wave of grief
and, admittedly, a surge of relief. Gerald's dominating personality has
loomed large over his wife, Connie, their children, Andrew & Kerry, and
his sister Flora, for decades. Connie, whose own dreams were dispensed
with upon marriage, is now determined to renew her long friendship with
Gerald's estranged sister, Flora. She travels to France where she finds
Flora struggling to make peace with the past & searching for a place
to call home. Meanwhile Andrew's marriage is crumbling & Kerry has
unfinished business with her father. Once the loss has been absorbed, is it possible that they
could all find a way to start afresh with forgiveness, understanding and possibility?
On D'Hill
After closing the shop on a cold Saturday night in June, I
made my way to the Petersham Bowlo, where there was
a fund-raiser for the Asylum Seeker’s Resource Centre. The place was packed, mainly with people over 50.
Good on them (us) for caring, I thought, but where were
the young people? The answer came in the form of the
writer whose book I was there to sell—Mark Isaacs,
author of The Undesirables. In his mid- twenties now,
Mark was only 22 when he was sent by the Salvation Army, totally untrained and unprepared, to work
at the Nauru detention centre. What he witnessed
there politicised him and led him to write the book,
despite the fact that all workers are forbidden to
speak out about their experiences inside the detention centres. All power to you, Mark Isaacs.
As many of you will know, Barbara and Tony
Horgan have closed Shearer’s Bookshop in Leichhardt, after over 30 years in the book trade. The
massive turn-up at their goodbye drinks is proof
of the great respect and affection in which they are
held across the trade and with their customers. Booksellers are more
collegiate than competitive, and many from around Sydney came to
raise a glass, along with publishers and authors (William McInnes,
David Marr, Libby Gleeson), with Richard Glover and Gleebooks coowner David Gaunt among the many admiring speakers. Barbara and
Tony are moving to Perth to be near their children and grand-children,
presumably in retirement, but as someone remarked, who can imagine the irrepressible Barbara Horgan not beginning some kind of
book-related venture in her new home?
My reading’s been rather patchy over the last month—
picking books up, then putting them down, starting
on this and switching to that. I wonder if it’s because
there’ve been so many brilliant novels over the last 8
months or so (The Goldfinch, The Blazing World, We
Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, The Signature of
All Things, to name just a few), that other novels pale
in comparison. I’ve therefore turned to non-fiction
and enjoyed My Salinger Year, a memoir by Joanna
Rakoff in which she recalls the year she worked for
Salinger’s literary agent, developing a rather hilarious relationship
with him over the phone. The book is beautifully evocative of 1960s
literary New York. I’ve also started the Stella prize-winner, Clare
Wright’s The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, which is hugely readable
and interesting. Proof copies are coming in of some fab new books
by Australian writers, which I’m looking forward to—a new Sonya
Hartnett for adults, Favel Parrett’s second novel (can she match her
debut, Past the Shallows?) and a new Joan London, one of my favourite Australian writers.
See you on D’Hill, Morgan Smith
New in paperback
Eyrie by Tim Winton, $22.99
Happy Valley: Text Classics by Patrick White, $12.95
Coal Creek by Alex Miller, $22.99
Lost & Found by Brooke Davis ($26.99, PB)
At seven years old, Millie Bird realises that everything is
dying around her. She wasn't to know that after she had recorded twenty-seven assorted creatures in her Book of Dead
Things her dad would be a Dead Thing, too. Agatha Pantha is
eighty-two and has not left her house since her husband died.
She sits behind her front window, hidden by the curtains and
ivy, and shouts at passers-by, roaring her anger at complete
strangers. Until the day Agatha spies a young girl across the
street. Karl the Touch Typist is eighty-seven when his son
kisses him on the cheek before leaving him at the nursing
home. As he watches his son leave, Karl has a moment of clarity. He escapes the
home and takes off in search of something different. Three lost people needing to
be found. But they don't know it yet. Millie, Agatha and Karl are about to break
the rules and discover what living is all about.
3
International Literature
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton ($29.99, PB)
'There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed...' On a cold winter's
day in 1686, 18-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand
house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the
country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin.
Only later does Johannes appear & present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an
elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts
in unexpected ways... Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the
Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realises the escalating dangers that await
them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall?
Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto ($35, HB)
In a tiny flat in Bombay Imelda Mendes—Em to her children—holds her
family in thrall with her flamboyance, her manic affection & her cruel candour. Her husband—'The Big Hoom'—and her two children must bear her
'microweathers', her swings from laugh-out-loud joy to dark malevolence,
& her frequent wish to die. The son begins to unravel the story of his parents: the mother he loves & hates in the same moment & the unusual man
who courted, married & protected her—as much from herself as from the
world. Both comic & moving, Jerry Pinto's portrait of a woman finding it
difficult to stay sane, and what happens to those who cannot help but love
her, is one of the most powerful and original debuts of recent years.
The Spring of Kasper Meier by Ben Fergusson ($29.99, PB)
WORLDWIDE RELEASE DATE
12 AUGUST 2014
Purchase 3 Murakami paperbacks
for the price of 2 during August.
The war is over, but Berlin is a desolate sea of rubble. There is a shortage of
everything: food, clothing, tobacco. Kasper Meier trades on the black market to feed himself and his elderly father. He can find anything that people
need, for the right price. Even other people. When a young woman, Eva,
arrives at Kasper's door seeking the whereabouts of a British pilot, he feels
a reluctant sympathy for her but won't interfere in military affairs. But Eva
knows Kasper's secrets, and as her threats against him mount, Kasper is
drawn into a world of intrigue he could never have anticipated. Why is Eva
so insistent that he find the pilot? Who is the shadowy Frau Beckmann and
what is her hold over Eva? As a net of deceit, lies and betrayal falls around
him, Kasper begins to understand that the seemingly random killings of members of the occupying forces are connected to his own situation.
Ishmael's Oranges by Claire Hajaj ($35, HB)
It's April 1948 and war hangs over Jaffa. One minute 7-year-old Salim is
dreaming of taking his first harvest from the family orange tree with his
father; the next he is swept away by 'the great catastrophe' into a life of
exile. Meanwhile Jude is growing up in the north of England, a girl from
a Jewish family which has survived the Holocaust. When their paths collide in swinging-sixties London and they fall in love, they think they are
aware of the many challenges ahead of them, but before long they both
face unexpected choices. Spanning three generations, Ishmael's Oranges
follows the journeys of those cast adrift by war—as well as by their own
impulses—and asks what is the birthright of the generations that follow?
Through Salim, Jude and their twins, Hajaj explores the longest conflict of our era in terms of
the families we build, the loyalties we owe, and the stories we pass on to our children.
Blood-Drenched Beard by Daniel Galera ($29.99, PB)
WIN A
PILGRIMAGE
@murakami_film
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
BEGINS 11 JULY 2014
#murakamifilmau
His grandfather was murdered by the villagers of Garopaba during a Sunday
dance at a community hall. The lights went out suddenly & when they came
up, the gaucho was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Or so the story
goes. When his own father commits suicide he feels compelled to discover
the truth about his grandfather. So he travels to Garopaba & begins a simple
life on the coast, taking his father's old dog as a companion. He swims in the
sea every day, makes a few friends, falls into a relationship, begins to make
enquiries. But information doesn't come easily. A rare neurological condition means that he doesn't recognise the faces of people he's met—leading
frequently to awkwardness and occasionally to danger. And the people who
know about his grandfather are fearful to give anything away. Steeped in the sultry allure of
south Brazil, Daniel Galera's spare and powerful prose unfolds a mythic story of discovery.
Skylight by Jose Saramago ($30, PB)
Lisbon, late-1940s. The inhabitants of an old apartment block are struggling
to make ends meet. There's the elderly shoemaker and his wife who take in
a solitary young lodger; the woman who sells herself for money, clothes and
jewellery; the cultivated family come down in the world, who live only for
each other and for music; and the beautiful typist whose boss can't keep his
eyes off her. Poisonous relationships, happy marriages, jealousy, gossip and
love—Skylight brings together all the joys and grief of ordinary people.
Called ‘the book lost and found in time' by its author, Skylight is one of
Saramago's earliest novels. The manuscript was lost in the publishers' offices in Lisbon for decades, and is only now being published in English.
Parallel Stories by Peter Nádas ($19.99, PB)
4
In 1989, the memorable year when the Wall came down, a university student in Berlin on his
early morning run finds a corpse lying on a park bench and alerts the authorities. This classic police-procedural scene opens an extraordinary novel, a masterwork that traces the fate of
myriad Europeans—Hungarians, Jews, Germans, Gypsies—across the treacherous years of the
mid-twentieth century.
Summer House with Swimming Pool
by Herman Koch ($29.99, PB)
When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor Ralph
Meier winds up dead, Dr Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some
deeply challenging
crime thriller
answers. After all, reputation is everything in Athis
business.
Personally,
– powerful, provocative, shocking.
he's not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as –aHenry
high
profile doctor
Reynolds
to the stars, Marc can't hide from the truth forever. It all started the
A senior Aboriginal
war veteran dies horribly at
the
previous summer. Marc & his wife & two teenage
daughters
agreed
to
hands of authorities.
spend a week at the Meier's extravagant summer
the
MediterIzzy, journalisthome
and daughter ofon
a Vietnam
vet, flies
to
the Western Australian goldfields to cover the story.
ranean. Joined by Ralph and his striking wife
Judith,
her
mother,
film
And Sweet
One is called home
to make
things right.
But Izzy finds herself embedded in a secret war. If she
director Stanley Forbes and his much younger girlfriend, the large
group settles in for days
didn’t know it before, she is about to learn it now:
for every action there is an equal and bloody reaction.
of sunshine, wine tasting, and trips to the beach. But when a violent
incident disrupts the
idyll, darker motivations are revealed, and suddenly no one can be trusted. As the ultimate
holiday soon turns into a nightmare, the circumstances surrounding Ralph's (later) death
begin to reveal the disturbing reality behind that summer's tragedy.
The Marriage Game by Alison Weir ($33, PB)
The best place to hide
an icepick is in a
truckload of icepicks.
The best place to hide an icepick
is in a truckload of icepicks.
‘… a gripping read, a new slant
on Indigenous issues and a
’
subtle dose of humour.
Books+Publishing
ISBN 9781922089755
Find us on Facebook
Book club notes available
#sweetonenovel @NorByNorwest
Their affair is the scandal of Europe. Queen Elizabeth presents herself
as the Virgin Queen but cannot resist her dashing but married Master
of Horse, Lord Robert Dudley. Many believe them to be lovers, and
there are scurrilous rumours that Elizabeth is no virgin at all. The formidable young Queen is regarded by most of Christendom as a bastard,
a heretic and a usurper, yet many princes covet Tudor England & seek
her hand in marriage. Under mounting pressure to take a husband, Elizabeth encourages their advances without ever committing; a delicate,
politically-fraught balancing act which becomes known as ‘The Marriage Game'. But treading this dangerous line with Robert Dudley, the son and grandson of
traitors, could cost her the throne.
9 781922 089755
Sand by Hugh Howey ($33, PB)
A new novel and brand new world from the author of the Wool trilogy.
The old world is buried. A new one has been forged atop the shifting
dunes. Palmer has never been the same since his father walked out 12
years ago. His elder sister, Vic, is trying to run away from the past; his
younger brothers, Connor and Rob, are risking their lives to embrace it.
His mother, left with nothing but anger, is just trying to forget. Palmer
wants to prove his worth, not only to his family, but to himself. And in
the barren, dune-covered landscape of his home, there is only one way
to earn respect: sand-diving. Plunging deep below the desert floor in
search of relics and scraps of the old world. He is about to embark on the most dangerous
dive of his young life, aiming to become the first to discover the rumoured city below.
Noontide Toll by Romesh Gunesekera ($27.99, PB)
Vasantha is a van driver in Sri Lanka. After nearly three decades of
conflict, the civil war is over and the country is moving tentatively
into the future—though at times the recent past seems too close for
comfort. Pretty, entrepreneurial hoteliers have mysterious scars under
their collars; Chinese businessmen looking to invest in scrap metal are
led to gigantic scrap yards of abandoned bicycles; genial old soldiers
are headhunted for brutal war crimes; young Sinhalese men pine after Tamil girls whose brothers, in another time, died by their hands. In
this collection of linked stories, Vasantha drives across the beautiful but
scarred landscape of his home island, lingering on the periphery of his
passengers' varied stories.
A Dog's Live by Michael Holroyd ($35, HB)
Eustace is undisputed patriarch of the Farquhar family. That is, he
would be if everyone stopped mumbling, let him get on with his shaving & find his way downstairs. It's not Henry's fault that he snores &
that his marriage has collapsed. Or that he failed to get into the cricket
team. But he has made up for it & is now a faster motorist than ever
he was bowler. He is a good father too & one day, when he wakes up
from day-dreaming, his son Kenneth will thank him. It is good that
Anne sleeps with a whistle in her mouth—how else could she terrify the
burglars? As for Mathilda she would love to like her mother, but prefers
going for long walks with the dog. But what will happen to them all if the dog dies? Placing
this eccentric family in isolation after two world wars & at the beginning of our aggressive
financial culture, Michael Holroyd turns comedy into tragedy.
Upstairs at the Party by Linda Grant ($29.99, PB)
In the early seventies a glamorous and androgynous couple known collectively as Evie/Stevie appear out of nowhere on the isolated concrete
campus of a new university. To a group of teenagers experimenting
with radical ideas they seem blown back from the future, unsettling
everything and uncovering covert desires. But the varnished patina of
youth and flamboyant self-expression hides deep anxieties and hidden
histories. For Adele, with the most to conceal, Evie/Stevie become a
lifelong obsession, as she examines what happened on the night of her
own twentieth birthday and her friends' complicity in their fate. A set
of school exercise books might reveal everything, but they have been missing for nearly
forty years. From summers in Cornwall to London in the 21st century, long after they have
disappeared, Evie/Stevie go on challenging everyone's ideas of what their lives should turn
out to be.
New this month:
Granta 128: American Wild (ed) Sigrid Rausing, $25
The Paris Review: Vol. 209 (ed) Lorin Stein, $24.99
A novel by Peter Docker
PETER DOCKER
fremantlepress.com.au
Now in paperback & B format
And Sons by David Gilbert, $20
Lion Heart by Justin Cartwright, $20
Local Souls by Allan Gurganus, $20
Reef by Romesh Gunesekera, $20
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Ove is the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He isn't as young
as he used to be. He drives a Saab. He points at people he doesn't
like the look of. He is described by those around him as 'the
neighbour from hell'. Every morning he makes his inspection
rounds of the local streets. He moves bicycles and checks the
contents of recycling bins, even though it's been years since he
was fired as Chairman of the Residents' Association in a vicious
'coup d'état'. But behind the surly pedant there is a story, and a
sadness. And when his new (foreign) neighbours in the terraced house opposite accidentally flatten Ove's letterbox, it sets off a comical tale of unexpected friendship
which will change both him & his community. ($29.99, PB)
Barbarians by Tim Glencross ($29.99, PB)
It is 2008, late capitalism is in crisis, and the great & the good
are gathered at an Islington house party. Hosting proceedings
are Sherard Howe, scion of a publishing dynasty & owner of a
left-wing magazine, and his wife, Daphne Depree, whose feminist work The Third Sex is seen—to her increasing discomfort —
as an intellectual cornerstone of the Blair era. The guests include
cabinet ministers, celebrated artists, peers of the realm; all overshadowed by Afua, the Howes' supremely ambitious adopted
daughter, already a rising star of the Labour Party. Into this world
arrives Elizabeth 'Buzzy' Price, an aspiring (but suburban) poet supported by devoted Henry, the Howes' biological son. As the years pass and a coalition government
takes office, Buzzy's fortunes rise and the elder Howes' lives threaten to unravel. A
debut of extraordinary scope and confidence.
Breaking Light by Karin Altenberg ($29.99, PB)
Steeped in its bleak & beautiful landscape, Mortford is a place
of secrets & memories: of bitter divisions & shattered dreams.
Returning to this Dartmoor village where he grew up, Gabriel
attempts to come to terms with what he lost as a boy so long
ago. Slowly the mysteries hidden in this small community on
the edge of the moors begin to unravel. But one of Gabriel's
memories remains sharper than all the others: that of his boyhood friend Michael, the tenderness of their first summers & the
violent betrayal that destroyed it. Intruding on his self-enforced
isolation, the beautiful Mrs Sarobi, meddling Doris Ludgate and the frightful spectre
of Jim of Blackaton will become bound up with Gabriel's search for acceptance and
the possibility of love. Set in a haunted landscape, this mesmerising tale is told of the
ways in which something once broken in two may, finally, be made whole.
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour
by Joshua Ferris ($42, HB)
Paul O'Rourke is a man made of contradictions: he loves the
world, but doesn't know how to live in it. He's a Luddite addicted to his iPhone, a dentist with a nicotine habit, a rabid Red
Sox fan devastated by their victories, and an atheist not quite
willing to let go of God. Then someone begins to impersonate
Paul online, and he watches in horror as a website, a Facebook
page, and a Twitter account are created in his name. What begins
as an outrageous violation of his privacy soon becomes something more soul-frightening: the possibility that the online 'Paul' might be a better
version of the real thing. As Paul's quest to learn why his identity has been stolen
deepens, he is forced to confront his troubled past and his uncertain future in a life
disturbingly split between the real and the virtual.
5
THE WILDER AISLES
Six contemporary authors have been chosen by the Jane
Austen Project to write modern versions of Austen's six
complete novels. So far, Sense and Sensibility has been
rewritten by Joanna Trollope and Northanger Abbey by
Val McDermid. Of the two I think the Trollope has been
the most successful at bringing the Austen narrative into the
21st century. A modern light is cast over the Dashwoods—
Fanny and John, Belle and her three daughters, Elinor, Marianne
and Margaret. I liked the idea of Elinor studying to be an architect, and although she doesn't finish her degree, she still gets a job to help with the family
finances. This is a necessity after they lose their family home to John, who
being male inherits the estate. I have always liked Elinor more than Marianne.
I find Marianne's emotions difficult to take, but having said that I also find,
at times, Elinor's tight rein on hers hard to take as well. In Trollope's version,
Marianne throws herself on Willoughby at a dance, causing great embarrassment to Elinor. In the original, the scene is less dramatic but still
very distressing to both Marianne and Elinor. Reading this new
version sent me back to the original, and I definitely enjoyed it
all the more as a result of reading the Trollope.
Northanger Abbey was never a favourite of mine, although my
daughter tells me I missed the point—she reads it as a satire on
gothic romances like The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, which were popular in Austen's time. I've always found
Catherine Morland's rather hysterical manner difficult to cope
with, and I find her even worse in McDermid's update. Catherine, who has been living a rather dreary life in Dorset, deprived of the romance and excitement she yearns for, is thrilled
when she is invited to the Edinburgh Festival by her neighbours, the Allens. In Edinburgh, she attends a Highland dance
class and meets the lovely Henry Tilney. Later she meets Bella,
a girl of the same age, who shares her passion for supernatural
novels. They become friends, but Bella, unfortunately, is not
to be trusted. Through meeting Henry, she is invited to stay at
Northanger Abbey, and on arriving her imagination starts to run
riot. With its secret chambers, ghosts and crumbling turrets the ancient Abbey is exactly as she hoped. In her fevered imaginings, maybe even vampires
have feasted in the dark, gloomy halls. What Catherine finds, of course, is
that it's better to be in the real world than lost in the macabre reality of her
imagination. Having said at the top of the column I liked the Trollope better,
I find on reflection Val McDermid's outing was really quite fun. I actually
much preferred Henry Tilney to both Willoughby and Edward from Sense and
Sensibility. I of course went back and reread the original, and again enjoyed it
more this time. The next two in the Project are Pride and Prejudice by Curtis
Sittenfeld and Emma by Alexander McCall Smith. I am looking forward to
both of them. Perhaps the purists would take issue with this whole project, and
a lot of people I've chatted with seem to ask 'Why? regarding the project—I
don't see why not. I also don't think Jane would mind (especially if it meant
royalties and a room of her own).
Children of War is the latest novel by Martin Walker featuring Bruno Courrèges, St Denis' Chief of Police—in the
Périgord region of France. The beginning is quite hard to
take—the body of man is found in the woods, brutally
murdered. It turns out he was an undercover policeman,
and a Muslim. A disturbed Bruno intends to make finding
the murderer a high priority. However, his boss the Brigadier has other ideas. Meanwhile, Sami, a young Muslim
boy from St Denis has been found on a French army base
in Afghanistan, trying to get home. A friend of Bruno's has
helped to smuggle Sami back into France, but the FBI are after him as well as
an American woman who has an order for his extradition to the States. Bruno
must unravel these various strands—the death of the policeman, Sami's time
in Afghanistan, and why all these people are so very keen to get their hands on
Sami. The seriousness of the situation becomes critical when Bruno himself is
attacked, and he feels a desperate need to protect his town and his people from
those who want to cause trouble. Alongside the Afghanistan story, another one
is unfolding. A Jewish woman, who spent time as a young girl hidden from the
Nazis in St Denis, has returned. She wants to visit the places where she stayed,
and to make a donation towards some kind of memorial honouring those who
kept her and other children safe throughout the war. How this story becomes
part of the other, makes for very interesting reading. I think that Martin Walker's books are bigger than your basic crime novel—there is always so much
more than murder and police procedurals going on. And there is of course the
wonderful food and wine of the Périgord region, especially duck and goose
and truffles—known as black gold. His website has lots to say about all this.
It is great fun.
Janice Wilder
6
Crime Fiction
The Corners of the Globe by Robert Goddard
1919. James ‘Max' Maxted, former Great War flying ace, returns.
Still seeking answers behind his father's murder, he enlists in German spymaster Fritz Lemmer's network under false colours and is
despatched to the Orkney Isles, where the German High Seas Fleet
has been interned in Scapa Flow. His mission: to recover a document
secreted aboard one of the German battleships. But the information it
contains is so explosive Max is forced to break cover and embark on
a desperate and dangerous race south, pursued by men happy to kill
him to recover the document. ($33, PB)
Murder by Sarah Pinborough ($29.99, PB)
Dr Thomas Bond, Police Surgeon, is still recovering from Jack the
Ripper's depredations when he haunted the streets of London—and
a more malign enemy hid in his shadow. Bond and the others who
worked on the gruesome case are still stalked by its legacies, both
psychological and tangible. But now the bodies of children are being
pulled from the Thames, and Bond is about to become inextricably
linked with an uncanny, undying enemy.
Falling Freely, As If in a Dream
by Leif G. W. Persson ($33, PB)
In August 2007 Lars Martin Johansson, chief of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Sweden, has opened the files on the
unsolved murder of Prime Minister Olof Palme. Johansson forms a
new group comprised of a few trustworthy detectives who doggedly
wade through mountains of paperwork & pursue new leads in a case
that has all but gone cold despite the open wound the assassination
has left on the consciousness of Swedish society. Yet the closer the
group gets to the truth, the more Johansson compromises the greater
good for personal gain, becoming a pawn for the private vendetta of
a shady political spin doctor.
The Savage Hour by Elaine Proctor ($30, PB)
De Wildt, South Africa. An elderly doctor is found drowned in a river
on her home farm, apparently having slipped and fallen. Her family
& servants remember a matriarch of fierce spirit who passed her passion for justice on to every man & woman, black or white. But for
one friend—a detective—grief is splintered by an insidious doubt;
one that will threaten to expose those he loves & the fractures in their
family: she did not slip. The Savage Hour is a stealthy and compelling walk in the bloodied dust of a post-apartheid rural community.
Midnight in Europe by Alan Furst ($29.99, PB)
Paris, 1938. A shadow edges over Europe. Democratic forces are
locked in struggle, while in Spain the war has already begun. Cristian
Ferrar, a Spanish lawyer in Paris, is approached to help a clandestine
agency supply weapons to beleaguered Republican forces. Joining
Ferrar in his mission is an unlikely group of allies: idealists & gangsters, arms traders & aristocrats, including Max de Lyon, a man hunted by the Gestapo, and the Marquesa Maria Cristina, a refined beauty
with a taste for danger. From libertine nightclubs in the City of Light
to volatile bars by the docks in Gdansk, Furst paints a spell-binding
portrait of a continent marching into a nightmare.
The Broken Places by Ace Atkins ($29.99, PB)
A year after Quinn Colson becomes sheriff, infamous murderer Jamey
Dixon is released from prison & comes back to Jericho preaching
redemption. Some believe him, but the victim's family thinks only
of revenge. Dixon's gang from his last job don't believe him either—
they're sure he's gone back to grab the hidden money from their last
robbery, so they break out & head straight to Jericho themselves. Colson's job is made worse by yet another unwelcome visitor: a tornado
that causes havoc just as events come to a head. Communications
are down, the roads are impassable—the rule of law is about to snap.
The Killing Room by Christobel Kent ($30, PB)
PI Sandro Cellini is invited to attend a glamorous launch party for
a luxury residence overlooking the glittering expanse of Florence,
and finds that behind the ancient & luxurious facade of Palazzo San
Giorgio, there lies a series of terrible secrets; an old torture chamber,
hidden for centuries in the bowels of the building, and a much more
recent malevolence. When one of the residents is found murdered in
her room, events begin to spiral out of control. Sandro must work to
untangle the complex web of relationships that exists between residents and staff to unmask a deadly killer..
A House of Knives by William Shaw ($29.99, PB)
London, November 1968. DS Breen has a death threat in his in tray
& two burned bodies on his hands. One is an unidentified vagrant; the
other the wayward son of a rising politician. One case suffers the apathy of a depleted police force; the other obstructed by a PR-conscious
father with the ear of the Home Office. But they can't stop Breen talking to Robert 'Groovy Bob' Fraser—whose glamorous Pop Art parties
mask a spreading heroin addiction among London's youth—nor to a
hippy squat that risks exposing it. When the potential perpetrator of
his death threats is murdered, Breen becomes a suspect & is banished
from a corrupt system, Breen is finally forced to fight fire with fire.
To the Top of the Mountain by Arne Dahl ($33, PB)
After the disastrous end to the Intercrime team's last case, the six officers have been scattered throughout the country. Detectives Paul Hjelm
and Kerstin Holm are investigating the senseless murder of a young
football supporter in a pub in Stockholm, Arto Söderstedt and Viggo
Norlander are working on mundane cases, Gunnar Nyberg is tackling
child pornography while Jorge Chavez is immersed in research. But
when a man is blown up in a high-security prison, a major drugs baron
comes under attack and a massacre takes place in a dark suburb, the
Intercrime team are urgently reconvened.
A Morbid Habit by Annie Hauxwell ($29.99, PB)
Christmas is looming, and investigator Catherine Berlin is out of a job.
Broke, and with a drug habit that's only just under control, she quickly
agrees when an old friend offers her work. It's a simple investigation
with a generous fee, looking into the dealings of a small-time entrepreneur. The only catch? It's in Russia. But when Berlin arrives in Moscow,
things are not so straightforward. She's kicked out of her hotel, her allimportant medication confiscated by police. Strung out & alone, Berlin
turns to her interpreter, an eccentric Brit named Charlie. But Charlie's
past is as murky as Berlin's own, and when the subject of the investigation disappears, Berlin realises Charlie may be part of the web.
The G File by Håkan Nesser ($29.99, PB)
1987. Verlangan, a former cop turned PI, is hired by a woman to follow her husband Jaan 'G' Hennan. A few days later, she is found dead
at the bottom of an empty swimming pool. Maardam police, led by
CI Van Veeteren, investigate the case. Van Veeteren has encountered
Jaan 'G' before, but G has a solid alibi & the case comes to a dead end.
2002—Verlangan's daughter reports the PI missing & Van Veeteren returns to the 'G' file. For all Verlangan left behind was a cryptic note; and
a telephone message in which he claimed to have finally discovered the
proof of G's murderous past.
Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri ($30, PB)
When members of Vigata's elite are targeted in a series of perfectly
executed burglaries, Inspector Montalbano reluctantly takes the case.
It soon becomes clear however that more links these privileged few
than simply their lost possessions. It isn't long too before Montalbano
finds himself taken with one of the victims, the captivatingly beautiful young Angelica. But as the detective's attraction grows—until he
can think of little else—a series of strange, anonymous letters claiming
responsibility for the thefts begin to arrive. His relationship with Livia
under threat, Montalbano must focus his mind to solve this perplexing
investigation before events spiral out of all control.
The Lie by Hesh Kestin ($27.99, PB)
Israeli human rights lawyer Dahlia Barr specialises in defending Palestinians accused of terrorism. One day, to her great surprise, the national police approach Dahlia with a proposition: join us and become
the government's arbiter on when to use the harshest of interrogation
methods—what some would call torture. She takes the job in the hope
of changing the system from within, but when her son is kidnapped
by Hezbollah Dahlia's anti-torture stance is sorely tested. A nail-biter
about human beings on both sides of the terror equation whose lives
turn out to have more in common than they could have ever imagined.
Duffy by Dan Kavanagh ($29.99, PB)
Things aren't going so well for Brian McKechnie. His wife was attacked in their home, his cat was brutally killed and now a man with
a suspiciously erratic accent is blackmailing him. When the police fail
spectacularly at finding out who's after him, McKechnie engages the
services of Duffy—a detective like no other. A bisexual ex-policeman
with a phobia of ticking watches & a penchant for Tupperware. But
what he lacks in orthodoxy he makes up for in street-smart savvy & nononsense dealings. Intrigued by McKechnie's dilemma & the apparent
incompetency of his ex-colleagues, Duffy heads to his old patch, the
seedy underbelly of Soho, where he discovers that the streets are still
mean and the crooks walk arm in arm with the blues.
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay ($10, PB)
You wake up. Your house is empty. Your family has disappeared. What
could be worse than losing all the people you love in a single night?
Twenty-five years after Cynthia Archer's entire family disappeared
without a trace, she's about to find out. For Cynthia, it's finally time to
solve the mystery that's hung like a dark cloud over her life. But digging up the truth may be the biggest mistake she's ever made.
Gold, Frankincense & Dust by Valerio Varesi ($30, PB)
Parma. A multiple pile-up occurs on the autostrada into the city. A truck
transporting cattle skids off the road. Dozens of injured cows & bulls
go on the rampage. In the chaos, the burned body of a young woman
is found at the side of the road. Her death has no apparent link to the
carnage. Commissario Soneri is assigned the case. It is a welcome distraction: his mercurial lover Angela has decided to pursue other options, leaving him even more morose than usual. The dead woman is
identified as Nina Iliescu, a Romanian immigrant whose beauty had
enchanted a string of wealthy lovers. Temptress, muse, angel—she was
all things to all men. Her murder conceals a crime and a sacrilege, and
even in death she has a surprise waiting for Soneri.
‘My name is David James Forrester.
I’m a solicitor. Tonight, at 6.10, I killed my wife.
This is my statement.’
David sits in his car, dictaphone in hand.
He’s sick to his stomach but determined
to record his version of events.
His wife Elle hovers over her own lifeless
body as it lies in the laundry of the house they
shared. From her eerie vantage point, she too
traces the sweep of their shared past.
Dark, atmospheric and gripping – a stunning
literary thriller about the risks you take
when you fall in love.
One of the bestselling and most
acclaimed novels of the year,
now in paperback. Shortlisted for the
Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Eyrie is a heart-stopping, groundbreaking
novel for our times – funny, confronting,
exhilarating and haunting. Inhabited by
unforgettable characters, it asks how,
in an impossibly compromised world,
we can ever hope to do the right thing.
The Weekend Australian wrote:
“From the opening pages...You know
you are in the hands of a master.”
Renowned for its unusual mammals,
Australia is a land of birds that are just as
unusual, a result of tens of millions of years
of isolation. But unlike the mammals,
the birds did not keep to Australia;
they spread around the globe.
Australia provided the world with its
songbirds and parrots, the most intelligent
of all bird groups. Compared with birds
elsewhere, ours are more likely to be
intelligent, aggressive and loud, to live in
complex societies, and are long-lived.
An eye-opening book on Australian birds
and their role in global evolution.
The first social, cultural and environmental
history of the Great Barrier Reef,
this is an effortlessly readable work
by a born storyteller.
Iain McCalman charts our shifting
perceptions of the reef: Captain Cook viewed
it as the terrifying labyrinth that almost sunk his
Endeavour; today we see this World Heritagelisted site as a fragile global treasure.
‘History doesn’t get any more lively than this.
A stylish, racing read, The Reef surprises with
every turn of the page, investing one of the
world’s greatest natural structures with human
drama.’ Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan.
Now in B Format
Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo, $19.99
No Man's Nightingale by Ruth Rendell, $20
Holy Orders by Benjamin Black, $20
A Delicate Truth by John le Carré, $23
7
Banjo: The Story of the Man Who Wrote
Waltzing Matilda by Paul Terry ($30, PB)
In 1886, a nervous young lawyer and aspiring writer met the
editor of a radical new paper to discuss the possibility of publishing some poetry. He thought his 'fractured verses' would
not stand the test of time. In a life that took him from a bush
boyhood to the battlefields of South Africa and the turmoil of
the Great War, Banjo Paterson rubbed shoulders with the rich
and famous. But the heroes of his tales were ordinary folk—bushmen, battlers,
swaggies & soldiers. From the political upheaval captured in Waltzing Matilda to
the wistful longing for the bush in Clancy of the Overflow, Paul Terry follows the
life and inspirations of AB Paterson—meeting the men & women who shaped the
young Australian nation as it shook off its convict beginnings to embrace its own
place on the world stage and who defined our national character today.
The Best Years of Our Lives
by Richard Clapton ($33, PB)
Biography
Murray Gleeson—The Smiler by Michael Pelly
Courtroom tactician, devastating in reply, intimidating and intense.
Murray Gleeson has been described as many things, but his grim work
persona gave him the label that stuck—The Smiler. Born in a small
country town in NSW, Gleeson became the nation’s top barrister & its
leading judge. In a legal career spanning over 50 years, he had a ringside seat for political, legal & social events that shaped Australia – the
final separation from Mother England, legalised abortion, the dismissal
of the Whitlam government, the Tasmanian Dams Case, the Fine Cotton substitution, the
scandalous attack on Justice Michael Kirby, the war on terrorism, prisoners’ right to vote &
the detention of refugees. The Smiler draws on more than 100 interviews with Gleeson & his
family, friends and judicial colleagues, including those who sat with him on the High Court.
It is an unprecedented insight into a legend of the Australian legal system. ($59.95, HB)
Now in B Format
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking by Anya von Bremzen, $20
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched
Modern China by Jung Chang, $20
Priscilla by Nicholas Shakespeare, $20
When he was 16 he inveigled his way into a maximum security hotel to hang out with the Rolling Stones. From that
day on, Richard Clapton knew he was going to be a rock star.
Through the glory years of rock & roll, in cities as varied
as London, Berlin, Sydney, Los Angeles and Paris, Richard
forged his own career and built up a significant body of work.
By his own frank admission, these were years fuelled by prodigious quantities of alcohol and drugs, set against a backdrop of constant recording and touring, of endless bacchanalian partying and wild
sex. It was to be a dark and dangerous journey to the very outer limits of human
behaviour and physical endurance, a roller coaster ride of extraordinary euphoric
highs and deep, shattering lows. Dozens of his friends died on that journey, but
miraculously, he survived to tell the tale AND he remembers everything!
Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight by Jay Barbree
Jay Barbree & his friend Neil Armstrong planned this book together for
twenty years. Armstrong entrusted Barbree with details of his personal
life, including his two marriages and the death of his baby daughter.
And, of course, he gives the inside story of an extraordinary career,
from the time he flew combat missions in the Korean War and then flew
a rocket plane called the X-15 to the edge of the atmosphere, to when he
saved his Gemini 8 by flying the first emergency return from Earth orbit
and then flew Apollo-11 to the moon's Sea of Tranquillity. ($30, PB)
Bulletproof Vest: The Ballad of an Outlaw &
His Daughter by Maria Venegas ($30, PB)
Maria Venegas had been estranged from her father for fourteen years when she finally made the journey back from the
US to Mexico to visit him in the old hacienda where both he
and she were born. As they begin spending summers and holidays together, herding cattle and fixing barbed-wire fence
posts, he starts to share stories with her, tales of a dramatic
life filled with both intense love and brutal violence—from
the final conversations he had with his own father and his
extradition from the US for murder, to his mother's pride after he shot a man for
the first time at age twelve. In spare, gripping prose, Venegas traces her own life
and her father's through the stories she inherited from him and gradually comes to
understand the violent undercurrent that has shaped them both.
Despite nearly being killed by a kangaroo & almost lynched & run out
of town after his comedy was taken far too seriously, Sami Shah is very
happy to be living in Australia. He had fronted his own satirical show on
TV in Karachi, worked as a journalist and been a highly regarded newspaper columnist—all dangerous occupations to be involved in—when
the combination of seeing the aftermaths of a devastating bomb attack
and being the target of death threats convinced him to leave Pakistan.
Under the terms of their Australian migration visa, Sami & his wife & young daughter were
obliged to settle in a rural area, and so they moved to Northam in WA. I, Migrant tells the
hilarious & moving story of what it's like to leave the home you love to start a new life in
another country so your child can be safe& grow up with a limitless future. ($29.99, PB)
Viv Albertine is one of a handful of original
punks who changed music, and the conversation
around it, forever.
Albertine, lead singer of The Slits, now tells the
story of what it was like to be a girl at the height
of punk: the sex, the drugs, the guys, the tours...
Before and beyond the break-up of The Slits in
1982, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music,
Music. Boys, Boys, Boys is the full story of a life
lived unscripted of a life lived on the frontiers of
experience, by a true pioneer.
8
I, Migrant: A Comedian's Journey from Karachi to
the Outback by Sami Shah
The Secret Ministry for Ag. and Fish
Noreen Riols ($18.99, PB)
In 1943, just before her eighteenth birthday, Noreen Riols
received her call-up papers, and was faced with either working in a munitions factory or joining the Wrens. A typically
fashion-conscious young woman, even in wartime, Noreen
opted for the Wrens—they had better hats. But when one of
her interviewers realised she spoke fluent French, she was directed to a government building on Baker Street. It was SOE
headquarters, where she was immediately recruited into F-Section, led by Colonel Maurice Buckmaster. From then until the end of the war, Noreen worked with
Buckmaster and her fellow operatives to support the French Resistance fighting
for the Allied cause. Sworn to secrecy, Noreen told no one that she spent her days
meeting agents returning from behind enemy lines, acting as a decoy, passing on
messages in tea rooms and picking up codes in crossword puzzles.
Tomorrow We Escape by Tom Trumble
On a November morning in 1943, escaped Australian POW
Ian Busst comes within a day's march of Allied lines after
journeying 100s of miles on foot through war-torn Italy. The
young man is starving & hypothermic, and the German 10th
Army stands between him & freedom. Years later, at 95, Ian
Busst can still recall his wartime experiences in the Royal
Australian Engineers in incredible detail, from the sound of a
strafing Messerschmitt to the appalling vision of his two mates
blown apart by a high-calibre bomb. Busst's odyssey took him
through the dark days of the Battle of Britain and fighting in the Western Desert.
Captured near Tobruk during a daring night mission ahead of the German advance
into Libya, he was sent to the prison camps of Italy and eventually to the dreaded
Campo 57. Subjected to appalling conditions, Busst—known as 'Mad Bugger'—became obsessed with one objective: escape. ($30, PB)
The Map Thief by Michael Blanding ($33, HB)
To those who collect them, the map trade can be a cutthroat
business, inhabited by quirky and sometimes disreputable
characters in search of a finite number of extremely rare objects. Once considered a respectable antiquarian map dealer,
E. Forbes Smiley spent years doubling as a map thief —until
he was finally arrested slipping maps out of books in the Yale
University library. Michael Blanding has interviewed all the
key players in this stranger-than-fiction story, and shares the
fascinating histories of map-makers and the maps that charted
the New World, and how they went from being practical instruments to quirky
heirlooms to highly coveted objects.
Agent Storm: My Life inside al-Qaeda
by Morten Storm ($30, PB)
He was the Western convert who would plunge deep inside alQaeda. He named his first son Osama after 9/11 and became a
Jihadist. But then, after a sudden loss of faith, Morten Storm
made a life-changing decision. He became a double agent for
the CIA, MI6 and MI5. Filled with hair-raising close calls and
duplicity, Storm's story builds to the climactic finale when he
must betray his friend and mentor al-Awlaki—al-Qaeda's biggest threat to the West. Storm is trusted to find al-Awlaki a
wife from Europe. She becomes the bait for a possible American drone strike .
So Long, Marianne: A Love Story
by Kari Hesthamar ($29.99, PB)
At 22, Marianne Ihlen travelled to the Greek island of Hydra
with Norwegian writer Axel Jensen. While Axel wrote, Marianne kept house, until Axel abandoned her and their newborn
son for another woman. One day while Marianne was shopping in a little grocery store, in walked a man who asked her to
join him and some friends outside at their table. He introduced
himself as Leonard Cohen, then a little-known Canadian poet.
Complemented by previously unpublished poems, letters, and
photographs, So Long, Marianne is an intimate, honest account of Marianne’s life
story—from her youth in Oslo, her romance with Axel, to her life in an international
artists’ colony on Hydra in the 1960s, and beyond. The subject of one of the most
beautiful love songs of all time, Marianne Ihlen proves to be more than a muse to
Axel and Leonard. The book includes rare material by Leonard Cohen .
Travel Writing
Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant: True Tales
and Gossip from the Galley by Owen Beddall
Is the flight attendant lifestyle really flying to exotic destinations, swanning about in five-star hotels, daytime lazing around the pool and nighttime tabletop dancing with Bollywood stars? Owen Beddall dishes the
dirt—he tells you the things you always wanted to know (and maybe a
few things you didn't) about the glamorous world of flying. This book
is packed with cabin crew adventures and misadventures in and out of
that smart uniform in far flung places. There's sex, drugs and lots of celebrity gossip; Katy
Perry, Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Venus Williams and Cate Blanchett are all in the galley
having a gossip with Owen. ($34.99, PB)
New York in 3D: The Gilded Age by Esther Crain
This innovative package includes a sturdy, metal stereoscopic viewer
and 50 stereoscopic photographs of the years of rapid development
that marked the turn of the century in New York. The kit includes an
accompanying 112-page paperback that provides a brief history of the
stereograph craze and an overview of the city's evolution during that
time. Stereoscopic images include Coney Island lit up at night; the
1900 view towards Madison Square Garden from the top of the Flatiron Building; pedlars carts on Elizabeth Street in 1904; the 1880 construction of the Brooklyn Bridge; the Ellis Island dining room in 1907;
and Times Square with the new Astor Hotel in 1908. ($39.99, PB)
Adventures in the Anthropocene: A Journey to the
Heart of the Planet We Made by Gaia Vince ($37.99, PB)
Humans have become a force on a par with earth-shattering asteroids
and planet-cloaking volcanoes, and as a result, our planet is said to be
crossing a geological boundary—from the Holocene into the Anthropocene, or Age of Man. Gaia Vince decided to quit her job at science
journal Nature, and travel the world to explore what all these changes
really mean. She found ordinary people solving severe crises in ingenious, effective ways. Take the retired railway worker who's building
artificial glaciers in the Himalayas, for example, or the Peruvian painting mountains white
to retain snowfall. Meet the villagers in India using satellite technology to glean water; and
the women farmers in Africa combining the latest genetic discoveries with ancient irrigation
techniques; witness the electrified reefs in the Maldives & the man who's making islands out
of rubbish in the Caribbean. She also looks at how humanity's changes are reshaping our living planet, & explores how we might engineer Earth for our future.
Tokyo Megacity by Ben Simmons & Donald Richie
It has been said that 'every city has its high points, but Tokyo is
all exclamation points!' Tokyo Megacity—a visual and descriptive
exploration of a city that combines old with new and traditional with
trendy—shows how Tokyo is like no other city in the world. The
combination of Ben Simmons' photographs and Donald Richie’s text
capture, as never before, the tremendous diversity, vitality and sheer
liveability of the megacity that is Tokyo. ($39, HB)
Twenty One Nights in July: A Personal History of
the Tour de France by Ianto Ware ($24.95, PB)
When chronic insomniac and reluctant office worker Ianto Ware went
looking for answers to life's big questions, he found them in the world's
largest bike race. Twenty-One Nights in July is a joyride through the
Tour's greatest moments— part love letter to cycling, part history of the
Tour de France, and part philosophical treatise on the merits of the humble bicycle. Ware unravels La Grande Boucle's greatest stages, contests, personalities, scandals and controversies—from Fausto Coppi's
victory on Alpe d'Huez, to Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor's
epic battle on the Puy de Dôme, from René Vietto's shameless weeping
to Greg LeMond soiling himself in his battle against Bernard Hinault—digging deep into the Tour's hidden secrets to reveal how cycling
transcended mere sport to become a philosophy for the modern age.
The Moor: Lives Landscape Literature
by William Atkins ($40, HB)
In this deeply personal journey across Britain's most forbidding & mysterious terrain, William Atkins takes the reader from south to north,
in search of the heart of this elusive landscape. His account is both
travelogue & natural history, and an exploration of moorland's uniquely
captivating position in British literature, history & psyche. Atkins may
be a solitary wanderer across these vast expanses, but his journey is full of encounters, busy
Saving St Brigid's by Regina Lane ($40, HB)
with the voices of the moors, past & present: murderers & monks, smugglers & priests,
At the top of a hill in south-west Victoria, surrounded by roll- gamekeepers & ramblers, miners & poets, developers & environmentalists.
ing green hills that fall away to the Southern Ocean, sits a
Bottoms Up in Belgium: Seeking the High Points of
grand old red-brick church. Built and paid for by the children
the Low Land by Alec Le Sueur ($22.99, PB)
of the Irish famine survivors, St Brigid's is a symbol of faith
Brussels and all those Eurocrats on the gravy train? It’s just so boring.
& hope in an ancient land, by a cold, wild sea. In 2009, the
Why, you can’t even name ten famous Belgians!’ Until 1993, Alec had
Catholic Church put the church & hall up for sale, against the
never been to Belgium, so it came as some surprise when in August that
wishes of the local community. What began as a small local
year he found himself at the altar of a small church in Flanders, recitissue became a battle that went all the way to Rome. The fight
ing wedding vows in Flemish. It was the start, for better or for worse,
for justice awakened Regina Lane to the richness of her Irish
of a long relationship with this unassuming and much maligned little
Catholic culture, and its lasting legacy on the community & the Church, she grew
country. As he ordered yet another pint of Stella, it dawned on him that
up in. Through the lens of her Irish heritage & that of the local indigenous people,
perhaps it was time to immerse himself in Belgian culture, especially
she weaves together a lyrical narrative of song & story, & discovers just how much
when there were over a hundred locally produced beers on the menu.
our ancestral traditions have to teach us if we are to transform the world we live.
9
books for kids to young adults
compiled by Lynndy Bennett, our children's correspondent
OS
SETTS
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ASS ACH
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Postcard from Boston
M
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2014
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with BEA, and his life anecdotes are
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speak
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as his adult novels. His idiosyncratic
seven years after her popular Septimus
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world of Septimus Heap, featuring some
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lly crafted,
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baby is born with Down Syndrome
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with
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in
plummet from primary
mending when they are released
ent. All three are books I'll be recom
splendours it offers.
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ere near enough time to take in all the
ed
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Nonetheless, I shall tread the path
also set in Boston; plus Louisa M. Alco
Moody Declares Independence are
the
of
books and Megan McDonald's Judy
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celebrated Boston luminary. Although
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at the Eric Carle Museum, I shall be
ideas arising from the invaluable
forward to trying some initiatives and
sphere counterparts.
conversations with some northern hemi
institute some changes.
we
as
think
you
Let us know what
young
readers
See you in the shop! Lynndy.
Chook Chook: Saving the Farm
by Wai Chim ($14.95, PB)
1000 Inventions and Discoveries
by Roger Bridgman ($29.99, PB)
For the budding inventor this amazing guide is packed
with the inventions and discoveries that have changed
the world. Find out who came up with the idea, how they
were influenced and key events that formed the backdrop
of the discovery. Packed with stunning pictures and
features you'll relive the most amazing discoveries
ever made—and perhaps make a few of your own.
Utterly Amazing Science
by Robert Winston ($29.99, HB)
Discover the incredible core topics in the world
of science, including forces and motions, light
and colour, elements and matter, and magnets
and electricity with clear explanations and fun
activities to help your child understand the building blocks of science.
Packed with pop-ups, pull-outs, flaps, sliders and incredible science
facts to make learning about science fun and interactive.
10
The Mount Athos Diet: The Mediterranean Plan
to Lose Weight, Feel Younger and Live Longer
by Richard Storey, Sue Todd & Lottie Storey
For centuries, the monks of Mount Athos have enjoyed long lives,
healthy bodies and calm minds thanks to their unique diet and lifestyle. This book shows the intermittent diet that keeps the monks
slim, youthful and largely free from disease. The diet is made up
of three fasting days full of delicious fruits and vegetables from nature's larder; three
moderation days to enjoy the best of the Mediterranean, including olive oil, fish and
even red wine; one feast day to completely indulge in whichever foods you like. The
book has a simple diet plan, recipes, menu planners and tips on how to adapt the diet,
plus guidance on exercise, meditation and emotional wellbeing. ($30, PB)
Headache: A Family Doctor's Guide to Treating a
Common Ailment by Carole Hungerford ($30 PB)
In this timely book, family doctor and former headache sufferer
Carole Hungerford addresses what we know about treating and
preventing this common health problem, including what triggers
headaches, food & chemicals to avoid, and the latest research on
the role that genetics play in causing migraine. She explores the
evolutionary role of headache, and examines which approaches to
treatment work best for which types of patients.
horses for courses
Star Horse by Jane Smiley ($13.99, PB)
The latest in the horse-obsessed Pulitzer prize winning author, Jane
Smiley's The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch series. Gee Whiz is a striking horse—he is tall, but also graceful. He keeps his eye on things,
not as if he's suspicious, but as if he's curious. Abby Lovitt is curious, too, about just how little of the world she has seen compared to
those around her. Her brother receives a draft notice to Vietnam, her
best friends return from their boarding school, and the wise, loveable
Brother Abner opens her eyes with tales of his many years spent travelling. If your horse-mad child hasn't been introduced to Abby Lovitt
trials yet, I highly recommend them. Viki
Do You Dare? The Last Horse Race
by James Moloney ($14.99, PB)
Do You Dare . . . Stick up for your mates? Ride a horse at breakneck
speed? Risk your life for freedom? Set in early Brisbane,
about a boy trying to escape his past, and driven by vivid
action, great characters and some thrilling moments of
jeopardy this is a great way to engage boys from 8 to 12
with Australian historical fiction!
p icture books
There's a Lion in My Cornflakes
by Michelle Robinson
(ill) Jim Field ($14.99, PB)
If you ever see a packet of cornflakes offering a free lion, ignore it! This is the hair raising story of a family who didn't—and end up
with a grizzly bear, a cranky old crocodile
and a whacking great gorilla!
Lucas and Jack by Ellie Royce & Andrew McLean
Every week Lucas' mum visits Great Grandpop at the nursing home.
And every week Lucas waits for her outside. Waiting is boring! Until Lucas meets Jack.
Jack is tricky and Jack is fun, and he is a great storyteller. A book to bridge generations,
Lucas & Jack introduces young children to the idea that old people can be fun and that
deep down we have more in common than we think, while encouraging them to ask questions, be curious, imaginative and empathetic. ($24.99, HB)
Jeremy by Chris Faille & Danny Snell ($14.99, PB)
When tiny kookaburra Jeremy falls out of his nest and is brought home by the family cat, he is
only a few days old. Luckily, Jeremy is a fighter and as the weeks go by he grows stronger and
stronger, until the time comes when he must say goodbye.
My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz ($55, PB)
French cooking has come a long way since the days of Escoffier. The culinary culture of France has changed & the
current generation of French cooks, most notably in Paris,
are incorporating ingredients & techniques from around the
world. David Lebovitz remasters the French classics, introduces lesser known French fare, and presents 100 recipes using ingredients foraged in the ethnic neighbourhoods of Paris.
David's stories describe the quirks, trials, and joys of cooking, shopping, and eating in
France, while food and location photographs reveal modern life in Paris.
Once a Month Cooking by Joy Allen ($25, PB)
Jody Allen, founder of the phenomenally successful Stay at
Home Mum online community, has the answer for busy mums
on a budget. In a single day, cook all your main dishes for a
month, freeze them, and then enjoy homemade food that is
super-quick to prepare when the kids are hungry. From how to
budget for and plan your menus, to how to cook and freeze in
bulk, this book has step-by-step instructions and 150 freezable
recipes that will save time and money.
Gourmet Hot Dogs: How to Dress
Your Dog with Style by Stephane Reynaud
These 60 easy, tasty hot dog recipes, prepared with passion in
gourmet French style, are divided into sausage type—from coarse
and finely minced sausages, to Frankfurters, chipolatas, Toulouse sausage, chicken sausage, veal sausage—and each recipe
includes suggestions for bread accompaniments, small (but perfectly formed) salad garnishes and the all-important condiments
to maximise flavour and impact. ($29.99, PB)
Backyard Bees: A Guide for the Beginner Beekeeper by Douglas Purdie ($35, HB)
It’s Chinese New Year and for Mei & her family things are
looking grim. It’s been another bad harvest & a disappointing
year for their farm. And now, the government is building a major freeway that will rip right through their village & tear their
little farm apart. What can Mei & her beloved chickens, Little
and Lo, do to save their farm and keep the family together? As
the deadline for bulldozing draws near, villagers young and
old will come to realise that it takes a village to save a farm.
Bully on the Bus by Kathryn Apel ($14.95, PB)
She’s big. / She’s smart. / She’s mean.
She’s the bully on the bus./ She picks on me and I don’t like it.
But I don’t know how to make her stop.
The bully on the bus taunts seven-year-old Leroy, then silences
him with threats of worse to come. To distract him, his teacher introduces him to the adventures in The Big Bad Book of Fairytales.
Hidden throughout are the clues that Leroy needs to overcome the
bullying taunts once and for all.
science
science
Food, Health & Garden
All you need to keep bees is a bit of space in your backyard (or on
your rooftop) & a little love for the creatures that pollinate the veggie
patches of your neighbourhood. This is the ultimate guide to installing and maintaining a hive through the seasons. Learn how easy it is
to keep happy, healthy bees, and how and when to harvest the liquid
gold. Including extensive advice on choosing a hive & the equipment you need; case studies and anecdotes from beekeepers from
all walks of life; and 20 delicious recipes for all that honey, from
Toasted Honey Granola to Bees Knees Cocktails.
Good without Gluten by Frederique Jules,
Jennifer Lepoutre & Mitsuru Yanase ($29.99, HB)
The chefs at Parisian restaurant and grocery store No Glu use a
range of cereals, flours and clever flour mixes that are naturally
gluten-free and healthy. They have developed over 65 delicious
and nutritious recipes, which fall into the following chapters: Basic Recipes, Breakfast, Tea, Nibbles, Entrees, Mains, Desserts and
Breads. Included are gluten-free recipes for scrumptious cookies,
sticky banana cake, sweet pastry, polenta cake, savoury and sweet
muffins, chestnut flour bread, chickpea bread, crepes, focaccia,
cheesecake, burgers, pizza and quiche.
Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East and
Beyond by Sabrina Ghayour ($39.99, HB)
Middle Eastern food demystified—from the chef behind the Persian Supper Club. Sabrina Ghayour's first cookbook is a celebration of the food and flavours from the regions near the Southern
and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, with over 100 recipes for modern and accessible Middle Eastern dishes. Examples
include Lamb & Sour Cherry Meatballs, Blood Orange & Radicchio Salad and Spiced Carrot, Pistachio & Coconut Cake with
Rosewater Cream.
The Blender Girl by Tess Masters ($34.99, HB)
This book offers healthy whole-food concoctions that rely on
natural flavours & sweeteners; all are gluten-free & many are
also dairy-, egg-, nut-, soy-, and corn-free. Recipes for drinks,
smoothies, and soups are a given, but this versatile collection also
includes dishes with a blended component, including appetisers,
snacks, salads & desserts; staples like sauces, spreads & condiments; plus details on sprouting, food combining, acid versus alkaline, live foods & more.
AWW Food for Babies and Toddlers ($29.95, PB)
This book contains plenty of puree recipes for babies, as well as
chunkier foods as they learn to chew. There are also recipes for
toddlers using a variety of foods that vary in taste and texture to
help their palates change and develop. This book will help parents
understand how to feed and nourish their children with recipes for
the early stages of their development. Includes a foreword by Dr
Joanna McMillan, accredited practising Dietician & Nutritionist.
Jamie Oliver's Food Tube Series, $12.99 each
The Cake Book by Cupcake Jemma
The Family Cookbook by Kerryann Dunlop
The BBQ Book by DJ BBQ
The Asian Kitchen: Fabulous Recipes from
Every Corner of Asia by Kong Foong Ling
Take a flavourful and aromatic tour of Asia within the comfort of your own home and kitchen with each recipe simple
to prepare, ingredients easy to get, and with clear colour photographs show you what the dishes look like! In this remarkable compilation, you’ll
find recipes & dishes from every country in Asia—Burma, China, India, Indonesia,
Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand & Vietnam.
Complete menus are suggested for each cuisine. ($18.99, PB)
Mason Jar Salads and More: 50 Layered
Lunches to Grab and Go by Julia Mirabella
There is more to the Mason jar than just canning, and this
book provides step-by-step instructions for preparing nourishing, beautiful, & convenient lunches packed with fresh
produce and whole foods. Made by layering ingredients vertically in the jars, these meals benefit from the tight seal of the
lid—they can last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Recipes
include Layered Quinoa & Veggies, Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes, & Southwestern Salad. ($18.99, PB)
Ethical Butcher: How to Eat Meat in a Responsible and Sustainable Way by Berlin Reed
Berlin Reed, a former self-described militant vegan punk,
grudgingly took a job as a butcher's apprentice in Brooklyn
when he could find no other work. Shockingly, he fell in love
with the art of butchering & a food revolution was born. Along
the way he saw how corporate greed, unsustainable food practices & outright misinformation gave birth to such falsities as
the USDA label 'organic' and the conglomerate of eco-friendly
supermarkets. Reed shows a better way towards food justice
and the sustainable living of a mindful omnivore. ($21.99, PB)
Grow a Sustainable Diet by Cindy Conner
This book will help you develop a comprehensive, customised
garden plan to produce the maximum number of calories and
nutrients from any available space. Avoid arriving in August
buried under a mountain of kale or zucchini (and not much
else) by making thoughtful choices at the planning stage, focusing on dietary staples and key nutrients. Learn how to calculate: Which food and cover crops are best for your specific
requirements; How many seeds and plants of each variety you should sow; What and
when to plant, harvest, and replant for maximum yield. Focusing on permaculture
principles, bio-intensive gardening methods, getting food to the table with minimum
fossil fuel input, and growing crops that sustain both you and your soil, this complete
guide is a must-read for anyone working towards food self-sufficiency for themselves
or their family. ($33, PB)
11
events
s
Eve nt
ar
d
n
e
Cal
SUNDAY
MONDAY
1
iss out!
Don’t m
il!
r gleema ly
o
f
p
u
n
Sig
week
h Allen’s ate.
t
e
b
a
z
li
E
ail upd
events em ooks.com.au
leeb
asims@g
6
Launch—3.30 for 4
Victor Marsh
8
21
Launch—6 for 6.30
Josie Gagliano
The Australian Ageing
Generation Handbook: How to
Care For Them and Yourself
Launched by TBC
With the ageing population of Australia increasing every year, many
children are struggling to cope—this
book is a complete guide to caring
for ageing relatives and yourself during this difficult time.
15 Event—6 for 6.30
14
20
2
Event—6 for 6.30
Where Song Began: Australia's Birds
and How They Changed the World
Tim Low, award-winning author of
Feral Future, will give a talk about
his eye-opening new book on the
unique nature of Australian birds
and their role in ecology and global
evolution.
7
Stephen Mills
Events are held upstairs at #49 Glebe Point Road unless otherwise noted.
Bookings—Phone: (02) 9660 2333, Email: events@gleebooks.com.au, Online: www.gleebooks.com.au/events
WEDNESDAY
Tim Low—Talk
The Boy in the Yellow Dress
Launched by Shelley Kenigsberg
In 1950s Perth the young Victor
Marsh had to hide any tendency towards gender inappropriate behaviour. The sense of not being 'at home'
in his body ran alongside a search for
meaning that brought him eventually to a spiritual awakening under the
young guru Maharaji.
13
TUESDAY
All events listed are $10/$7 concession. Book Launches are free.
Gleeclub members free entry to events at 49 Glebe Pt Rd
July
2014
9
Event—6 for 6.30
Leila Yusaf Chung
Chasing Shadows
in conversation with TBC
A debut novel of astounding force
and compassion, Chasing Shadows
is the story of Palestine's trials, the
clash of cultures, the brutality of
tradition and the inheritance of loss
across generations.
$5 voucher with purchase of ticket
and book
16
Event—6 for 6.30
Lex Marinos
THURSDAY
3
Event—6 for 6.30
Jono Lineen
Into the Heart of the Himalayas
in conversation with Emma Ayres
When Jono Lineen's brother died in
tragic circumstances, he gave up a
comfortable life, moved to the Himalayas and over eight years he crossed
borders, religions, castes, languages
and philosophical boundaries to find
the way to embrace his future.
10 Launch—6 for 6.30
Robert Clancy, John Manning
& Henk Brolsma
Mapping Antarctica: A Five Hundred
Year Record of Discovery
Launched by TBC
This volume tells the story of Antarctica through original & rare maps—
re-produced in high resolution they
represent all major events, from the
discovery &of Antarctica to the scientific exploration of glaciers.
17 Event—6 for 6.30
Babette Smith
The Luck of the Irish: How a shipload
of convicts survived the wreck of the
Hive to make a new life in Australia
in conversation with Anna Clark
Babette Smith tracks the lives of
Irish convicts who arrived in Australia the mid-1800s, uncovering a
longlasting influence of the Irish convicts on our national character.
The Professionals: Strategy,
Money & the Rise of the Political
Campaigner in Australia
in conversation with TBC
Covering 15 federal election campaigns from 1974 to the present day,
Stephen Mills provides a fascinating
inside perspective on Australian political history political parties.
Blood and Circuses:
An Irresponsible Memoir
in conversation with Richard Glover
From Kingswood Country to The
Slap, and beyond, this is the warm,
funny and surprising life of one of
Australia's much-loved actors and
broadcasters.
22
23
24
29
30
31
WINTER SALE
WINTER SALE
UPSTAIRS #49 GLEBE POINT ROAD
27
28
CHILDRENS' BOOKS
12
BOOKS FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT
FRIDAY
4
Event—6 for 6.30
Nick Bryant
SATURDAY
5
Launch—3.30 for 4
Greg Barron
The Rise & Fall of Australia
in conversation with Julian Morrow
In a forensic look at the Lucky Country, BBC correspondent Nick Bryant
offers an outsider's take on the great
paradox of modern-day Australian life: of how the country has got
richer at a time when its politics have
become more impoverished.
Lethal Sky
To be launched by 'Black Sheep'
A highly decorated former senior intelligence analyst and combat veteran with both the USA's 2nd Infantry
Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment launches
Greg Barron's thrilling new action
adventure.
11
12 Launch—3.30 for 4
Bonnie Cassidy
Final Theory
Final Theory is a long poem that combining 2 fragmentary story lines—a
couple as they travel through landscapes both pristine & ravaged by
progress & a child tumbling through
the ocean, encountering evidence of
lost worlds. With readings by Bonnie
Cassidy & friends.
18
19
25
26
WINTER SALE
PREVIEW FOR
GLEECLUB MEMBERS
FROM 6PM AT
#49 GLEBE PT RD
BARGAINS GALORE!
SALE
Remember!
Join the Gle
eclub and ge
t free entry
events held
to ALL
at our shops
,
10% credit a
with every p
ccrued
urchase, The
Gleaner ma
and FREE P
il
ed to you,
OSTAGE an
ywhere in A
ustralia.
SALE ENDS SUNDAY AUGUST 3RD
13
Australian Studies
The Rise and Fall of Australia by Nick Bryant
Never before has Australia enjoyed such economic, commercial, diplomatic and cultural clout. Its recession-proof economy
is the envy of the world. Its artistic exports win unprecedented
acclaim. But never before has its politics been so brutal, narrow
and facile, as well as being such a global laughing stock. A positive national story is at odds with a deeply unattractive Canberra
story. BBC correspondent Nick Bryant offers an outsider's take
on the great paradox of modern-day Australian life—of how the country has got
richer at a time when its politics have become more impoverished—and argues that
Australia needs to discard the out-dated language used to describe itself & push
back against 'Lucky Country' thinking. Rejecting most of the national stereotypes,
he sets out to describe the new Australia rather than the mythic country so often
misunderstood not just by foreigners but Australians themselves. ($34.99, PB)
Australian History in 7 Questions by John Hirst
'If there are genuine questions about Australian history, there is
something to puzzle over. The history ceases to be predictable—
and dull.' John Hirst presents a fresh and stimulating approach
to understanding Australia's past and present by asking & answering questions he believes get to the heart of Australia's history: Why did Aborigines not take up farming? How did a penal
colony change peacefully into a democratic society? Why was
Australia so prosperous so early? Why did the colonies federate?
What effect did convict origins have on national character? Why
was the postwar migration programme such a success? Why is
Australia not a republic? ($24.99, PB)
The Way We Work: Griffith REVIEW 45
(ed) Julianne Schultz ($28, PB)
The way we work has changed profoundly in recent years. This
timely edition of Griffith REVIEW explores the extraordinary
structural changes triggered by globalisation, the internet and
the collapse of unions. Job security is a thing of the past—many
welcome the flexibility of the new environment while others find
it hard to adjust. This issue features stories from the coalface of
work, both traditional & non-traditional jobs. Contributors include Ashley Hay, Rebecca Huntley, Gideon Haigh, Peter Mares, Kathy Marks, Craig McGregor, David
Peetz & more.
The Book of Paul: The Wit and Wisdom of Paul
Keating (ed) Russell Marks ($9.99, PB)
Presenting the one and only Mr Paul Keating—at his straightshooting, scumbag-calling, merciless best. On John Howard:
'The little desiccated coconut is under pressure and he is attacking anything he can get his hands on.' On Peter Costello: 'The
thing about poor old Costello is he is all tip and no iceberg.' On
John Hewson: '[His performance] is like being flogged with a
warm lettuce.' On Andrew Peacock: '…what we have here is an
intellectual rust bucket.' On Wilson Tuckey: '…you stupid foulmouthed grub.' On Tony Abbott: 'If Tony Abbott ends up the prime minister of
Australia, you've got to say, God help us'.
Menzies at War by Anne Henderson ($34.99, PB)
In the months following his resignation as Prime Minister in late
August 1941, Menzies swayed between relief at his release from
the burdens of office as PM & despair that his life at the top had
come to so little. Many followers of Australian political history,
including Liberal party supporters, forget that Robert Menzies
had many years in the political wilderness not knowing he would
end up being Australia’s longest-serving prime minister. This
book focuses on the period between 1941, when Menzies lost the
prime-ministership, to 1949, when he regained it. In the interim
he travelled around the world, spending an extended time in Britain during World
War II, set up the Liberal Party and, the author argues, developed the leadership
qualities that made him so successful. Anne Henderson refers to this time as his
real political blooding.
The Craft of Governing: The Contribution of
Patrick Weller to Australian Political Science
(eds) Glyn Davis & R. A. W. Rhodes ($45, PB)
This book offers a tribute to the contribution of Patrick Weller
to Australian political science, with chapters from leading political commentators including Michelle Grattan, Peter Shergold,
Bob Jackson and James Walter. Contributors consider the role
of the prime minister, approaches to studying executive government, the continuing significance of senior public servants and
the nature of leadership in public bureaucracies. They also reflect
on how insights from the study of domestic public policy can be applied to international organisations, challenges faced by Westminster democracies and approaches
to political biography.
14
Now in B Format
The Reef: A Passionate History
by Iain McCalman, $24.99
Politics
The Fourth Revolution: The Global Race to Reinvent the State by Micklethwait & Wooldridge
In most of the states of the West, disillusion with government has
become endemic. Gridlock in America; anger in much of Europe;
cynicism in Britain; decreasing legitimacy everywhere. In response
to earlier crises in government, there have been 3 great revolutions,
which have brought about in turn the nation-state, the liberal state &
the welfare state. In each, Europe & America have set the example. We
are now, the authors argue, in the midst of a 4th revolution in the history of the nationstate, but this time the Western way is in danger of being left behind. Miclethwait &
Woodridge have had extraordinary access to influential figures & forces the world over,
and the book is a global tour of the innovators. The front lines are in Chinese-oriented
Asia, & other emerging nations. The race is not just one of efficiency, but one to see
which political values will triumph in the 21st century: the liberal values of democracy
and freedom or the authoritarian values of command and control. The centre of gravity
is shifting quickly, and the stakes could not be higher. ($50, HB)
The Professionals: Strategy, Money and the Rise of
the Political Campaigner in Australia
by Stephen Mills ($29.99, PB)
During 2010–11, Stephen Mills conducted on-the-record interviews
with every living national campaign director of the two major political parties. Their experience covers the 15 federal election campaigns
from 1974 to the present day. Built around ten critical moments in
Australian electoral history, The Professionals traces the transformation of the party official from administrative servant to highly influential, professional campaign manager, and the election campaign from
the pre-television days to the contemporary world of social media, focus groups and
million dollar campaign budgets. He shows how Australia's political parties went from
mass-membership organisations—which provided opportunities for grassroots participation—to top-down managerial enterprises. Internal control of the parties has shifted
to a new centre of power: the Head Office.
Sri Lanka's Secrets: How the Rajapaksa Regime Gets Away with Murder by Trevor Grant
As the civil war in Sri Lanka drew to its bloody end in 2009, the
government of this island nation removed its protection from
UN officials & employees, who, along with other international observers, were forced to leave the conflict zone. President
Mahinda Rajapaksa & his inner circle wanted, it seemed, a war
without witness. The end result was the deliberate slaughter of
an estimated 70,000 innocent civilians. However, many survivors, and some who died,
were able to capture on camera the horrifying conclusion to the war and the cruel deprivations of the internment camps that followed. Today, through their images and testimony, Rajapaksa stands accused of war crimes. Trevor Grant presents the shocking
story of the final days of this war, alongside the photographs and eye-witness accounts
of many Tamils, including Maravan, a social worker who fled to Australia by boat after
being tortured by soldiers seeking his folio of photographs. ($29.95, PB)
Invisible Hands: Voices from the Global Economy
(ed) Corinne Goria ($20, PB)
The men and women in Invisible Hands reveal the human rights
abuses occurring behind the scenes of the global economy. These
narrators—including phone manufacturers in China, copper miners
in Zambia, garment workers in Bangladesh, and farmers around the
world—reveal the secret history of the things we buy, including lives
and communities devastated by low wages, environmental degradation, and political repression. These stories capture the interconnectivity of all people struggling to support themselves and their families.
Clinton, Inc: The Audacious Rebuilding of a Political Machine by Daniel Halper ($40, HB)
When Bill and Hillary Clinton left the White House in January 2001
they were a disgraced couple, weighed down by a decade of scandal.
Now, as they prepare for a second White House run, the Clintons are
in a completely different orbit. Not only have they gone from virtually penniless to multi-millionaires, they are arguably the two most
popular politicians in America. Even their daughter Chelsea, raised in
the White House as her father was impeached, is considering a go at
politics. Daniel Halper provides a meticulously researched account of
the calculations, secret deals, and backstabbing that led to the Clintons' return to political prominence, and to Hillary's position as 2016 frontrunner.
On Sovereignty and Other Political Delusions
by Joan Cocks ($37.99, PB)
For political theory to reflect, and reflect upon, not just Western political societies but the politics of an interrelated world, its basic concepts must be re-thought in a new key. Joan Cocks argues that these
concepts require revision because the practical conditions on which
their old definitions hinged have decomposed. With a focus on concepts of violence, sovereignty & progress, Cocks constructs her argument using 3 case studies: the confrontation between Anglo-American
settlers & Native American tribes, the search for Jewish sovereignty
in the new state of Israel & the world's reaction to the attacks on the US on 9/11. This
book unsettles & refocuses these concepts so that they can better capture & illuminate
the political experience of those at the receiving end of power across the globe today.
History
The Reckoning: Financial Accountability and the
Making & Breaking of Nations by Jacob Soll ($40, HB)
Whether in waging wars or building cities, leaders from ancient Mesopotamia to the present have relied on financial accounting to shape
nations, kingdoms, empires & whole civilisations. Accounting tools
such as auditing & double-entry bookkeeping form the basis of modern capitalism. Yet our understanding of accounting & its formative role
throughout history remains minimal at best—and we remain ignorant at our peril. The 2008
financial crisis is only the most recent example of how poor or risky practices can shake,
even bring down, entire societies. In a bold retelling of 1000 years of economic history Jacob Soll, presents a sweeping history of accounting, drawing on a wealth of examples from
over a millennia of human history to reveal how it has both helped create vast wealth, &
caused cycles of destruction that continue to this day.
Now in B Format
The Men Who United the States
by Simon Winchester ($25, PB)
The Supermodel and the Brillo Box
Acquiring contemporary art is about passion and
lust, as well as branding, about the back story
that comes with the art, about the relationship
of money and status. The Supermodel and the
Brillo Box follows Don Thompson’s The $12 Million
Stuffed Shark and offers a journey of discovery into
what the Crash of 2008 did to the art market and
the changing methods that auction houses and
dealerships have implemented since then.
Empire's Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean
from Columbus to the Present Day by Carrie Gibson
In October 1492, an Italian-born, Spanish-funded navigator discovered
a new world, thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. From Cuba
to Haiti, from Jamaica to Trinidad, the story of the Caribbean is not
simply the story of slaves and masters—but of fortune-seekers, tourists,
scientists and pirates. Carrie Gibson unfolds the story of the Caribbean
from Columbus's first landing on the island he named San Salvador to
today's islands—largely independent, but often still in thrall to Europe &
America's insatiable desire for tropical luxuries. From the early years of settlement to the
age of sugar & slavery, during which vast riches were generated for Europeans through the
enforced labour of millions of enslaved Africans, to the great slave rebellions of the 18th &
19th centuries and the long, slow progress towards independence in the modern era, Gibson
offers a vivid, panoramic view of this complex & contradictory region. ($32.99, PB)
The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the
14th Century by William Rosen ($33, PB)
In May 1315, it started to rain. It didn't stop anywhere in north Europe
until August. Next came the four coldest winters in a millennium. Two
separate animal epidemics killed nearly 80 percent of northern Europe's
livestock. Wars between Scotland & England, France & Flanders, and
two rival claimants to the Holy Roman Empire destroyed all remaining farmland. After 7 years, the combination of lost harvests, warfare,
& pestilence would claim six million lives—one 8th of Europe's total
population. William Rosen draws on a wide array of disciplines, from
military history to feudal law to agricultural economics & climatology, to trace the succession of traumas that caused the Great Famine.
With dramatic appearances by Scotland's William Wallace, and the luckless Edward II &
his treacherous Queen Isabella, history's best documented episode of catastrophic climate
change comes alive, with powerful implications for future calamities.
The Paper Trail: An Unexpected History of the
World's Greatest Invention by Alexander Monro
The emergence of paper in the imperial court of Han China brought
about a revolution in the transmission of knowledge and of ideas. Paper
was the first writing surface sufficiently cheap, portable and printable
for books, pamphlets, prints and journals to be mass-produced and to
travel widely. It enabled an ongoing dialogue between communities of
scholars who could now engage with each others' ideas across continents
and years. Alexander Monro traces the westward voyage of this groundbreaking invention; beginning with the Buddhist translators responsible for the spread of
paper across China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Paper finally reached Europe in 1276 and
was indispensable to the scholars and translators who manufactured the Renaissance and
Reformation from their desks. Paper still surrounds us in our everyday lives, but is the age
of paper coming to an end? ($40, HB)
ISBN 9781137279088
Palgrave Macmillan
Philosophy and Blade Runner
This book explores a full range of philosophical
issues in the classic sci-fi film Blade Runner.
Through critical examination of the film’s
distinctive treatment of perennial philosophical
issues including human nature, identity, free will,
morality, God, death, time, and the meaning of
life, the distinctive philosophy of Blade Runner is
explored and assessed.
ISBN 9781137412287
Palgrave Macmillan
The Rise of the New East
From China, to India, to Dubai, powerfully
disruptive forces have resulted from the East’s
resurgence, and these clashing forces have
produced unexpected commercial opportunities
and complexities.Taking the reader on a tour of
the fast changing East, The Rise of the New East
provides simple business strategies for dealing with
the world’s growing complexity.
ISBN 9781137370051
Palgrave Macmillan
Social Constructionisms
Social constructionism is one of the key ideas in
the social sciences, offering different frameworks
for understanding the human world. But what
does it mean when we say that something is
‘socially constructed’? What exactly do we
construct in our social interaction? And what
actually ‘does’ the constructing?
ISBN 9781403940001
Palgrave Macmillan
How Theatre Means
Between Two Homelands: Letters across the Borders
of Nazi Germany (ed) Hedda Kalshoven ($44.95, PB)
In 1920, at the age of thirteen, Irmgard Gebensleben first travelled
from Germany to The Netherlands on a 'war-children transport'. She
would later marry a Dutch man and live and raise her family there while
keeping close to her German family and friends through the frequent
exchange of letters. This correspondence, collected by Gebensleben's
daughter, between Irmgard, her friends & four generations of her family delve into their most intimate & candid thoughts & feelings about
the rise of National Socialism. The responses to the German invasion & occupation of the
Netherlands expose the deeply divided loyalties of the family & reveal their attempts to
bridge them. Of particular value to historians, the letters evoke the writers' beliefs and their
understanding of the events happening around them.
The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union
by Serhii Plokhy ($50, HB)
On Christmas Day 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of
the Soviet Union. By the next day the USSR was officially no more and
the USA had emerged as the world's sole superpower. Historian Serhii Plohky gives a vivid account of the preceding five months. Honing
in on this previously disregarded but crucial period and based on new
sources & exclusive interviews with the presidents of the two superpowers, Plokhy shatters the established myths of 1991 and boldly argues
that the US actually wanted to preserve the Soviet Union and Gorbachev in power. With its
spellbinding narrative and strikingly fresh perspective, this is the essential account of one of
the most important turning points in world history.
Ric Knowles demonstrates how the examination
and practice of theatre is enhanced by a semiotic
approach. Moving from the history and theory of
performance analysis to its practical application
with particular attention to cross-cultural
applications, Knowles examines how meaning is
produced in the process of creating, viewing and
analysing theatre.
ISBN 9780230232365
Palgrave Macmillan
The Craft Beer Revolution
Today, there are more than 2700 craft breweries
in the United States and another 1,500 are in the
works. Their influence is spreading to countries all
over the globe. In The Craft Beer Revolution, Steve
Hindy, co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, tells the
inside story of how a band of homebrewers and
microbrewers came together to become one of
America’s great entrepreneurial triumphs.
ISBN 9781137278760
Palgrave Macmillan
palgravemacmillan.com.au
15
NEW from Cambridge
A History of Canberra
Nicholas Brown
In this charming and concise book, written for general
readers, Nicholas Brown surveys the ways in which the
capital has contributed to the political, cultural and social
life of the nation, in both an insightful and witty manner.
Paperback $39.95
© 2014
304 pages ISBN 9781107646094
A History of Thailand, 3rd Edition
Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit
A History of Thailand offers a lively and accessible
account of Thailand’s political, economic, social and
cultural history, from the early settlements in the Chao
Phraya basin to today.
Paperback
$34.95 © 2014 344 pages ISBN 9781107420212
Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The latest Fifth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forms
the standard scientific reference for all concerned with
climate change and its consequences. An authoritative
and unbiased overview of climate change.
Paperback
$130.00 © 2014 152 pages ISBN 9781107661820
www.cambridge.edu.au
Pelican Introductions, $15 each
Human Evolution by Robin Dunbar
The Domesticated Brain by Bruce Hood
Greek and Roman Political Ideas
by Melissa Lane
Revolutionary Russia, 1891–1991 by Orlando Figes
The Solar Revolution by McKevitt & Ryan
This book tells the story of how scientists are working to
reconnect us to the 'solar economy', harnessing the power
of the sun to provide sustainable food & energy for a global
population of 10 billion people: an achievement that would
end our dependence on 'fossilised sunshine' in the form of
coal, oil and gas and remake our connection with the soil
that grows our food. Steve McKevitt & Tony Ryan also describe the human race's complex relationship with the sun &
take us back through history to see how our world became
the place it is today, before moving on to the cutting-edge science and technology
that will enable us to live happily in a sustainable future. ($22.99, PB)
Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Paradox Shaped the Modern World
by Amir Alexander ($40, HB)
On August 10, 1632, five leading Jesuits convened in a sombre Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a simple idea: that a
continuous line is composed of distinct and limitlessly tiny
parts. The doctrine would become the foundation of calculus, but on that fateful day the judges ruled that it was forbidden. With the stroke of a pen they set off a war for the soul
of the modern world. Amir Alexander's Infinitesimal is the
story of the struggle that pitted Europe's entrenched powers against voices for
tolerance and change. It takes the reader from the bloody religious strife of the
16th century to the battlefields of the English civil war & the fierce confrontations
between leading thinkers like Galileo & Hobbes. We see how a small mathematical disagreement became a contest over the nature of the heavens and the earth:
Was the world entirely known and ruled by a divinely sanctioned rationality and
hierarchy? Or was it a vast and mysterious place, ripe for exploration? The legitimacy of popes and kings, as well as our modern beliefs in human liberty and
progressive science, hung in the balance; the answer hinged on the infinitesimal.
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Science & Nature
A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson ($20, PB)
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a
few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century. Dave Goulson's
passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land is one of the highlights
of a book that includes exclusive research into these curious creatures,
history's relationship with the bumblebee and advice on how to protect
it for all time. Dave Goulson combines Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a
child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the
bumblebee. He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the
effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we
are to continue down this path.
The Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle, and
the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis by Thomas Goetz
In 1875 a diagnosis of tuberculosis or consumption was a death sentence.
Doctors had little in their arsenal for treating this cunning disease & were
even less certain about what caused it. Robert Koch, armed only with
a microscope & a notebook, began to methodically pursue these things
called 'germs'. His biggest discovery—one that would push medicine out
of the dark ages—was of the bacteria that caused tuberculosis. When
Koch announced his remedy for tuberculosis in 1890, euphoria swept the
globe. Physician & aspiring writer Arthur Conan Doyle joined the throngs racing to Berlin for
the public demonstration. However, when Conan Doyle toured the wards of treated patients
he was staggered by what he found: Koch's remedy was either sloppy science or outright
fraud. Interweaving of scientific & literary history, The Remedy is a tale that vividly explores
how modern medicine emerges, not as the inevitable march of progress but as a lurching
tumult of failed experiments and petty rivalries. ($30, PB)
Where Song Began: Australia's Birds and How They
Changed the World by Tim Low ($33, PB)
Renowned for its unusual mammals, Australia is a land of birds that are
just as unusual, just as striking, a result of the continent's tens of millions
of years of isolation. Compared with birds elsewhere, ours are more likely to be intelligent, aggressive and loud, to live in complex societies, and
are long-lived. They're also ecologically more powerful, exerting more
influences on forests than other birds. Tim Low explains how our birds
came to be so extraordinary, including the large role played by the foods
they consume (birds, too, are what they eat), and by our climate, soil, fire, and Australia's
legacy as a part of Gondwana. The story of its birds, it turns out, is inseparable from the story
of Australia itself, and one that continues to unfold, so much having changed in the last decade about what we know of our ancient past.
Mathematics in Twentieth-Century Literature and Art:
Content, Form, Meaning by Robert Tubbs ($45.95, PB)
During the twentieth century, many artists and writers turned to abstract
mathematical ideas to help them realise their aesthetic ambitions. M. C.
Escher, Marcel Duchamp, and, perhaps most famously, Piet Mondrian
used principles of mathematics in their work. Was it mere coincidence,
or were these artists simply following their instincts, which in turn were
ruled by mathematical underpinnings, such as optimal solutions for filling a space? If maths exists within visual art, can it be found within literary pursuits? In short, just what is the relationship between mathematics and the creative arts?
Robert Tubbs argues that the links are much stronger than previously imagined and exceed
both coincidence and commonality of purpose, and that art can be better appreciated when the
math that inspired it is better understood.
Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the
New Agricultural Evolution by Doug Fine ($19.99, PB)
The stat sheet on hemp sounds almost too good to be true: its fibres are
among the planet's strongest, its seed oil the most nutritious, and its potential as an energy source vast and untapped. Its one downside? For
nearly a century, it's been illegal to grow industrial cannabis in the US—
even though Betsy Ross wove the nation's first flag out of hemp fabric, and colonists could pay their taxes with it. But as the prohibition on
hemp's psychoactive cousin winds down, one of humanity's longest-utilis
ed plants is about to be reincorporated into the American economy. Doug Fine embarks on a
humorous yet rigorous journey to meet the men & women who are testing, researching, and
pioneering hemp's applications for the 21st century.
The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You
Knew by Alan Lightman ($29.99, PB)
Alan Lightman explores the emotional and philosophical questions raised
by discoveries in science, focusing most intently on the human condition
and the needs of humankind. This collection of essays takes on the difficult dialogue between science & religion; the conflict between our human
desire for permanence & the impermanence of nature; the possibility that
our universe is simply an accident; the manner in which modern technology has divorced us from enjoying a direct experience of the world; and
our resistance to the view that our bodies and minds can be explained by scientific logic and
laws alone.
Now in paperback
Seven Flowers and How They Shaped Our World
by Jennifer Potter, $30
Philosophy & Religion
An Atheist's History of Belief: Understanding Our
Most Extraordinary Invention
by Matthew Kneale ($20, PB)
What first prompted prehistoric man, sheltering in the shadows of
deep caves, to call upon the realm of the spirits? And why has belief
thrived ever since, leading us to invent heaven and hell, sin and redemption, and above all, gods? Religion reflects our deepest hopes
and fears; whether you are a believer or, like Matthew Kneale, a
non-believer who admires mankind's capacity to create and to imagine, it has shaped our
world. And as our dreams & nightmares have changed over the millennia, so have our
beliefs—from shamans to Aztec priests, from Buddhists to Christians: the gods we created have evolved with us. Belief is humanity's most epic invention. To understand it is
to better understand ourselves.
A Sense for Humanity: The Ethical Thought of Raimond Gaita (eds) Craig Taylor & Melinda Graefe
Through his various works, including in particular his acclaimed
biography, Romulus: My Father, Raymond Gaita’s ethical thought
has had a considerable impact on the intellectual & cultural life of
Australia. This collection is unique for its survey of this influence,
with new essays from significant writers & academics, including
Barry Hill, Alex Miller, Brigitta Olubas, Helen Pringle, Robert
Manne, Gerry Simpson, Steven Tudor, Geoffrey Brahm Levey, Dorothy Scott, Christopher Cordner, Craig Taylor & Miranda Fricker,
along with an introductory piece by J. M. Coetzee. Other features of the collection include
a new poem for Gaita by poet and screenwriter Nick Drake & an interview with Gaita by
Anne Manne, in which Gaita reflects on the origins & development of his ethical thought
as a form of lucidity. ($34.95, PB)
The Bloomsbury Companion to Philosophical Logic
(eds) Leon Horsten & Richard Pettigrew ($53.99, PB)
Covering stages in the history of logic and of modern logic, this
comprehensive volume looks ahead to new areas of research & explores issues pertaining to classical logic & its rivals, semantics for
parts of natural language, and the application of logic in the theory
of rationality. Experts in the field provide a mix of technical chapters
that offer excellent encyclopaedias of results in the area & chapters
of philosophical discussions that survey a range of philosophical positions. To facilitate further study, the book also includes a detailed
index, an up-to-date list of resources and an annotated bibliography.
Epimethean Imaginings: Philosophical and Other
Meditations on Everyday Light by Raymond Tallis
These essays are written in the spirit of Goethe's Epimetheus who
'traces the quick deed to the dim realm of form-combining possibilities' Part 1, Analysis explore some of the big questions in philosophy: perception, knowledge & belief; truth & falsehood; time;
the relationship between mathematics & reality; and probability &
causation. The middle section, Tetchy Interludes, takes a wry look at
some aspects of contemporary art; stupidity (including the author's
own); health care policy; and Christmas. Part 3, Celebration, is more
experimental in both its subject matter & treatment. It celebrates the complexity of ordinary, everyday consciousness by contemplating the miracle of speech, artefacts that have
transformed our lives (and what they reveal about our cognition) such as the wheel, the
sail, glue, and ink; and 'snapshots' of the author's own consciousness on an ordinary day,
of past consciousness, as captured in historical memory. ($38.95 PB)
Zizek and His Contemporaries: The Emergence of
Slovenian Neo-Lacanianism by Irwin & Motoh
In recent years, the popularity of the Slavoj Zizek has perhaps cast a
shadow over the collective influence exerted by Slovenian intellectuals on modern day philosophy. Rather than an isolated genius, this
book relocates him as a thinker whose ideas are born of a specifically
Slovenian context. Although only coming to international notice in
the early 1990s, the Slovenian school needs to be understood as the
culmination of a series of intellectual, artistic & political movements
inextricably connected to the quest for the succession of Slovenia
from Yugoslavia. These developments must also be seen in the light of one of the giants
of Continental philosophy: Jacques Lacan. Featuring brand new interviews with three
of its forerunners—Zizek, Mladen Dolar and Alenka Zupancic—this fascinating account
details each philosopher's individual concerns, whilst shedding light on the complex genealogy and continuing development of the Slovenian Neo-Lacanian school. ($45, HB)
Wrong-Doing, Truth-Telling: The Function
of Avowal in Justice by Michel Foucault ($56.95, HB)
Three years before his death, Michel Foucault delivered a series of
lectures at the Catholic University of Louvain that until recently remained almost unknown. These lectures—which focus on the role
of avowal, or confession, in the determination of truth and justice—
provide the missing link between Foucault’s early work on madness,
delinquency, and sexuality and his later explorations of subjectivity
in Greek and Roman antiquity. Extensively annotated by Fabienne
Brion and Bernard E. Harcourt, these lectures are accompanied by
two contemporaneous interviews with Foucault in which he elaborates on a number of
the key themes.
Psychology
The Tale of the Duelling Neurosurgeons:
The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by
True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery
by Sam Kean ($59.99, HB)
For centuries, scientists had only one way to study the brain:
wait for misfortune to strike—strokes, seizures, infections, lobotomies, horrendous accidents, phantom limbs, Siamese twins—and see how the
victims changed afterwards. In many cases their survival was miraculous, and observers marvelled at the transformations that took place when different parts of the
brain were destroyed. Parents suddenly couldn't recognise their children. Pillars of
the community became pathological liars and paedophiles. Some people couldn't
speak but could still sing. Others couldn't read but could write. The stories of these
people laid the foundations of modern neuroscience and, century by century, key
cases taught scientists what every last region of the brain did. Sam Kean explores
the brain's secret passageways and recounts the forgotten tales of the ordinary individuals whose struggles, resilience and deep humanity made neuroscience possible.
Anger Management Workbook: Use the STOP
Method to Replace Destructive Responses with
Constructive Behavior by W. Robert Nay
Out-of-control anger can destroy relationships, reputations, careers—even your health. But Dr Robert Nay knows from extensive clinical experience that nearly anyone can learn to manage
anger constructively This systematic workbook builds core anger management skills using interactive exercises that readers
can tailor to their own needs. Dr Nay provides practical tools
for identifying anger triggers, recognising the different faces
of anger, replacing aggression with appropriate assertiveness, & defusing conflicts.
A wealth of realistic stories & examples invite the reader to ‘'step in' & practise the
skills discussed until old habits are replaced with more productive new ones. Readers
can download and print additional copies of the worksheets & forms. ($45.95, PB)
Autism Spectrum, Sexuality and the Law
by Attwood, Henault & Dubin ($45.95, PB)
The complex world of sex & appropriate sexual behaviour can
be extremely challenging for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and, without guidance, many find themselves in
vulnerable situations. This book examines how the ASD profile
typically affects sexuality & how sexual development differs
between the general population & those with ASD. It explains
the legalities of sexual behaviour, how laws differ from country
to country, and the possibility for adjustment of existing laws as
they are applied to the ASD population. With advice on how to help people with autism spectrum disorder gain a better understanding of sexuality & a comprehensive
list of resources, the book highlights the need for a more informed societal approach
to the psychosexual development of people with ASD.
Cry of Pain: Understanding Suicide and the
Suicidal Mind by Mark Williams ($39.99, PB)
Suicide presents a real and often tragic puzzle for the family and
friends of someone who has committed or attempted suicide.
'Why did they do it?' 'How could they do this?' 'Why did they not
see there was help available?' For therapists and clinicians who
want to help those who are vulnerable and their families, there
are also puzzles that often seem unsolvable. What is it that causes someone to end his or her own life, or to harm themselves:
is it down to a person's temperament, the biology of their genes,
or to social conditions? What provides the best clue to a suicidal person's thoughts
and behaviour? Each type of explanation, seen in isolation, has its drawbacks, so we
need to see how they may fit together to give a more complete picture. Cry of Pain
examines the evidence from a social, psychological and biological perspective to see
if there are common features that might shed light on suicide.
The Life of I: The New Culture of Narcissism
by Anne Manne ($32.99, PB)
Written with the pace of a psychological thriller, The Life of I is
a compelling account of the rise of narcissism in individuals and
society. Manne examines the Lance Armstrong doping scandal
and in the alarming rise of sexual assaults in sport, the military
and the vengeful killings of Elliot Rodger. She looks at the narcissism in the pursuit of fame and our obsession with 'making it'.
She goes beyond the usual suspects of social media and celebrity
culture to the deeper root of the issue: how a new narcissistic
character-type is being fuelled by a cult of the self and the pursuit of wealth in a
hypercompetitive consumer society.
A Metaphysics of Psychopathology by Peter Zachar ($58.95, HB)
In psychiatry, few question the legitimacy of asking whether a given psychiatric
disorder is real; similarly, in psychology, scholars debate the reality of such theoretical entities as general intelligence, superegos, and personality traits. And yet in both
disciplines, little thought is given to what is meant by the rather abstract philosophical concept of 'real'. Peter Zachar considers such terms as 'real' and 'reality—invoked
in psychiatry but often obscure and remote from their instances—as abstract philosophical concepts. He then examines the implications of his approach for
17
psychiatric classification and psychopathology.
Epistolary Gems
There are times when one can’t stand to read anything too serious,
too worthy, too taxing—P. G. Wodehouse, Dodie Smith and Tintin
always fit my bill. I also like books of letters, Jean Webster’s fictional Daddy Long-Legs has been a favourite since I was a child,
I laughed my way through Letters From a Faint-Hearted Feminist
(Jill Tweedie) when I had babies, and I adored Helen Hanff’s 84,
Charing Cross Road. Letters between writers are always interesting;
Evelyn Waugh and Nancy Mitford spring to mind, and of course all
the letters between the Mitford sisters are very entertaining. There is
often something revelatory about epistolary books. They reflect the
time they are written in, they reveal their writers and they can offer
more insight than biographies (which often carry a bias).
Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life by Nina
Stibbe is a collection of letters by the author to her
sister Victoria. Written over several years when
Nina Stibbe moved from Leicestershire to London,
to nanny for the family of Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books, it’s a very funny
book—endearingly so. The author is unaware that
she’s landed in a literary nest—Alan Bennett is a
neighbour and friend of her employer, Jonathon
Miller, Claire Tomalin and Michael Frayn all live
down the street. She’s very fond of her two charges, and wonderfully
unimpressed by the milieu she finds herself in. Revealing as it is, this
is not a voyeuristic book, and every person in it resonates with good
humour, even the ‘mardy’ ones.
I love the way it records the author’s literary awakening—she describes the books she’s reading (she’s doing a bridging course to get
into tertiary education, having left school at 14). Reading Chaucer
and Hardy for the first time, and going to a Beckett play (and seeing him sitting quietly in the audience), all add to the warmth of the
book. Alan Bennett seems to be at dinner most nights, contributing a
salad or a rice pudding, and is as civil and amusing as one would expect. But it is Mary-Kay Wilmers and her children who really spring
to life in the letters; Nina Stibbe really landed in the right family. It
was also lucky for us that digital technologies were in the future in
the early 1980s. A book of emails or text messages just wouldn’t
have the same ring to it.
Louise Pfanner
AIDS: Don't Die of Prejudice
by Norman Fowler ($30, PB)
Norman Fowler, explores the HIV/AIDS crisis that—scandalously—continues to affect millions of people across the
world, despite the fact that we now have all the necessary
means to prevent it. Travelling to nine different cities, from
Russia and the Ukraine to the US, Fowler shows that the
problem is not limited to Africa, and that the threat often lies
closer to home that we might think.
Straight Expectations by Julie Bindel ($28, PB)
More than four decades after the start of the gay liberation
movement, in Britain lesbians and gay men can legally
marry, adopt children, and enjoy the same rights and respect
as heterosexuals ... or can they? In Straight Expectations,
Julie Bindel, an out lesbian since 1977, tracks the changes in
the gay community in the last forty years and asks whether
fighting for the right to marry has achieved genuine progress,
or whether the new legal rights have neutered a once-radical
social movement.
Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies & Revolution
by Laurie Penny ($30, PB)
This is a fresh look at gender & power in the 21st century,
which asks difficult questions about dissent and desire, money and masculinity, sexual violence, menial work, mental
health, queer politics and the Internet. Journalist and activist
Laurie Penny draws on a broad history of feminist thought
and her own experience in radical subcultures in Britain and
America to debate cultural phenomena from economic justice and the Occupy movement, through eating disorders and
social control, to online dating and freedom of speech.
18
Now in Paperback
Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of
George Herbert by John Drury, $22.99
Out of Time: The Pleasures and Perils
of Ageing by Lynne Segal, $22
Cultural Studies & Criticism
Survival of the Nicest: How Altruism Made Us Human & Why it Pays
to Get Along by Stefan Klein ($30, PB)
The phrase 'survival of the fittest' conjures an image of the most cutthroat individuals rising to the top. But Stefan Klein argues that altruism is in fact our defining characteristic: natural selection favoured
those early humans who cooperated in groups. With survival more assured, our altruistic ancestors were free to devote brainpower to developing intelligence, language, and culture—our very humanity. As
Klein puts it, 'We humans became first the friendliest and then the most
intelligent apes'. Using current research on genetics and the brain, economics, social psychology, behavioural & anthropological experiments,
history & modern culture, his groundbreaking findings lead him to a
vexing question: if we're really hard-wired to act for one another's benefit, why aren't we
all getting along? Klein believes we've learned to mistrust our generous instincts because
success is so often attributed to selfish ambition. In Survival of the Nicest, he invites us to
rethink what it means to be the 'fittest' as he shows how caring for others can protect us from
loneliness and depression, make us happier and healthier, reward us economically, and even
extend our lives.
A QUIET
AMERICAN
MASTERPIECE.
Journalism Ethics for the Digital Age
by Denis Muller ($30, PB)
Journalism is being transformed by the digital revolution. Journalists
working for media organisations are having to file & update stories
across multiple platforms under increasing time pressures. Meanwhile,
anyone with sufficient literacy skills & access to the internet can aspire
to practise journalism, and many are doing so. Yet journalism in any
form still depends for its legitimacy on the observance of ethical principles & practices. It has to maintain a commitment to telling the truth &
to minimise deception & betrayal; deal with conflicts of interest; protect
sources & their confidences; know how to report traumatised & vulnerable people; and know
when to respect privacy. Denis Muller traces the ethics of journalism from their origins in
philosophy to the new problems brought about by digital technology, with practical examples
to show how these values & principles can play out in the real world.
The Art of Social Theory by Richard Swedberg
In the social sciences today, students are taught theory by reading and
analysing the works of Karl Marx, Max Weber, and other foundational
figures of the discipline. What they rarely learn, however, is how to actually theorise. In this one-of-a-kind user's manual for social theorists,
Richard Swedberg explains how theorising occurs in what he calls the
context of discovery, a process in which the researcher gathers preliminary data and thinks creatively about it, using tools such as metaphor,
analogy, and typology. He guides readers through each step of the theorist's art, from observation and naming to concept formation and explanation. To theorise well, you also need a sound knowledge of existing social theory. Swedberg
introduces readers to the most important theories and concepts, and discusses how to go about
mastering them. ($43.95, HB)
Kafka, Angry Poet by Pascale Casanova ($42.95, HB)
Franz Kafka was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His writing contributed greatly to existentialism, and the term
'Kafkaesque' is now synonymous with the literature of the surreal,
the complex & the illogical. His works sustained themes of violence,
family conflict, bizarre & all-powerful bureaucracies, and fantastical
transformations. Pascale Casanova looks past the customary analyses of
Kafka’s work & dives deep into his mind, examining his motives rather
than the results. The hypothesis she develops is that Kafka began with
an awareness of the tragic fate of the German-speaking Jews of early
20th century Prague & was subsequently led to reflect on other forms of power, such as male
dominance and colonial oppression. Through her detailed research, Casanova shows us a
combative Kafka who is at once ethnologist & investigator, unstintingly denouncing all forms
of domination with the kind of tireless rage that was his hallmark.
Stop the Presses! by Ben Hills ($40, HB)
A decade ago Fairfax Media was a hugely powerful institution staffed
by gun reporters, funded by its 'rivers of gold', offering up high quality, fearless journalism. Since then, it has become a car wreck in slow
motion. How did it come to this? Ben Hills exposes the characters who
took Fairfax to the brink of destruction—the dynastic princes, the acolytes, the self-interested, the would-be owners waiting in the wings.
More than just another Fairfax book, Stop the Presses tackles vital issues around the death of independent media & the rise of the Internet
age & asks what the price will ultimately be for democracy itself.
'Yet more lurid Crime thrillers...' sighs the Editor. Indeed. I cannot hope to join
the esteemed reading ranks of some of my Crime Fiction Connoisseur Colleagues at Gleebooks. For example, I happen to believe that Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes stories are the pinnacle of 19th century crime literature,
while Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer novels are (probably) those of the
20th! Dissenting letters/emails to the Editor, please. However, I must confess I find the content and wonderful cover artwork of these three selections
very entertaining. Here they are to enjoy in front of the fire during the winter
months.
Poirot Investigates: Eleven Exciting Cases by Agatha Christie. 1955 Paperback reissue of original 1924 edition. Good condition. $10.00.
Early Inspector Poirot cases, short, easy to read and quickly solved. The venerable Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard makes his first appearance in The Adventure of the Cheap Flat. Also very enjoyable is The Disappearance of Mr.
Dagenham—to win a wager with Inspector Japp, Poirot has to solve the case
without leaving his apartment.
100 Ideas That Changed the Web by Jim Boulton
This book looks at the history of the Web from its early roots in the
research projects of the US government to the interactive online world
we know & use today. Fully illustrated with images of early computing
equipment & the inside story of the online worlds movers & shakers,
the book explains the origins of the Web's key technologies, such as hypertext & mark-up language, the social ideas that underlie its networks,
such as open source & creative commons, and key moments in its development, such as the movement to broadband & the Dotcom Crash. Later
ideas look at the origins of social networking & the latest developments on the Web, such as
The Cloud and the Semantic Web—providing an informed and fascinating illustrated history
of our most used and fastest-developing technology. ($29.99, PB)
s
d
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w
n
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a
o
2 H R
The Quickness of the Hand by James Mayo. 1959 Paperback reissue of original 1952 edition. Good condition, $10.00.
James Mayo was/is the pen name for the industrious Stephen Coulter, who
also did service as an international journalist, while writing some 20 thrillers
between 1952 and 1988. A friend of Ian Fleming, five of Coulter's novels
featured his James Bond clone, Charles Hood—art collector and spy. I don't
know if The Quickness of the Hand is 'the best thriller since Brighton Rock' as
the cover claims, but since it involves the murky London underworld of the
early 1950s, a man framed for murder trying to keep one step ahead of the
police and a femme fatale who favours narcotics and ping pong balls, it satisfies on its own entertainingly lurid level.
A COMEDIC ROMP
IN THE TRADITION OF
Voltaire.
/randomhouseau
Poetry
There’s so much more at
randomhouse.com.au
Learning to Make an Oud in Nazareth by Ruth Padel
The common ground of this rich and moving collection is shared by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three Abrahamic faiths. It is a vision
of human life as pilgrimage and struggle but also as music, and creativity. An oud, central instrument of Middle Eastern music and ancestor of
the western guitar, is made and broken. An ancient synagogue survives
attacks of arson, a Palestinian boy in a West Bank refugee camp learns
capoeira, Iranian ministers celebrate their plutonium enrichment by
dancing on Bahrain TV and a guide shows us Bethlehem's Church of the
Nativity during a siege. (35, PB)
Testament by Robert Crawford (33, PB)
Robert Crawford's 7th collection opens with a sequence of love poems, and closes with Testament, a startlingly fresh gathering of deftly
rhymed paraphrases based on the New Testament. Whether making
versions of Cavafy or elegising fellow poet Mick Imlah, writing how
a father hands on a piece of marble to his son, or a sustained engagement with the politics of Scottish independence, Crawford shows how
poetry can communicate from generation to generation aspects of what
makes us most vulnerably and engagingly human.
Open Verdict by Richard Keverne. 1954 Paperback reissue of original 1940
edition. Good condition. $10.00.
Yet another British author who chose a pseudonym to write thrillers. Richard
Keverne was the pen name for schoolmaster Richard Hoskins (1882–1950).
He is not to be confused with the current criminologist author of the same
name who is an expert in African ritual murder(!) Our (presumably) mildmannered schoolmaster wrote some 23 thrillers between 1926 and 1944,
many featuring his creations Inspectors Mace and Artifex. In Open Verdict
young Philip Harborough pays a tiresome visit to coastal Suffolk for an evening with family 'black sheep', Uncle Alban. After being treated to an atrocious dinner and much familial discourtesy, he returns to London early next
morning. A few hours later he learns Uncle Alban has been murdered. Philip
Harborough is now sole heir to his uncle's property. He is also the last known
person to have seen the old reprobate alive. Now read on.... Stephen Reid
Final Theory by Bonny Cassidy (24, PB)
This is a long poem told in episodes, combining two fragmentary
story lines—the one following a couple as they travel through landscapes which are at different times pristine & ravaged by progress;
the other portraying the sensations of a child tumbling through the
ocean, encountering evidence of lost worlds. Researched & composed in countries that were once part of the ancient supercontinent
Gondwana—New Zealand, Australia & Antarctica—Bonny Cassidy's poems places its figures within vast scales of time & space. The
focus on two generations, the near-future and the far-off future, raises
questions about the development of consciousness, and what place we
as humans have in the unfinished process of chance and change.
Poems 1957–2013 by Geoffrey Lehmann (29.99, PB)
This substantial volume, Poems 1957–2013, contains all of the poetry
written by Geoffrey Lehmann considered by the poet to be worthy of
inclusion. He has taken the prerogative of the mature artist looking
back to revise poems, sometimes substantially, and to restore lines and
passages he had removed from earlier versions. Displaying the breadth
and depth of his poetry, Lehmann explores human nature in settings
as diverse as ancient Rome and rural New South Wales, from searing
satire to the domestic life of a family. The collection is divided into five sections: Simple Sonnets (1958–2011); Earlier Poems; Nero’s Poems (1970–2002); Spring Forest
(1970–2010); and Later Poems (1976–2013).
Poets of the Great War $24.95 each, HB
Robert Graves; Edward Thomas; Rupert Brooke;
David Jones; Siegfried Sasson
Collected Poems by Lesbia Harford (29.99, PB)
Lesbia Harford (1891–1927) has occupied only a small place in
Australian literary history—yet when she died, at 36, she left behind 3 notebooks containing some of the finest lyric poems ever
written in Australia. Harford’s writing looks both forwards and
backwards, blending Pre-Raphaelite influences and plain-speaking with unusual subtlety. At the same time, Harford was bound
inextricably to the period in which she lived: war in Europe,
changing attitudes to religion, the suffrage movement, and widespread
social upheaval all helped make her one of the first truly modern, urban figures
in Australian poetry.
New Angus & Robertson Classics collections, $14.99 each
Banjo Paterson; Henry Lawson; Kenneth Slessor
19
20 JULY 1944
A RETROSPECTIVE
I wrote about the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler by a group of army officers led
by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg ten years ago, following the release of a well received
German film on the subject (Jo Baier's Stauffenberg). With the 70th anniversary of this
momentous event and the passing of the last of the participants, Nina von Stauffenberg
(1913–2006)—wife of Claus and army officers Philipp von Boselager (1917–2008) and
Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin (1922–2013), I thought a second look at the event and the
literature that has appeared within the last decade was worthwhile.
The events of 20 July 1944 are a defining moment in German history. An occasion when
men and women sacrificed their lives in order to assert the values of civilisation and humanity against a regime of evil and mass murder. Peter Hoffman's Stauffenberg: A Family
History remains the standard biography of the three Stauffenberg brothers: Claus (1907–
1944), Berthold (1905–1944) and Alexander (1905–1963). Born into substantial privilege,
both Claus and Berthold pursued military careers and initially supported the Nazi regime.
However, by 1943 both had become disillusioned and Claus joined a disparate group of
conspirators—churchman, diplomats, civilians and military figures—committed to the
overthrow of Hitler and securing peace terms with the Allies. Stauffenberg was by now a
battle-scarred veteran having lost his left eye, right hand and two fingers on his left hand.
The Allied landings at Normandy in June 1944 finally convinced a number of senior army
officers the war was lost and led them to initiate 'Operation Valkyrie'. This was a preplanned military coup in Berlin, which would commence with the physical murder of
Hitler at his headquarters, the Wolf's Lair near Rastenburg, East Prussia.
After an abortive attempt on 15 July, Stauffenberg flew to Rastenburg five days later and
planted a bomb in the conference room that detonated at 12.40pm. Although four others were killed and 12 critically wounded, Hitler survived the explosion with only minor
injuries. The coup might still have succeeded had the conspirators in Berlin acted swiftly.
Instead, having no clear confirmation of Hitler's death, they waited for Stauffenberg's return to Berlin over three hours later, before issuing the orders for a military takeover of
the capital. Once it was announced that Hitler was still alive, the plot collapsed. That same
evening, Stauffenberg and three fellow conspirators, General Olbricht, Colonel Mertz von
Quirnheim and Lieutenant von Haeften were shot in the courtyard of Army Headquarters
in Berlin. Nazi reprisals were swift and savage. The most prominent conspirators, 200 individuals, including two field marshals, 19 generals, 26 colonels, two ambassadors, seven
diplomats and the head of the Reich Police, were initially executed following filmed 'show
trials' at the People's Court. Among them, was Berthold von Stauffenberg on 10.8.1944.
In the last decade, a number of new historical studies have appeared in both English and
German detailing aspects of these dramatics events. Many of these titles were published
to complement the Bryan Singer's big budget film, Valkyrie (2008). Tom Cruise portrayed
Claus Stauffenberg, backed by an imposing array of British and European actors.
The current best single volume, a very readable narrative of events, is Nigel Jones' Countdown to Valkyrie: The July Plot to Assassinate Hitler (2008—$59.95, HB). Also important is Hans Gisevius' Valkyrie: An Insider's Account (2008—$23.99, PB). Gisevius
(1904-1974) was one of the earliest and most active plotters. He used his position in military intelligence to further the anti-Nazi conspiracy. Gisevius escaped to Switzerland in
1945 and was later a prosecution witness at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. This book is
an abridgement of his original work To The Bitter End (1947). Although often self-serving
and opinionated, he had no liking for Stauffenberg, his book is valuable as an eyewitness
account of the fateful day.
The attempted coup was the last of at least 20 known assassination attempts against Adolf
Hitler. That there was substantial and heroic resistance to the Nazi regime at all levels of
German society is shown in two works:
The History of the German Resistance 1933–1945 by Peter Hoffmann (1996—$90, PB)
is, despite its age, still the most comprehensive work on the subject. Hoffmann has now
supplemented it with a documentary collection (the first of two planned volumes) that
reveals the range of dissent within the Third Reich.
Behind Valkyrie: German Resistance to Hitler—Documents (2011—$77, PB) collects
letters, documents and testimonies of those Germans who fought Hitler from within. Many
of these sources are translated in English for the first time. Hoffmann assembles the words
of citizens protesting the National Socialist's dismantling of the first democratic German
republic, socialists and conservatives arguing for civil liberties, and dissatisfied senior
military officers'. The collection begins with Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonheoffer's Attack
Upon Hitler's Leader Concept (February 1933) and concludes with Field Marshall Erwin
Rommel's Military Report on the Normandy Front, dated 15 July 1944, which confronts
Hitler with an ultimatum: 'The situation is approaching a severe crisis. The troops are
fighting heroically, but the uneven struggle is nearing its end...it is necessary to draw conclusions from this situation...I feel myself duty bound to speak plainly on this point'. Once
Hitler's favoured military commander, Rommel was by now prepared to collaborate with
the conspirators who planned the uprising of 20 July. That day may have ended quite differently had Rommel not been severely wounded on 17 July.
One other work must be mentioned as regards ordinary German resistance. Fiction based
on fact. The German novelist Rudolph Ditzen (1893–1947) wrote under the pen name
Hans Fallada. He is most famous for Little Man, What Now?(1932). His last novel, completed just before his death, Every Man Dies Alone (published as Alone in Berlin in 2009,
$26.99, PB) was inspired by a Gestapo file given to Fallada by a friend shortly after the
war. It recorded the case of Otto and Elise Hampel, a working-class couple who, after
Elise's brother was killed in action in 1941, undertook a campaign of civil disobedience
by leaving hundreds of postcards calling for industrial sabotage and Hitler's overthrow
20
in public places all over Berlin. So thorough were their efforts that the Gestapo
believed they were dealing with a large, sophisticated resistance movement. The
couple were eventually informed upon, caught, tried, and executed in April 1943.
Another important book, available in German only (translator please!), is Konstanze von Schulthess' Nina Schenk Countess von Stauffenberg (2009). A biography written by Claus and Nina's youngest child. Her mother gave birth to her
in January 1945 while in Ravensbrück Concentration Camp—she was arrested
under the Sippenhaft law passed after 20 July 1944. Derived from medieval Germanic law, this Kin Liability law allowed for the collective punishment of whole
families of an accused—be it imprisonment or execution. Over 7,000 people
were arrested by the Gestapo during the months following the attempt on Hitler's
life, and nearly 5,000 were executed.
Nina survived her five months imprisonment—her husband had warned her just
before the coup attempt: 'The less you know, the safer you'll be! Your task is to do
everything for the children.' However, wishing to know of some of her husband's
resistance colleagues, she named friends and acquaintances to Claus and he simply answered 'yes' or 'no', thereby revealing at least half a dozen to her. Nina,
along with the other 'Widows of the 20th July', never remarried. In August 1944
Head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, proclaimed: 'The Stauffenberg Family will be
wiped out to the last member!' A colour photo in this book, of a family gathering
at Nina's 90th birthday in 2003 shows her surrounded by 43 descendants.
E W
N
Was $50
Now $24.95
The Bascombe Novels
Richard Ford, HB
S
P
E
Was $32.99
Now $14.95
Cain
Jose Saramago, HB
C
I
L
A
Was $50
Now $19.95
S
Was $45
Now $19.95
Collected Short Fiction
V. S. Naipaul, HB
The New Yorker Stories
Ann Beattie, HB
Stephen Reid
Was $45
Now $17.95
The Dream of the Celt
Mario Vargas Llosa, HB
Language & Writing
How to Write a Better Minor Thesis
by Paul Gruba & Justin Zobel ($20, PB)
What is expected? What should the thesis consist of? How
can the whole process be made a bit easier? How to achieve
the best possible result? Working within strict time limits,
and under pressure right from the start, what does the student need to do to ensure that the thesis is finished? Based
on decades of working with students undertaking their first
piece of research ,Dr Paul Gruba and Professor Justin Zobel
take novice researchers through the process of completing a
minor thesis from initial steps to final on-time submission.
Was $39.95
Now $19.95
The Berlin Ghetto: Herbert Baum
and the Anti-fascist Resistance
Eric Brothers, HB
Was $40
Now $17.95
Jealousy: The Other
Life of Catherine M
Catherine Millet, HB
Was $24
Now $11.95
Now $19.95
Now $49.95
The Wrinkle in Time Quintet
Madeleine L'Engle, HB
Netherland
Joseph O'Neill, PB
Was $50
Was $170
Was $24.95
Now $13.95
Was $60
Now $24.95
Constantine: Unconquered
Description de l'Egypte:
Emperor, Christian Victor Napoleon's Expedition & the RePaul Stephenson, PB
discovery of Ancient Egypt
Franco Serino, HB
Why Socrates Died:
Dispelling the Myths
Robin Waterfield, HB
Everyone Can Write by Howard Gelman
This is a practical book that is accessible to everyone from a
business executive wanting to polish her reports to a retiree
wanting to chronicle his family history. The book outlines
the three forms of non-fiction writing: report, narrative and
essay. Each one is dissected and a set of rules applied to each
structure. The rules are easily put into practice and vary for
each structure. Howard Gelman has also developed a foolproof method of structuring your writing based on the threestep formula: Pre-write, Free-write, Re-write—research,
write, edit—getting writers to become the editors of their own writing, thereby
dramatically improving its quality. ($20, PB)
Wrestling with Words and Meanings: Essays
in Honour of Keith Allan
by Kate Burridge & Reka Benczes ($39.95, PB)
This book honours the life & career of Professor Allan on
the occasion of his 70th birthday. It brings together top-level
researchers in linguistics—colleagues, collaborators & former students, who have all been inspired by Keith’s work in
some way. These contributions are organised into the three
main themes that run through Allan’s multifaceted and multifarious research: word meaning; pragmatics and discourse;
and semantic theory & philosophy of language. The volume offers glimpses into
corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics & cultural linguistics, as well as the more
traditional descriptive, diachronic & typological perspectives.
Also new this month:
Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2015, $39.99
Was $19.99
Now $10.95
Was $22.99
Now $12.95
Was $45
Now $19.95
The Great Silence: Britain
The Great Philosophers: The
from the Shadow of the First
Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet
Lives and Ideas of History's
Worms: The Story of the Animals World War to the Dawn of
Greatest Thinkers
the Jazz Age
& Plants That Time Has Left Behind
Stephen Law, PB
Juliet Nicolson, HB
Richard Fortey, PB
Was $49.95
Now $24.95
Be a Nose!
Art Spiegelman, HB
Was $40
Now $19.95
Middle Eastern Cooking
Tess Mallos, HB
Was $40
Now $18.95
Who Put the Beef in Wellington?
50 Culinary Classics
James Winter, HB
Was $56
Now $24.95
Diamonds, Gold, and War: The
British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa
Martin Meredith, HB
Was $24.95
Now $14.95
Magnum Landscape, PB
21
Craftivism: The Art of Craft and Activism
by Betsy Greer ($33, PB)
This is a provocative anthology of essays, interviews and
photographs on the art-making phenomenon known as
craftivism, the intersection where craft and activism meet.
This book profiles craftivists from around the world (including Australia), and how they use their craft to create a greater
good. Through their own words, stories, and experiences,
these crafters provide a unique road map on how to live a
more creatively fulfilling life that also helps others in the process.
Expressionism in Germany and France: From
Van Gogh to Kandinsky ($110, HB)
Although the Expressionist movement is widely considered
to have arisen out of a German aesthetic, it was actually as
much a result of German artists' exposure to artists living
& working in France, such as van Gogh, Seurat, Gauguin,
Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso & Braque. In fact, in its early days,
Expressionism was assigned no specific nationality at all. This
ground-breaking examination of the cultural exchange between early 20th century French & German artists illuminates
new ways of understanding the development of Expressionism. With more than 100
paintings and works on paper, the book focuses on the key exhibitions, galleries,
& museum directors that helped disseminate styles & techniques of revolutionary
French artists throughout Germany.
Philographics: Big Ideas in Simple Shapes
by Genis Carreras ($42, PB)
Philographics is all about explaining big ideas in simple
shapes, merging the world of philosophy and graphic design. Here are ninety-five designs, each depicting a different
'-ism' using a unique combination of geometric shapes, colours, and a short definition of the theory. 'It takes the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 28,250 words to explain
the woolly concept of relativism. It takes Genis Carreras 32
words and a single image. If you ask me, he doesn't even
need the text'.—Co.Design.
Pain in the Arts by John Tusa ($55.95, HB)
Over a distinguished career in cultural leadership, management
& journalism spanning almost 30 years, John Tusa has amassed
a unique experience of the arts world, the political controversies
it faces & the battles it continues to fight. His new book is a
passionate defence of the performing & visual arts at a time of
increasing 'Pain in the Arts', addressing the controversies in the
arts that must be resolved so urgently today, including the everflowing arguments on whether they should be useful before they
are excellent. He gives guidance on how the arts can survive in
the downturn, explains why the case must always be made that
they deserve special treatment and writes an excoriating critique of the language of
Whitehall bureaucracy, showing how crucial to Britain's health & wealth are the
small regional arts projects alongside the big arts institutions like the Barbican or
National Theatre.
DVDs: New Releases
The Railway Man: Dir. Jonathan Teplitzky
While serving in WW2, British Army officer Eric Lomax (Jeremy Irvine)
is captured & held prisoner by the Japanese. He is brutally tortured &
forced, along with his fellow captives, to build the Thai-Burma Railway.
Many years later an older Lomax (Firth) is still traumatised by the experience. Supported by his wife Patti (Nicole Kidman) and friend Finlay
(Stellan Skarsgård), he decides to track down one of his torturers, Takashi
Nagase (Hiroyuki Sanada), hoping to find the answers that will enable him
to finally let go of the hatred he has held for so long. ($29.95, Region 2)
Morden: The Fjällbacka Murders Series 1 ($42.95)
This is a crime series based on Swedish novelist (and recent guest of the
Sydney Writers' Festival), Camilla Läckberg's series featuring detective
writer Erica Falck and her police inspector husband Patrik Hedström,
solving cold case crimes that float up to the surface in the idyllic fishing
village of Fjällbacka. Episodes include: The Sea Gives, The Sea Takes
Away, The Coast Rider, Queen Of Light, Friends For Life, In The Eye Of The Beholder.
The set includes the feature film: The Hidden Child.
Oh Boy: Dir. Jan Ole Gerster ($32.95)
Winner of 6 German Film Awards, including best Film, Best Director and
Best Actor. Niko is in his late 20s and recently dropped out of college. He
lives for the moment, drifting through the streets of Berlin, observing the
people around him with curiosity as they manage their daily lives, oblivious to his own growing status as an outsider. One day everything changes,
and Niko is forced to confront the consequences of his inaction, when his
girlfriend dumps him and his father cuts off his allowance.
22
The Arts
Blow-Up: Antonioni's Classic Film and Photography (eds) Moser & Schröder
Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 cult film Blow-Up revolves
around the issue of how much truth exists in perception and delves
into the ways in which media reproductions can be manipulated.
This book examines the film from a photographic perspective, investigating in detail the photographic and art-historical stances presented, as well as the
genres it represents. The stylistic devices discussed range from social reportage, fashion
photography and Pop art to abstract photography. In addition to film stills, works that can
be seen in Blow-Up & photographs that illuminate the cultural context of the film, the
famous, ambivalently incriminating photos are also included ($89.50, PB)
Gerhard Richter: Editions 1965—2013 ($145, HB)
Gerhard Richter (born 1932) fled from East to West Germany in
1961 and studied in Düsseldorf. In his new catalogue raisonné Hubertus Butin presents all of the prints, photography editions, artist’s books, multiples (objects), and painting editions from 1965
to 2013. Informative essays and numerous illustrations demonstrate how the editions (all of the artist’s original works of art that
have been produced in multiple) are an independent, major part
of Richter’s oeuvre, offering the artist an opportunity to reach a
larger audience while simultaneously exploring creative possibilities in diverse and experimental ways.
Deborah Grant—Christ You Know it Ain't Easy!!
For the past decade, Deborah Grant has interwoven historical accounts
and personal experiences with references to contemporary political issues in her ongoing series Random Select. Grant culls material from
a variety of sources including magazine photographs, comic books,
published texts and art historical reference books to create highly personal, nonlinear narratives that investigate politics, race and cultural
identity. This book combines painting, drawing & collage to recount
the fictional meeting between African-American folk artist Mary A.
Bell & modernist painter Henri Matisse. ($29, PB)
Bleak Houses: Disappointment & Failure in Architecture by Timothy Brittain-Catlin ($39.95, PB)
The usual history of architecture is a grand narrative of soaring monuments and heroic makers. But it is also a false narrative in many ways,
rarely acknowledging the personal failures and disappointments of
architects. In Bleak Houses, Timothy Brittain-Catlin investigates the
underside of architecture, the stories of losers and unfulfilment often
ignored by an architectural criticism that values novelty, fame, and
virility over fallibility and rejection. Brittain-Catlin suggests, critics
could learn something from novelists about how to write about buildings. Alan Hollinghurst in The Stranger's Child, for example, and
Elizabeth Bowen in Eva Trout vividly evoke memorable houses. Thinking like novelists,
critics would see what architectural losers offer: episodic, sentimental ways of looking at
buildings that relate to our own experience, lessons learned
from bad examples that could make buildings better.
Winton’s Paw Prints
The thing I love about graphic fiction, memoir
and journalism is that you can read and reread
and re-reread, and there will always be some detail in the accompanying artwork that you missed
in your first run-through—pictures or a style you
can reserve for a more leisurely investigation
once you've reached the narrative's denouement.
The best of the graphic genre operates at both the
level of art and text, and all of my favourite writer/artists have a very personal and
particular way with words. It's one that they've honed to a razor sharp edge by years
of getting as much as can be wrung out of print in the space allowed by speech
bubbles and scene setters. Whether a humorous or devastating point is needed, they
can make it with a precision and brevity that you could only wish a lot of novelists
would strive for. But added to their marvellous ability at word-play is their idiosyncratic art. My case in point this month is New Yorker staff cartoonist Roz Chast's
recent graphic memoir, Can't we talk about something more PLEASANT?
Chast refers to her drawing as 'like handwriting', and her subject matter thrives on
a sort of anxious, insecure world full of fury and failure overseen by a 'conspiracy
of inanimate objects' (an expression she attributes to her mother). Rather than a
collection of her cartoons, this latest book is a memoir about her nonagenarian
parents' ride on 'the moving sidewalk of life' to the 'Caution: drop off ahead' point.
Chast's jittery (but on closer inspection, really quite firm) line perfectly describes
the horror of watching one's mother and father slip oh so slowly (and expensively)
into that dark night. But the breath-taking surprise given by the portraits of her
mother on her dying bed and in death that tie up this 'drop off' is something only a
graphic memoir could achieve. The fact that this is a mother with whom Chast is
quite aware that (and perfectly resigned to) there was never any chance of an 'in
this life' resolution give these inked drawings both a loving poignancy and a fierce
disinterest. This is not a self-help book, nor is it a 'mis-mem'.
Roz was the only child of tenement children of escapees from Russia (honestly the
grandparents' horror stories warrant another book). Her parents were born within
ten days of each other, grew up two blocks apart, and 'never dated, much less anything else'd anyone besides each other'. 'Codependent? Of course we're codependent!' says mom. 'Thank God!!!', says dad. Her 'chain-worrier' ex-language teacher
father George is slipping into senility, and Elisabeth, her fearsomely perfectionist
retired vice-principal mother, has given up on dusting when, after a 10 year hiatus,
Roz decides that it's time she makes the trip back to the hated Brooklyn of her
youth to check up on her parents. This is not the Brooklyn of hipsters and artists,
but the Brooklyn of smelly hallways and neighbours having screaming fights and
where no-one went to Manhattan—'the city'—unless it was for the job at Drudgery
Inc. Chast's journey into the deeply ingrained grime of unchecked old age is as
much about planning for one's own demise as the witnessing of one's parents'. Cast
off your graphic prejudices and give this book a chance. Winton
ABN 87 000 357 317
Hockney: Printmaker by Richard Lloyd
Over 6 decades David Hockney has created graphic works of
great wit, beauty & intellectual complexity. This book features over 150 works, from etchings executed at the Royal
College of Art in the 1960s, to experiments with printed computer drawings some 50 years later, via portraits, pools, poetry, Xeroxes & investigations into multi-point perspective.
Written by Richard Lloyd, head of prints at Christies, with
contributions from Hockney's friends & associates, the book explores the many
achievements of Britain's greatest living practitioner of the graphic arts. ($55, PB)
All Is Lost: Dir. J. C. Chandor ($29.95, Region 2)
Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man
(Robert Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water
after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high
seas. With his navigation equipment & radio disabled, the man sails
unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. After barely surviving
the storm he is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a
shipping lane in the hope of hailing a passing vessel. But with the
sun unrelenting, sharks circling & his supplies dwindling, the everresourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.
Andrew: Like many customers and staff, I rushed to Andrew Solomon's Far
from the Tree after his bravura sessions at this year's Sydney Writers' Festival,
to read his wonderful examination of the transformative role that children of 'difference' have in the lives of their parents. (It is slightly disconcerting when several colleagues suggest I, in particular, should read his book—just how 'different'
a child do I present as, I wonder? Fantastic and absorbing stuff!). Solomon's
work also has brought a greater piquancy to the novel I am currently reading—
Family Life by Akhil Sharma. I was persuaded to read this novel last year when
David Sedaris at the Sydney Opera House was asked which books had recently
impressed him, and he nominated it as the most moving book he had read in
a long time. It is indeed that. A searing and darkly humorous depiction of the
life of a Delhi couple who move to New York in the 1970s and whose lives are
turned upside down when their eldest son dives into a swimming pool and hits
his head. A work of 'palliative poetics' is what the Guardian called it, narrated by
the younger son—and not without his own Sedaris-esque dark humour. It is well
worth a go as another facet of how families surprise themselves.
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Renoir: Dir. Gilles Bourdos ($19.95)
Set on the French Riviera in the summer of 1915, Gilles Bourdos'
lushly atmospheric drama tells the story of celebrated Impressionist
painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, in declining health at age 74, and his
middle son Jean, who returns home to recover after being wounded
in World War I. The elder Renoir is filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy when a young girl miraculously enters his world.
Blazing with life, the radiantly beautiful Andrée will become his last
model, and the wellspring of a remarkable rejuvenation. At the same time, Jean also
falls under the spell of the free-spirited young Andrée. Their beautiful home and
majestic countryside grounds reverberate with familial intrigue, as both Renoirs
become smitten with the enchanting and headstrong young muse.
what we're reading
Viki: I recently read a review of Charles
Palliser's new book Rustication and, interest tweaked, decided it was time to hit
that dauntingly hefty tome, his first and
finest novel, The Quincunx. What a ride!
I haven't been immersed in a story so thoroughly for a long time. Palliser is really
on top of the Victorian form. With just the
slightest of modern flavouring regarding political and social issues, and way
less flannel and doll women, he takes Dickens up and sends you on a runaway
page-turning frenzy of purloined last testaments, gordian-knotted chancery suits,
murder most foul, precipitous falls into poverty, prostitution, madness and the
potter's field—villainous betrayal at every turn. The language is pitch perfect,
and Palliser's exemplary research is accompanied by family trees and maps and
puzzles involving heraldry and the eponymous quincunx (I had to look it up). It
was all I could do to stop myself turning back to the beginning and starting again
when the last page with its satisfyingly ambiguous ending was turned. Instead,
I ripped through Rustication—not quite as fine, but still a grabber. I now have
all his other novels on order and they should fill the Hilary Mantel void until her
final Cromwell novel, The Mirror and the Light, hits the stands.
John: Nombeko Mayek is a very intelligent young girl who works for the sanitation department in Soweto. She cheats her destiny—to die young, finds great
wealth, becomes a prisoner in South Africa's secret nuclear facility and, with the
unwilling help of a couple of Mossad agents, ends up in Sweden with a nuclear
bomb. Engaging from the first page, The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden is
a great second novel from Jonas Jonasson. Too often second novels are a disappointment, especially when following a critically acclaimed best selling debut.
Fortunately The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden does not suffer from this
syndrome. It well deserves to emulate the success of The 100-Year-Old Man
Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.
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23
Editor & desktop publisher
Viki Dun
vikid@gleebooks.com.au
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Bestsellers Non-fiction
1. Far From the Tree: Parents, Children & the Search
For Identity Andrew Solomon
2. Zealot: The Life & Times of Jesus of Nazareth
Reza Aslan
3. Australian Notebooks
Betty Churcher
4. Dear Leader
Jang Jin-Sung
5. Dirty Secrets: Our ASIO Files
(ed) Meredith Burgmann
6. The Fictional Woman
Tara Moss
7. Cushion in the Road, The: Meditation & Wandering
As the Whole World Awakens to Being in Harm's
Way
Alice Walker
8. Peas & Queues: The Minefield of Modern Manners
Sandi Toksvig
9. Little Failure: A Memoir
Gary Shteyngart
10. My Promised Land: The Triumph & Tragedy of
Israel
Ari Shavit
Bestsellers Fiction
1. The Orphan Master's Son
Adam Johnson
2. The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins
Irvine Welsh
3. The Valley of Amazement
4. Frog Music
Amy Tan
Emma Donoghue
5. The Luminaries
Eleanor Catton
6. The Narrow Road to the Deep North
7. May We Be Forgiven
8. Burial Rites
9. Only the Animals
10. The Swan Book
24
Richard Flanagan
A M Homes
Hannah Kent
....... and another thing
The winter sale has rolled around again, and I strongly advise blocking off an
afternoon somewhere between the 19th of July (preview for Gleeclubbers on the
evening of Friday 18th of course) and August 3rd—there will be bargain priced
books from every department to add to your collection including, as always, a
heap of childrens books. I've just received a reading copy of the 10th anniversary
edition of Andrew Stafford's 'kick-arse' music and political history of Brisbane,
Pig City: From the Saints to Savage Garden (thank you UQP), and am thoroughly enjoying it. Stafford hasn't substantially revised his original text—as he
says in the new introduction: 'The story of the Bjelke-Petersen government, and
the strange intersection of art and politics in Queensland, is an enduring tale, and
a cautionary one, too: of how easily and quickly a liberal democracy can decay
into a quasi-fascist state...' And, as with all well-told social histories, I'm a couple
of chapters in and already have a related list of Brisbane reading, both fiction and
non, to follow up on. On a related subject, Stephen Mills' book on page 14 about
the history of political campaigning in Australia is something I'm very interested
in—and he'll be at Gleebooks on the 15th to talk about it. Between Two Homelands: Letters across the Borders of Nazi Germany on page 15 sounds like a
fascinating epistolary history of living in Germany and Holland under the Nazis,
and Serhii Plokhy's account of the 'Final Days of the Soviet Union' will, I think,
be equally eye-opening. For relaxation in between I'll pick up the 'Jane Austen
Project'. As Janice suggests on page 6, it's time to investigate Joanna Trollope's
and Val McDermid's modern takes on Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey. Which most certainly will send me back to the originals—it's been a while
since I re-read Jane. Viki
ases go to:
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