March 2014 - Gleebooks

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Vol. 21 No. 2
March 2014
Come in and check out the
room to browse in our
newly reconstituted
Gleebooks Childrens Shop
1
Life with Life with
Middlemarch
W
as Vietnam a case
of Australia fighting
‘other people’s wars’? Were
we really ‘all the way’ with
the United States? How
valid was the ‘domino
theory’? Did the Australian
forces develop new tactical
methods in earlier Southeast
Asian conflicts, and just how
successful were they against
the unyielding enemy in
Vietnam? This landmark
book tackles these questions
and more.
G
eoffrey Robertson
I read all of George Eliot’s works 40 years ago,
revisited most in the intervening years, and I’ve
made a habit of returning to Middlemarch every
decade. So you can imagine my delight in coming
upon Rebecca Mead’s The Road to Middlemarch:
My Life with George Eliot (Text Publishing). Reviewers around the world (presumably self-selected
Eliot lovers) have been gushing with praise. Of
course, you don’t have to read Middlemarch to be
impressed, but you’d best put aside a week to read
the most intensely interesting 19th century novel in
the English language, to get what Mead is on about.
I’d never go as far as she has, to claim one book as a
moral compass for guidance through life, but as you
read her quiet and devoted appreciation of the novel in the context of her own lived experience, you
can’t but be engaged. Middlemarch is, famously, an
intensely moral book, challenging readers’ sympathies and judgements with a richly drawn, deeply engaged set
of characters living in a town in mid-Victorian England. But,
as Mead says, it’s not some kind of moral codebook. And in
this part memoir / part critique, which started life as a New
Yorker article, where British-born Mead is a staff writer, you’ll
get enough biographical insight into the brave and trail-blazing life of Marian Evans, to revisit the works yourself.
I have just finished Beams Falling the second
novel of the exceptionally talented crime writer
P. M. Newton. The Old School was a remarkably
mature and wise debut novel. This one is even grittier, and more complex in its exploration of the
shadow world of cops and crims, drugs and social
upheaval. It’s a brilliant achievement. Maybe the
author’s 10 years plus as a detective adds an authenticity to the telling, but she’s a very talented writer
anyway. And just as in her first book Sydney (memorably the
sights and smells of Cabramatta, North Sydney pool, and the
harbour) is a smouldering, shimmering presence throughout.
David Gaunt
brings his forensic
skills and a deeply felt sense
of injustice to the case at
the heart of the Profumo
affair, the notorious scandal
that brought down a
government.
Winners!!
Summer Reading Guide competition 2013
Winner of the trip to London:
Riverbend customer, Alan
Leeds of Hermit Park QLD
Winner of the library:
Gleebooks customer, Annie
Hudson of Alexandria
www.newsouthbooks.com.au
2
CONGRATULATIONS!
Australian Literature
A First Place by David Malouf ($29.99, HB)
In this collection of personal essays and writing from David Malouf to
celebrate his 80th birthday he explores topography, geography, history;
multiculturalism, referendums, the constitution and national occasions;
parental and grandparental romances, the sensual and bountiful beauty
of Brisbane, the mysterious offerings of Queenslander houses, and leaving home; the idea of a nation and the heart of its people; being Australian and Australia's relationship to the world; putting ourselves on the
map. And at the heart of these pieces is the idea of home, where and what
it is—illustrating the formation of a man, an Australian and one of the
best writers this country has produced.
Cicada by Moira McKinnon ($29.99, PB)
An isolated property in the middle of Western Australia, just after the
Great War. An English heiress has just given birth and unleashed hell.
Weakened and grieving, she realises her life is in danger, and flees into
the desert with her Aboriginal maid. One of them is running from a
murderer; the other is accused of murder. Soon the women are being
hunted across the Kimberley by troopers, trackers and the man who
wants to silence them both.
The Wardrobe Girl by Jennifer Smart ($32.99, PB)
After the humiliating end of her last relationship, a job as a wardrobe assistant on a TV soap is just what costume designer, Tess Appleby, needs.
Sure, it's a step down from her gig at the BBC, but all Tess wants is an
easy life. Unfortunately she's barely arrived on set before she's warding
off the attentions of the show's heartthrob, Sean Tyler—and, as a consequence, the hostility of its other star, Bree Brenner. And if the pressures
and politics of working on a TV drama aren't enough, she's living with
her high-maintenance mother, an ageing celebrity, and her infuriating
sister Emma, an aspiring actress.
The Yellow Papers by Dominique Wilson ($29.95, PB)
It's 1872 & China, still bruised from its defeat in the two Opium Wars,
sends a group of boys, including 7-year-old Chen Mu, to America to
study & bring back the secrets of the West. But 9 years on Chen Mu
becomes a fugitive & flees to Umberumberka, a mining town in outback
Australia. He eventually finds peace working for Matthew Dawson, a
rich pastoralist. When the bubonic plague ravages Sydney, Matthew
Dawson's daughter returns to her father's property with her son, Edward. But it's
a lonely life for a small boy surrounded only by adults, and he soon befriends Chen Mu, forging a friendship that will last a lifetime. Years later, Edward visits a mysterious & decadent
Shanghai, where he falls in love with Ming Li, the beautiful young wife of a Chinese businessman. Invading Japanese armies tear the couple apart & years pass before they reunite,
each scarred by the events of WW II & the Korean War. But will it be only to be torn apart
once again?
The Lost Child by Suzanne McCourt ($29.99, PB)
Sylvie is five. It's the 1950s and she lives in Burley Point, a fishing
village south of the Coorong on Australia's wild southern coast. She
worships her older brother Dunc. She tries to make sense of her brooding mother, and her moody father who abandons the family to visit The
Trollop, Layle Lewis, who lives across the lagoon. It's hard to keep
secrets in a small town, but when Dunc goes missing, Sylvie is terrified
that she is the cause. Now her father is angry all the time; her mother
won't leave the house or stop cleaning. The bush and the birds and the
endless beach are Sylvie's only salvation, apart from her teacher, Miss
Taylor.
The Weaver Fish by Robert Edeson ($26.99, PB)
Cambridge linguist Edvard Tøssentern, presumed dead, reappears after
a balloon crash. When he staggers in from a remote swamp, gravely ill
and swollen beyond recognition, his colleagues at the research station
are overjoyed. But Edvard's discovery about a rare giant bird throws
them all into the path of an international crime ring. Set on the island nation of Ferendes in the South China Sea, this gripping adventure story's
sound science & mathematical playfulness will make you question all
that you know, or think you know, about weaver fish, giant condors, the
infamous tornado-proof Reckles® Texan hat, and much much more.
The Secret Maker of the World: Stories
by Abbas El-Zein ($19.95, PB)
A boatman fishes bodies from the Yellow River searching for the one he
can claim. A construction worker speeds through the Indonesian jungle
to board his plane on time. Playing a terrifying game of cat & mouse, an
isolated sniper in Beirut observes the city from his rooftop perch. Abbas
El-Zein's stories cross continents and time zones, effortlessly melding
themes of loss and longing with larger questions of power, politics, faith
and love.
Now in B Format
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, $19.99
Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville, $22.99
On D'Hill
Finally—I have got off my butt, bitten the bullet, faced my
demons and committed to writing a column from the wonderful Dulwich Hill, or as I like to refer to it—on D’Hill.
This is the beginning of a campaign on my part to kill off
the horrible nickname ‘Dully’ which is what the locals call
it. I hate it… it makes we residents of D’Hill seem dull
and boring, whereas the opposite is entirely true. D’Hill is
hip, groovy, cool! Why, we even had a drug bust over the
road from the shop in January. Someone had been cooking
methamphetamines above the nail and beauty shop. It was
Breaking Bad on D’Hill. Nothing dull about that.
Gleebooks has been trading on D’Hill for three and a half
years now and children’s buyer Liesel and I really feel
part of this lovely (notwithstanding the drug bust!) community. It’s especially great to see the children running
through the door and through to the children’s section, excited to find a new book. Late last year we reorganised the
sections, giving children’s a much bigger space, which it
really needed and deserves. The shop looks terrific, so if
you haven’t been in for a while, do come and visit us.
Now to what I’ve been reading… elsewhere
in these pages you’ll see my review of Siri
Hustvedt’s The Blazing World, so no need
to wax any more lyrical about that. Also out
this month is a wonderfully titled novel called
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by
Karen Joy Fowler (The Jane Austen Book
Club). Rose is a college student trying to put
her strange childhood behind her and pining
for her older brother who left home some years ago and
hasn’t been seen since, though there have been postcards
and some evidence that he is involved in a radical animal
liberation group. Rose’s father is a zoologist and soon after she was born, he brought a baby chimp named Fern
to the household, bringing Fern and Rose up together, in
a home science experiment. Rose loves Fern like a sister and when Fern is suddenly taken away when Rose is
five, she is devastated and the novel explores the way in
which this separation has affected her. Rose’s first person
narrative is beautifully written, smart and funny and very
convincing. A terrific novel.
The Train to Paris is a an impressive debut novel by Sebastian Hampson, which is a
charming and very sweet story about a young
New Zealander studying in Paris who meets
and has an affair with a bewitching older
woman. This is well-written and thoroughly
enjoyable. Ah, first love!
Lastly I’ll mention how thrilled I was to see
local writer Michelle de Kretser’s award-winning novel Questions of Travel at number 4 on
the Gleebooks’ Christmas bestseller list. This
is an outstanding achievement for a book that
has been out for nearly two years, first in hardback and for nearly a whole year in paperback.
It’s a classic example of how a book can stay
popular because everyone who reads it loves
it, and wants to share it with their friends and
family. At Dulwich Hill we even sold about a
dozen copies in January. Happy Michelle, happy Allen &
Unwin, happy booksellers! Next month I’ll get the lowdown from Liesel on terrific new children’s books to be
watching out for. Meanwhile, see you on D’Hill,
Morgan Smith
3
david
malouf
A milestone publication to
celebrate a milestone occasion
International Literature
& Sons by David Gilbert ($29.99, HB)
The funeral of Charles Henry Topping on Manhattan's Upper East
Side would have been a minor affair (his two-hundred-word obit in
The New York Times notwithstanding) but for the presence of one particular mourner: the notoriously reclusive author A. N. Dyer, whose
novel Ampersand stands as a classic of American teenage angst. But
as Andrew Newbold Dyer delivers the eulogy for his oldest friend, he
suffers a breakdown over the life he's led and the people he's hurt and
the novel that will forever endure as his legacy. He must gather his
three sons for the first time in many years-before it's too late. So begins
a wild, transformative, heartbreaking week, as witnessed by Philip Topping, who, like his late father, finds himself caught up in the swirl of the Dyer family.
Balancing Act by Joanna Trollope ($32.99, PB)
A collection of essays and
personal reflections from
David Malouf
to celebrate his
80th birthday.
/randomhouseau
Susie Moran has founded and run her own highly profitable pottery
business, and now her three daughters are all involved in the business.
Susie is justly proud of her family and her achievement—and has no
intention of letting it change. But what of the men in the family? Susie's husband, a musician and artist, has always seemed happy to take a
back seat. One of her sons-in-law has few ambitions outside the home.
But the other daughter has brought her husband into the company—
and they want to change things. And then, into the mix arrives Susie's father, an ageing hippy who abandoned Susie as a baby. Now he's
alone, and wants to build bridges, although Susie's daughters are outraged at the idea. Can the needs of a family business override the needs of the family itself?
Butcher's Crossing by John Williams ($13, PB)
Will Andrews is no academic. He longs for wildness, freedom, hope
and vigour. He leaves Harvard and sets out for the West to discover a
new way of living. In a small town called Butcher's Crossing he meets
a hunter with a story of a lost herd of buffalo in a remote Colorado valley, just waiting to be taken by a team of men brave and crazy enough
to find them. Will makes up his mind to be one of those men, but the
journey, the killing, harsh conditions and sheer hard luck will test his
mind and body to their limits. From the author of Stoner.
There’s so much more at
randomhouse.com.au
On Earth as It Is in Heaven: A Novel
by Davide Enia ($29.99, PB)
In the early 1980s Mafia gang wars are tearing apart the
precariously stitched-together city of Palermo. A fatherless
9-year-old boy climbs into a boxing ring to face his first opponent. Davide Enia's sweeping multigenerational saga reaches
back to World War II and forward to talented young Davidù's
quest to become a champion boxer for his country—a feat that
has eluded the other men in his family. A sensation when published in Italy in 2012, On Earth as It Is in Heaven is at once
an intimate account of Sicilian life and devastatingly universal.
Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut ($29.99, PB)
In 1912, the SS Birmingham approaches India. On board is
Morgan Forster, novelist and man of letters, who is embarking on a journey of discovery. As Morgan stands on deck, the
promise of a strange new future begins to take shape before
his eyes. The seeds of a story start to gather at the corner of
his mind: a sense of impending menace, lust in close confines,
under a hot, empty sky. It will be another twelve years, and a
second time spent in India, before A Passage to India, EM Forster's great work of literature, is published. During these years,
Morgan will come to a profound understanding of himself as a man, and of the
infinite subtleties and complexity of human nature, bringing these great insights to
bear in his remarkable novel.
The Song of King Gesar by Alai ($29.99, PB)
(tr) Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Lin
The Song of King Gesar is one of the world's great epics, as
significant for Tibetans as the Odyssey and Iliad for the ancient
Greeks, and the Ramayana and Mahabarata in India. Gesar,
the youngest and bravest of the gods, has been sent down to
the human world to defeat the demons that plague the lives of
ordinary people. Jigmed is a young shepherd, who is visited by
dreams of Gesar, of gods and of ancient battles while he sleeps.
So begins an epic journey for both the shepherd and the king.
The wilful child of the gods will become Gesar, the warrior-king of Ling, and
will unite the nation of Tibet under his reign. Jigmed will learn to see his troubled
country with new eyes, and, as the storyteller chosen by the gods, must face his
own destiny.
4
Now in B Format
The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness, $19.99
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie $19.99
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner $20
The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld ($24.99, HB)
A prisoner sits on death row in a high security prison. His only
escape is through the words he dreams about, the world he conjures around him using the power of language. For the reality of
his world is brutal and stark. He is not named, nor do we know his
crime. But he listens. He listens to the story of York, the prisoner
in the cell next to him who has been sentenced to death. He hears
The Lady, a mitigation specialist who is piecing together York's
past. He watches as The Lady falls in love with The Priest and
wonders if love is still possible in this place. He sees the corruption
and the danger as the tensions in the prison build. And he waits. For
even monsters have a story.
Gingerbread by Robert Dinsdale ($30, PB)
In the depths of winter in the land of Belarus, where ancient forests straddle modern country borders, an orphaned boy and his
grandfather go to scatter his mother's ashes in the woodlands—
her last request to rest where she grew up will be fulfilled. Frightening though it is to leave the city, the boy knows he must keep his
promise to mama: to stay by and protect his grandfather, whatever
happens. Her last potent gifts—a little wooden horse, and hunks of
her homemade gingerbread—give him vigour. And grandfather's
magical stories help push the harsh world away. But the driving
snow, which masks the tracks of forest life, also hides a frozen history of long-buried
secrets. And as man and boy travel deeper among the trees, grandfather's tales begin to
interweave with the shocking reality of his own past, until soon the boy's unbreakable
promise to mama is tested in unimaginable ways.
Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler ($29.99, PB)
Henry, Lee, Kip and Ronnie grew up together in rural Wisconsin, but their lives have since taken different paths. Henry stayed
home and married his first love, while the others left in search
of something more. Ronnie became a rodeo star, Kip made his
fortune in the city, and musician Lee found fame—but heartbreak,
too. Now all four are reunited for a wedding, but amid happiness
and celebration, old rivalries resurface and a wife's secret threatens
to tear both a marriage and a friendship apart.
Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood ($29.99, PB)
In the dazzling summer of 1926, Ernest Hemingway and his wife
Hadley travel from their home in Paris to a villa in the south of
France. They swim, play bridge, drink gin, have parties—and
everywhere they go they are accompanied by the glamorous, irrepressible Fife. She is Ernest's lover. Hadley is the first Mrs Hemingway, but neither she nor Fife will be the last. Over the ensuing
decades, Ernest's literary career will blaze a trail but threaten to
overpower him, and his marriages will be ignited by desire and
deceit. Four extraordinary women will learn what it means to love
the most famous writer of his generation. Each will see him as no
other has before and be forced to ask herself how far she would go to remain his wife.
Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters
Roberta likes to collect the letters and postcards she finds in the
books that pass through her hands in the second-hand shop where
she works. When her father gives her some of her grandmother's
belongings, she finds a baffling letter from the grandfather she never
knew—dated after he supposedly died in the war. Dorothy is unhappily married to Albert, who is away fighting the Germans. When an
aeroplane crashes in the field behind her house she meets a Polish
Squadron Leader, Jan Pietrykowski, and as their bond deepens she
dares to hope she might find happiness. But fate has other plans for
them both, and soon she is hiding a secret so momentous that its shockwaves will
touch her granddaughter many years later. ($29.99, PB)
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
You could say I was thinking of other things when I shampooed my
hair blue, and two glasses of red wine didn't help my concentration.
Let me explain. At the end of the year, before I begin a new project,
I read the translation I've completed. I do final corrections (minor),
set the pages in order, and place them in the box. This is part of the
ritual, which includes imbibing two glasses of red wine. Aaliya lives
alone with her books—books she has collected over a lifetime, books
she translates into Arabic with no likelihood that they will ever be
read. With her accidental blue-dyed hair, her cantankerous dealings
with her neighbours and her difficult relationship with her family, Aaliya is a character
you will never forget. ($29.99, PB)
News from Berlin by Otto de Kat ($29.99, PB)
June 1941. Dutch diplomat Oscar Verschuur has been posted to
neutral Switzerland. His family is spread across Europe. His wife
Kate works as a nurse in London and their daughter Emma is living in Berlin with her husband Carl, a 'good' German who works at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Briefly reunited with her father in a
restaurant in Geneva, Emma drops a bombshell. A date and a codename, and the fate of nations is placed in Verschuur's hands: June 22,
Barbarossa. What should he do? Warn the world, or put his daughter's
safety first? The Gestapo are watching them both. And with Stalin
lulled by his alliance with Hitler, will anyone even listen? Otto de Kat is gaining a reputation as one of Europe's most subtle and economical writers.
The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry
Five years ago, 3 year-old Dillon disappeared during a devastating
earthquake in Tangiers. For his father Harry—who left him alone
for ten crucial minutes—it was an unforgivable lapse. Yet Dillon's
mother Robyn has never blamed her husband: her own secret guilt
is burden enough. Now they're trying to move on, returning home to
Dublin to make a fresh start. But their lives are turned upside down
the day Harry sees an eight-year-old boy in the crowd. A boy Harry is
convinced is Dillon. But the boy vanishes before he can do anything
about it. What Harry thought he saw quickly plunges their marriage
into a spiral of crazed obsession and broken trust, uncovering deceits
and shameful secrets. ($29.99, PB)
The Train to Paris by Sebastian Hampson
After a disastrous holiday with his girlfriend in Madrid, Lawrence
Williams takes the train back to Paris where he is studying art history. Lawrence is twenty years old and discovering how to see the
world, which means he doesn't mind too much when he gets stranded
at the border. That's when Élodie Lavelle enters his field of vision.
She might be twice his age but she's amused by the boy's earnest
charm. She decides to entertain herself by educating him in the rules
of her society, treating him to an unforgettable evening in Biarritz.
But Élodie has not counted on what Lawrence might teach her in return, or how much
their unlikely encounter will mark them both. ($29.99, PB)
Land Where I Flee by Prajwal Parajuly ($30, PB)
To commemorate Chitralekha Nepauney's 'Chaurasi'—her landmark
84th birthday—Chitralekha's grandchildren are travelling to Gangtok to pay their respects. Agastaya is flying in from New York. Although a successful oncologist at only 33, he is dreading his family's
inquisition into why he is not married, and terrified that the reason
for his bachelordom will be discovered. Joining him are Manasa &
Bhagwati, coming from London & Colorado respectively. One, the
Oxford-educated achiever; the other, the disgraced eloper: one moneyed but miserable; the other ostracised but optimistic. All three harbour the same dual
objective: to emerge from the celebrations with their grandmother's blessing and their
nerves intact—a goal that will become increasingly impossible thanks to a mischievous
maid and a fourth, uninvited guest.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
by Karen Joy Fowler ($27.99, PB)
Rosemary's young, just at college, and she's decided not to tell anyone a thing about her family. So we're not going to tell you too much
either: you'll have to find out for yourselves what it is that makes her
unhappy family unlike any other. Rosemary is now an only child, but
she used to have a sister the same age as her, & an older brother. Both
are now gone—vanished from her life. There's something unique
about Rosemary's sister, Fern. So now she's telling her story; a looping narrative that begins towards the end, and then goes back to the beginning. Twice.
In Praise of the New
The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt
Siri Hustvedt is a very smart cookie. She writes fiction and
non-fiction—probably more of the latter. Her subject matter
ranges broadly, with her main interests being art (Mysteries of
the Rectangle, Living, Thinking, Looking) and neuroscience
(The Shaking Woman or a History of My Nerves). She lectures in both subjects to relevant august bodies.
In her brilliant new novel, The Blazing World, Hustvedt creates a character, Harriet (Harry) Burden in whom she invests
much of this knowledge. The book purports to be a posthumous
anthology about Burden, edited by an art historian. It consists
of interviews, texts and written statements by artists, theorists,
friends, her lover (lucky Harry to have found Bruno!) and her children. Harry’s
personal diaries are at the centre of the book and are so wide-ranging and erudite, that they are heavily footnoted by the editor with pithy explanations of
French philosophy, art theory and yes, neuroscience. For a reader such as me,
who knows of Merleau-Ponty for example, but has never read him, this is not
only delightful but informative. Hustvedt adeptly avoids looking like a showoff, and Harry’s wide-ranging intellectual interests are probably the only way
in which author and character are alike.
Through these texts and memoirs we gradually learn about Harry Burden, a
woman of a certain age, recently widowed to a famous New York art dealer
and angry that her own work has been overlooked. She creates a work called
Maskings, consisting of three separate solo exhibitions and chooses three
young male artists to ‘front’ for her, the plan being to reveal herself as the real
artist after the exhibitions’ openings, thereby exposing the art world’s inherent prejudice against women artists—especially ageing, overweight, women
artists.
Harry is a fascinating character, confronting in her anger and her outspokenness, deeply intelligent, well-read, passionate, loving, at once self-doubting
and egotistical and of course, just a bit mad. The first male artist she works
with is ambivalent about the project and wants nothing to do with her afterwards, while the second, a gay man, is behind her all the way and stays her
friend until the end of her life. The third, most important artist is Rune, with
whom she enters a strange psychological game when he welshes on the deal
and refuses to acknowledge her as the real artist of ‘their’ work. Her collaboration with him ends in tragedy and throws up questions of identity, truth and
ownership of art, all of which she has hidden too well.
This is a wholly original novel, its unusual format easily involving the reader
in the characters and plot as a conventional narrative. Here is poignancy, anger,
tenderness, familial and sensual love, art, literature, sexual politics and psychology – all wreathed in Hustvedt’s deep humanity and blazing intelligence.
I particularly liked the descriptions of Harry’s strange but wonderful installations and thought of how Orhan Pamuk created in real life, in Istanbul, the
same museum he has his character create in his novel, The Museum of Innocence. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Hustvedt were able to do the same and have
her imagined artworks and exhibitions made real? Or would that unnecessarily
confound the boundaries between art and life?
Morgan Smith
Now in B Format
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra, $19.99
How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti, $19.99
Longbourn by Jo Baker, $20
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, $20
The Free by Willy Vlautin ($27.99, PB)
Willy Vlautin's 4th novel opens with Leroy, a young, wounded, Iraq veteran, waking to a rare moment of clarity, his senses
flooded with the beauty of remembering who he is but the pain
of realising it won't last. When his attempt to end his half-life
fails, he is taken to the local hospital where he is looked after
by a nurse called Pauline, and visited by Freddie, the nightwatchman from his group home for disabled men. As the stories of these three wounded characters circle and cross each
other, Vlautin evokes a world that is still trying to come to terms with the legacy of
a forgotten war, populated by those who struggle to pay for basic health care, capturing how it is small acts of kindness which can make a difference between life and
death, between imprisonment and liberty.
Bark by Lorrie Moore ($29.99, PB)
A newly divorced man tries to keep his wits about him as the
US prepares to invade Iraq. A political argument goes grotesquely awry as the events of 9/11 unexpectedly manifest
at a fundraising dinner in Georgetown. A teacher, visited by
the ghost of her recently deceased friend, is forced to sing
'The Star Spangled Banner' in a kind of nightmare reunion.
Lorrie Moore's gimlet-eyed social observation, the public and
private absurdities of American life, dramatic irony, and enduring half-cracked love wend their way through each of these 8
stories.
5
Crime Fiction
Into a Raging Blaze by Andreas Norman ($29.99, PB)
Carina Dymek is on a fast track for promotion at the Swedish Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, when she is approached by a stranger and given a
USB stick containing a report to circulate in her department. Unwittingly, she delivers a time-bomb of classified information that destroys her
career and puts her on the radar of the security service, SÄPO, and the
formidable Bente Jensen. As Bente investigates, she becomes closer to
the secretive plans contained in that leaked report: plans for a Europewide Intelligence Service. She begins to understand that Dymek is a
red herring in a far more complex plot: one of surveillance corruption,
national security and global anti-terrorism.
Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary ($29.99, PB)
Detective Inspector Marnie Rome: dependable, fierce, brilliant at her
job. She's a rising star in the ranks. Everyone knows how Marnie fought
to come back from the murder of her parents, but very few know what
is going on below the surface. Because Marnie has secrets she won't
share with anyone. But then, so does everyone. Certainly those in the
women's shelter Marnie and Detective Sergeant Noah Jake visit on that
fateful day. The day when they arrive to interview a resident, only to
find one of the women's husbands, who shouldn't have been there, lying
stabbed on the floor.
Treachery by S. J. Parris ($27.99, PB)
Summer, 1585: As English ships are held captive in Spain, fear mounts
of an Invincible Armada intended to invade English shores. Sir Francis
Drake prepares to embark on an expedition by royal commission to
cross the Atlantic & seize major Spanish ports, diverting Philip's American treasure supplies to Queen Elizabeth. Giordano Bruno, radical philosopher & spy, accompanies his friend Sir Philip Sidney to Plymouth
to oversee Drake's departure. Unbeknown to Bruno, Sidney intends to
join the mission—and he wants Bruno to go too. But when a ship captain is brutally murdered, and Drake's life threatened, it becomes clear
that someone plans to destroy the expedition before it begins. Bruno
and Sidney hunt for the killer, but are they being lured into a trap?
The Black Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black
A heart-wrenching
novel about a man
torn between his love
of his country and
the love of his life
It is the early 1950s. In Los Angeles, Private Detective Philip
Marlowe is as restless and lonely as ever, and business is a little slow.
Then a new client arrives: young, beautiful & expensively dressed,
Clare Cavendish wants Marlowe to find her former lover, a man
named Nico Peterson. Soon Marlowe will find himself not only under the spell of the Black-Eyed Blonde, but tangling with one of Bay
City's richest families—and developing a singular appreciation for
how far they will go to protect their fortune. ($29.99, PB)
Beams Falling by P. M. Newton ($29.99, PB)
On the inside, Det. Nhu 'Ned' Kelly is a mess. Stitched up after being shot, her brain's taking even longer to heal than her body. On the
outside, though, she's perfect. Cabramatta is riding high on the new
'Asian crime wave', a nightmare of heroin, home invasions, and hits
of all kinds—and the top brass think Ned's Vietnamese heritage is the
right fit. But nothing in Cabra can be taken at face value. Ned doesn't
speak the language and the ra choi—the lawless kids who have 'gone
out to play'—run rings around her. And beyond the headlines and
hysteria, Ned is itching to make a play for the kingpin, the person
behind it all with the money and the plan and the power.
Bankerupt by Ravi Subramanian ($16.99, PB)
A university is an institution for higher education and research. It
can also be a place where academic brilliance leads to overinflated
egos, bitter politics and finally, murder. Cirisha Narayanan, a professor who has risen meteorically, stumbles upon a cryptic message.
Aditya Raisinghania, her banker husband, sets up a highly innovative financial hoax. Her profiteering father harvests Australia's largest
bird—the emu—in India. The US elections are on and the debate on
gun control has reached a fever pitch. Set in Mumbai, Coimbatore
and Boston, nothing is as it seems in this cunning thriller.
Talking to Ghosts by Hervé le Corre ($30, PB)
Police Inspector Vilar is a broken man. His son was snatched away at
the school gate and his marriage collapsed soon after. Now he keeps
watch outside the school every morning. Victor, a troubled teenager,
returns home from school to find his mother's lifeless body, savagely
beaten. When Vilar investigates, he hits a familiar brick wall: nothing
stolen, no fingerprints, no DNA. The case begins to develop, but in an
altogether more sinister direction. A stalker is watching Victor from
the shadows, while Vilar receives increasingly threatening phone
calls about his son. The hunter has become the hunted, and Vilar begins to realise that this investigation will strike very close to home.
The Ghost Runner by Parker Bilal ($24.99, PB)
It is 2002 and as tanks roll into the West Bank and the reverberations of
9/11 echo across the globe, tensions are running high on Cairo's streets.
Private Investigator Makana, in exile from his native Sudan and increasingly haunted by memories of the wife and daughter he lost, is
shaken out of his grief when a routine surveillance job leads him to the
horrific murder of a teenage girl. In a country where honour killings are
commonplace and the authorities seem all too eager to turn a blind eye,
Makana determines to track down the perpetrator.
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman ($29.99, PB)
When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette 'Bambi'
Gottschalk at a Valentine's Dance in 1959, he charms her with wild
promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative if
not always legal businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury.
But on the Fourth of July, 1976, Bambi's world implodes when Felix,
newly convicted and facing prison, mysteriously vanishes. 10 years later Felix's mistress Julie disappears, and 26 years later Roberto 'Sandy'
Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, investigates her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web of
bitterness, jealousy, resentment & greed stretching over the 3 decades
and 3 generations that connect these 5 very different women.
Sisters in Crime: Early Crime and Mystery Stories
by Women (ed) Mike Ashley ($19.99, PB)
Even though many of the leading writers of crime fiction are women,
it still comes as a surprise to many that the first full-length detective novel was by Metta Fuller whose The Dead Letter, under the
alias Seeley Regester, appeared as far back as 1866, predating Wilkie
Collins’ The Moonstone by two years. This anthology selects stories
from the late Victorian & Edwardian era including an early private
woman detective and a story by the Australian writer Mary Fortune
who had written over 500 detective novels by the time Edward VII
came to the throne.
Ripper by Isabel Allende ($30, PB)
The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each
other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as
different as night and day. While her mother looks for the good in
people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature. The
MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to
crime novels and Ripper, an online mystery game she plays. When
a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges
into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the
deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when
Indiana suddenly vanishes.
The Troop by Nick Cutter ($29.99, PB)
For the scouts of Troop 52, three days of camping, hiking and survival lessons on the remote shores of Falstaff Island will be the closest
thing they'll get to a proper holiday this year. But when an emaciated
figure unexpectedly stumbles into their camp begging for food, the
trip takes a horrifying turn. The man is not just hungry, he's sick. Sick
in a way they have never seen before. Cut off from the mainland, the
scouts of Troop 52 face a nightmare far worse than anything they
could have made up around a campfire. To survive they will have to
fight their fears, the elements... and eventually each other.
A Darker Shade: 17 Swedish Stories of Murder, Mystery and Suspense Including a Short Story by Stieg
Larsson (ed) John-Henri Holmberg ($29.99, PB)
A landmark anthology of 17 great Swedish crime stories—contributors
are Stieg Larsson (a previously unpublished story), Maj Sjöwall and
Per Wahlöö, Rolf & Cilla Börjlind, Åke Edwardson, Inger Frimansson,
Eva Gabrielsson, Anna Jansson, Åsa Larsson, Henning Manek & Håkan Nesser, Magnus Montelius, Dag Öhrlund, Malin Persson Giolito,
Sara Stridsberg, Johan Theorin, Veronica von Schenck & Katarina
Wennstam
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
The presumed death of Harriet de Luce in a mysterious mountaineering
accident in Tibet while Flavia was only a baby cast a sombre shadow
over the family, leaving Colonel de Luce a broken man and Flavia herself with no memories of her mother. But now, astonishingly, a specially
commissioned train is bringing Harriet back to Buckshaw. For Flavia,
a gruesome new crime to solve is only one of the mysteries confronting her, as she begins to unravel the shocking revelations of Harriet's
past and in doing so discovers an extraordinary tale of espionage and
betrayal that also seems to be the key to her own destiny. ($29.99, PB)
The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh ($33, PB)
6
People still whisper about Lucy Dane's mother who vanished years
ago from the town of Henbane, deep in the Ozark mountains. When
one of Lucy's friends is found murdered, Lucy feels haunted by the
two lost women: by the mother she never knew, and the friend she
couldn't protect. But her search for answers, in a place where secrets
are easily concealed, leads her to a chilling discovery. And with this
revelation, she must grapple with the meaning of family, the secrets
we keep, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
6
Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh ($29.99, PB)
Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb
hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, before New York became
a burnt-out shell. So Spademan became a hit man. When he's hired to
kill the daughter of a high-profile evangelist, Spademan's life is upended. To survive, he will have to navigate two worlds—the slick fantasy world of the elite and the wasteland reality of the rest of the city's
inhabitants—to finish the job, clear his conscience, and make sure he's
not the one who winds up in the ground.
Now in B Format
Strangler's Honeymoon by Håkan Nesser, $19.99
7
Biography
Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life by Stephen Parker
‘… a novel unlike
anything
you’ve read
before
’
Books+Publishing
fremantlepress.com.au
Few artists provoke such widely divergent reactions as Bertolt
Brecht (1898–1956). He emerged as the enfant terrible of the Weimar
Republic, spent the Nazi years in exile as an outspoken enemy of the
regime, was viewed in the USA as an apologist of Stalin, in Moscow
as a Trotskyist. And yet, as Stephen Parker powerfully demonstrates,
Brecht had an extraordinary transformative impact on world theatre
and poetry, with the dazzling productions of the Berliner Ensemble in
Paris and London ensuring an enduring legacy. Drawing on Brecht's diaries and letters
together with notebooks and unpublished material, Parker's new biography offers readers a profoundly new understanding of how Brecht's outlook and artistic practice were
shaped, above all how his singular sensibility conspired with his huge ambition to make
him the greatest theatrical innovator of the age. ($60, HB)
The Letters of Robert Frost, Volume 1: 1886–1921
by Robert Frost ($65, HB)
Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I
Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb
and an Open Heart by Carol Wall ($34.99, PB)
Carol Wall was at a crossroads. Her children had flown the nest,
her beloved parents were ageing and she had overcome a serious illness. A neglected garden should have been the least of her
worries. Until one day she sees a man working in her neighbour's
garden and realises he is responsible for its spectacular transformation. His name is Giles Owita. He comes from Kenya and he's
very good at gardening. Before long Mister Owita is transforming not only Carol's
garden, but her life. Although they seem to have nothing in common, a bond grows
between them. When both are forced to share long-buried secrets, their friendship is
transformed forever.
Romany and Tom by Ben Watt ($32.99, PB)
Ben Watt's father, Tommy, was a working-class Glaswegian
jazz musician, a politicised left-wing bandleader and composer,
whose heyday in the late 1950s took him into the glittering heart
of London's West End, where he broadcast live with his own
orchestra from the BBC's Paris Theatre and played nightly with
his quintet at the glamorous Quaglino's. His mother, Romany, the
daughter of a Methodist parson, schooled at Cheltenham Ladies'
College, was a RADA-trained Shakespearian actress, who had
triplets in her first marriage before becoming a leading showbiz feature writer &
columnist in the 60s and 70s. They were both divorcees from very different backgrounds who came together like colliding trains at a fateful New Year's Day party in
1957. This is Ben Watt's sometimes painful, and often funny portrait of his parents'
exceptional lives & marriage, depicted in a personal journey from his own wideeyed London childhood, through years as an adult with children & a career of his
own, to that inevitable point of assuming responsibility for parents in their old age.
Little Failure: A Memoir by Gary Shteyngart
Gary Shteyngart's loving but mismatched parents dreamed that
he would become a lawyer, or at least an accountant, something
their distracted son was simply not cut out to do. Fusing English and Russian, his mother created the term Failurchka—'Little
Failure'—which she applied to her son. With love. Mostly. A
candid and deeply poignant story of a Soviet family's trials
and tribulations, and of their escape in 1979 to the consumerist
promised land of the USA, Little Failure is also an exceptionally funny account of the author's transformation from asthmatic
toddler in Leningrad to 40-something Manhattanite with a receding hairline and a
memoir to write. ($32.99, PB)
Memoir by Chen Guangcheng ($32.99, PB)
It was like a scene out of a thriller: one morning in April 2012,
China's most famous political activist—a blind, self-taught lawyer—climbed over the wall of his heavily guarded home and
escaped. For days, his whereabouts remained unknown; after he
turned up at the American embassy in Beijing, a furious round
of high-level negotiations finally led to his release and a new life
in the United States. The son of a poor farmer in rural China,
blinded by illness when he was an infant, Chen was determined
to educate himself and fight for the rights of his country's poor,
especially a legion of women who had endured forced sterilisations under the hated
'one child' policy. Both a riveting memoir and a revealing portrait of modern China,
this passionate book tells the story of a man who has never accepted limits and
always believed in the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle.
8
Now in B Format
Madness: A Memoir by Kate Richards, $19.99
Welcome to Your New Life by Anna Goldsworthy, $19.99
A Mile Down: The True Story of a Disastrous Career at Sea
by David Vann, $24.99
Although his poetry reached a wide audience, the private Robert
Frost—pensive, mercurial, and often very funny—remains less appreciated. This is the first major edition of the poet's written correspondence. The hundreds of previously unpublished letters in these
annotated volumes deepen our understanding and appreciation of this
most complex and subtle of verbal artists. Volume 1 traverses the years
of Frost's earliest poems to the acclaimed collections North of Boston
and Mountain Interval that cemented his reputation as one of the leading lights of his era. day-to-day missives. These day-to-day missives are at once revealing and tantalisingly evasive about relationships with family and close friends, including
the poet Edward Thomas. We listen in as Frost defines himself against contemporaries
Ezra Pound & William Butler Yeats, and we witness the evolution of his thoughts about
prosody, sound, style, and other aspects of poetic craft.
Prisoner X by Rafael Epstein ($29.99, PB)
'This is Ayalong prison', says one of the guards urgently. 'Listen, he
hanged himself, we need an ambulance.' Prisoner X, just 34 years
old, was slumped in a small bathroom, separated from his cell by a
transparent door. Kept in one of the most technologically sophisticated
solitary jail cells, at the behest of one of the world's most feared intelligence agencies, it is not easy to kill yourself. But Ben Zygier managed to do just that. Did he work for Mossad? Was he also working
for ASIO? Was he involved in the supply of false passports? Was he a
whistle blower or double agent, or simply a young man way out of his
depth? Rafael Epstein uncovers the intriguing story of a young Australian swept up in
international intelligence.
William S. Burroughs: A Life by Barry Miles
It has been 50 years since Norman Mailer asserted, 'I think that William Burroughs is the only American novelist living today who may
conceivably be possessed by genius.' This assessment holds true today. No-one since then has taken such risks in their writing, developed
such individual radical political ideas, or spanned such a wide range of
media. Burroughs has written novels, memoirs, technical manuals and
poetry, he has painted, made collages, taken thousands of photographs,
made visual scrapbooks, produced hundreds of hours of experimental
tapes, acted in movies and recorded more CDs than most rock groups.
This biography paints a new portrait of Burroughs, showing how he was perceived by his
contemporaries in all his guises—from icily distant to voluble drunk. He was, beneath it
all, a man torn by emotions: his guilt at not visiting his doting mother; his despair at not
responding to reconciliation attempts from his father; his distance from his brother; the
huge void that separated him from his son; and above all his killing of his wife. ($45, HB)
Travel Writing
Making Soapies in Kabul by Trudi-Ann Tierney
On an impulse, Trudi-Ann Tierney, Sydney producer & former actress, goes to Kabul to manage a bar. She quickly falls into the local
TV industry, where she becomes responsible for producing a highly
popular soapie. Trudi's inexperienced staff include Habib, the Pashto
poet who wants to insert allegorical scenes involving fighting ants
into the scripts; Rashid, the Dari manager, who spends all day surreptitiously watching uncensored Hindi music videos; and the Pakistani actresses who cross the border to Jalalabad ('Jallywood') to perform roles that no
Afghan actresses can take on without bringing shame to their families. Trudi lives among
the expat community—the media, the burnt-out army types now working as security
contractors, the 'Do-Gooders', the diplomats—in dubious guest houses like The Dirty
Diana. This is 'Ka-bubble', where crazy people live crazy lives, and locals try to survive
as best they can against the backdrop of war ($39.99, PB)
The Nile: Downriver Through Egypt's Past and
Present by Toby Wilkinson ($29.99, PB)
From Herodotus's day to the present political upheavals, the steady
flow of the Nile has been Egypt's heartbeat. It has shaped its geography, controlled its economy & moulded its civilisation. The same
stretch of water that conveyed Pharaonic battleships, Ptolemaic
grain ships, Roman troop-carriers & Victorian steamers today carries modern-day tourists past bankside settlements in which rural
life—fishing, farming, flooding—continues much as it has for millennia. Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson takes a journey up the Nile,
north from Lake Victoria, from Cataract to Cataract, past the Aswan Dam, to the delta.
Every age has left its trace: the Nilometer on the island of Elephantine, which since
the days of the Pharaohs has measured the height of Nile floodwaters; the wonders of
Giza; Egypt's earliest art (prehistoric images of fish-traps carved into cliffs); and the Arab
Spring (fought on the bridges of Cairo). The Nile is our guide to understanding the past
and present of this unique & rapidly changing land.
Mother of God by Paul Rosolie ($34.99, PB)
Madre de Dios—'Mother of God'—is a place where the Andean
Cloud Forest intermingles with the steaming tropical jungle at the
head of the Amazon river. Here can be found the greatest proliferation of living species that has ever existed on Earth. And it is a place
that is now under grave threat. Paul Rosolie has travelled to the very
heart of this wilderness in search of rare flora & fauna. His adventures—with giant anacondas, huge cayman, the mighty jaguar &
one very small anteater—are by turn thrilling & revelatory. Rosolie
crosses some of the world's harshest terrain & encounters some of
its most extreme weather conditions. He battles with life-threatening tropical diseases
and the extreme mental challenges presented by being alone in the heart of the jungle.
Central Asia: Through Writers' Eyes
(ed) Kathleen Hopkirk ($29.99, PB)
Between these covers, the millennia of mercantile and cultural
exchange along the Silk Route are celebrated by travellers and
writers from Marco Polo to Sven Hedin, from William of Rubrick to Ella Maillart. Kathleen Hopkirk has spent a lifetime
researching this vital heartland, traversed by five, inhospitable
deserts but united by ancient chains of trading oases: from the
Buddhist Empire of Kushan, to the scholarly Islamic centre at Bukhara.
Kansai Cool: A Journey into the Cultural Heartland of Japan by Christal Whelan ($20, PB)
Anthropologist, writer and filmmaker Christal Whelan looks
into the clash of old & new, traditional & modern that plays out
on a daily basis in Japan's ancient heartland. The western region of Japan is known as Kansai—centred around the ancient
capitals of Kyoto and Nara & the sprawling, modern port cities
of Osaka & Kobe. Kansai is Japan's 'second region' after Tokyo—and is at once home to Japan's most traditional cultural
centres & its most modern culture. From the ancient beliefs of
Kyoto to the contemporary otaku or 'geek' culture of manga, anime, costume play,
robots & video games, readers will see how cultures collide. Whelan dives beneath
the surface of Japan to let readers experience how art, science, faith & history mesh
in the Kansai region to produce a singular wellspring of traditional and modern
Japanese culture.
Afternoons in Ithaka by Spiri Tsintziras
I remember crusty just-baked bread, rubbed with juicy tomato
flesh, swimming in a puddle of thick green olive oil. I am seven
years old. I sit on a stool in my grandmother's house. It is the
height of summer in a seaside village in the south of Greece.
We little Aussies devour 'tomato sandwiches' as the family chats
and laughs and swats flies ... From the first heady taste of tomatoes on home-baked bread in her mother's village in Petalidi, to
sitting at a taverna some 30 years later in Ithaka with her young
family, Spiri Tsintziras goes on a culinary, creative and spiritual
journey that propels her back and forth between Europe and Australia. These evocative, funny & poignant stories explore how food and culture, language & music, and
people and their stories help to create a sense of meaning and identity. ($25, PB)
Also New
American Smoke: Journeys to the End of the Light
by Iain Sinclair ($45, HB)
Two Prospectors: The Letters of Sam Shepard and
Johnny Dark ($53, HB)
Sam Shepard is a strongly private man who has said many times that
he will never write a memoir. But he has written intensively about his
inner life & creative work to his former father-in-law & housemate,
Johnny Dark, who has been Shepard's closest friend, surrogate brother,
and even artistic muse for 45 years. Two Prospectors gathers nearly 40
years of correspondence & transcribed conversations between Shepard
& Dark. The men open themselves to each other with amazing honesty,
and Shepard's letters give a deep insight into his personal philosophy
& creative process, while in Dark's letters we discover insights into
Shepard's character that only an intimate friend could provide. They
also reflect on the books & authors that stimulate their thinking, their
relationships with women, personal struggles & accumulating years.
The Answer to the Riddle Is Me: A Memoir of
Amnesia by David Stuart Maclean ($38, HB)
At age 28, David MacLean 'woke up' in an Indian train station with his
memory wiped clean. No money. No passport. No identity. Taken to a
mental hospital by the police, MacLean then started to hallucinate so
severely he had to be tied down. Soon he could remember song lyrics
& scenes from television shows, but not his family, his friends, or the woman he loved.
All of these symptoms, it turned out, were the result of the commonly prescribed malarial
medication he was taking. Upon his return to the US, he struggled to piece together the
fragments of his former life in a harrowing & unforgettable journey back to himself.
Gleebooks march 2014.indd 1
4/02/2014 6:43:00 PM
9
books for kids to young adults
compiled by Lynndy Bennett, our children's correspondent
At the time of writing this issue, in mid-February, there are already h-u-g-e changes in
our Glebe kids’ section and for the first time since amalgamating with the adult shop at 49
Glebe Point Road we (finally) have space not only for books, but also for plenty of customers! We are thrilled that the reconfiguration has allowed ready access to all shelves, so
we hope that you’ll come in to rediscover your local children’s shop. We know you were
as frustrated as we were by the need to squeeze in, but you (and your stroller) are easily
accommodated in this new incarnation. It’s all still a work in progress, so if you can’t find
what you want please just ask our children’s staff. We’ll be the ones Tiggering around,
celebrating our newly created space. Lynndy
This Rabbit, That Rabbit by Jane Porter
From the school of cheek (think Mo Willems) comes a
book for the younger set. In a series of vignettes, our rabbit friends illustrate a handful of simple concepts—this &
that, blue & shoe, shy & dry—suited to the very young. Comically aware of each other
(and the surprise armadillo at the end!!), our voguing and splendidly attired rabbits make
for diverting viewing. I found myself enjoying the strong graphic illustrations and design
elements—a mid-century modern chair, for example—which I think would be a boon
for any grown-up who might need to revisit it several hundred times with their young
person. Ideal for 9 months to 2 years of age. ($12.95, BD) Which reminds me of one of
my all-time favourites… If it’s sheer expressive genius you’re after, do not miss Emily
Gravett’s hilariously surreal Orange Pear Apple Bear ($14.99 BD, or $12.95 PB) A sequence of four simple elements—an orange, a pear, an apple and yes, a bear—develops
rapidly from simple beginnings through a most extraordinary emotional arc with laughter, surprise and an ambling shrug of an ending. Simplicity, elegance, economy—this
reminds me more of a silent film classic than it does of any other book. And if it makes
me chortle every time I read it, just think what it might do for your household!! Share
regularly with someone of 18 months upwards. Liesel (In any format, this is a consensual
kids’ staff favourite! LB)
Crocodile Beat by Gail Jorgensen (ill) Patricia Mullins ($10, BD)
Newly into board book, this Australian classic simply begs to be read and hissed and
growled and roared aloud. Torn tissue collage and rhythmic text combine in a joyous
tale with just a hint of not-too-frightening menace as down at the river jungle animals
are cavorting noisily, until the crocodile wakes in search of dinner… Lynndy
A Single Pebble by Bonnie Christensen ($29, HB)
An apt companion to the book reviewed by Persia (right), this narrative traces the
silk road, illuminating major cities and cultures on the trading route. Starting in C9th
China where Mei, a young girl who longs to share adventures with her merchant
father gives him a jade pebble to travel in her stead, the story follows the gift of
jade on its journey west, through exotic cities. Passed from Buddhist monk to trader,
from performer to thief and even via pirates, the single pebble eventually reaches a
boy near Venice who cherishes the unusual gift. The cyclical trek is reinforced by
the conclusion showing Mei admiring a different sort of pebble from the west. Highlighting
the sensory banquet and cultural differences of the time, Christensen brings to life the 7,000
km ancient conduit that played a vital role in influencing civilisations between China and
the Mediterranean. Soft watercolours hinting at young Mei’s wistfulness graduate to strong
vibrant art representing the bold architecture of the ethnic regions en route. The tale of Mei’s
simple gift would capture the imagination of almost any child from 5 upwards; and older
readers will glimpse an important part of human history. At the end explanatory notes by
the author, plus a bibliography, provide extra details. Lynndy
classics
The Story of the Treasure Seekers by Edith Nesbit
The unreliable narrator has always been with us (literature does reflect life, after all), in adult books, and teen fiction, but not so much
in children’s books. The narrator of E. Nesbit’s 1899 novel, The Story
of the Treasure Seekers, is Oswald, one of the six Bastable siblings
who make up the treasure seeking family. Oswald keeps his identity secret, although he reveals himself very early in the piece
(his regular lapses into first person don’t help). However
Oswald is a most unreliable narrator, and his general portrayal of himself, and his place in the family, provide some of the very amusing aspects of the
book. Like all the families in Nesbit’s later books, the
Bastables are very self-sufficient— with a widowed,
shadowy father, they are left to their own devices for
most of the time. E Nesbit was a highly influential
author, who arguably changed the way people wrote
(and read) children’s books, and although there
are definitely some very arcane features in all her
books (the food, the clothes, the household staff),
they are remarkably fresh, and neither the language
nor the plot seem dated. The Bastables are an excellent family, loyal and true, and their treasure seeking
leads them into the most hilarious and unexpected
places, with Oswald being the most perfect, unreliable narrator of this enduring, and most endearing,
story. ($10, PB) Louise
10
for the very young
picture books
Architecture According to Pigeons
by Speck Lee Tailfeather
(ill) Natsko Seki ($24.95, HB)
Who would have thought a pigeon whose name is
Speck is now travelling around the world explaining to us all of the famous buildings and even whole
cities? Some buildings around the world have some
pretty peculiar names like the Basilica de la Sagrada
Familia (might need Mum to help you out on the pronunciation of this spectacular building!). So Speck
thought 'Boy, Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is one
hard word to say and spell so why don’t I just call it
the Forest of Dreams!' Well Speck ends up doing that
on all the buildings, even the Sydney Opera House
(which is easy to say and spell), but harder from a pigeon’s point of view, so instead it is called the Hungry
Beaks Hall! Some of Speck’s ideal names are quite
weird, like what is a pigeon’s ideal name for the Taj
Mahal? The Palace of Ghosts! Need a quick squiz at a
famous building? From pages 60–63 you will find all the buildings and bridges in
the book and a paragraph about each of them. But you will get the most joy out of
Architecture According to Pigeons on the inside cover: all the buildings and cities
are shown in their own individual bubble with an illustration on a map of the world.
Even the Great Wall of China can be seen from space and on the map! I recommend
Architecture According to Pigeons to all humans and pigeons. Persia (aged 10 ¾)
Nest by Jorey Hurley ($19.99, HB)
Using just one word per page, and accompanying pictures, Jorey Hurley has created a picture book that tells
the story of birds building a nest, of an egg hatching,
of seasons passing, of night and day, and of the circle
of life. The illustrations are clean and bright, minimalist
and yet full of life and rich in detail. They are reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints, adding great resonance to the Haiku-like quality of the text. Not surprising to read that Jorey Hurley is a textile designer, but
what is surprising is that this is her first book—it is a perfect example of the fine balance between text, illustration and design, and it
is also a book for all ages, from babies through to adults. Beautiful! Louise
teen fiction
The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston ($17, PB)
Elizabeth Hawksmith has found immortality to be more of a curse than
a blessing. Hiding in a quiet village, she thinks she's managed to escape
the malevolent attention of an enemy, the warlock Gideon Masters who
saved her from the witch-hunters responsible for her mother's death. When
s
outsider teen Tegan befriends her it doesn't take long for Elizabeth to reing at
w
ur ace s!
alise Tegan has great potential for the hedge craft. She decides to train
o
d y sp ren
the young woman and shares stories of her own long and extraordinary
rea new child
p
S he
life. The training invites the attention of Elizabeth's ancient enemy in ways
s
t
k
in eboo
she didn't expect and she is forced to draw on all her powers not only to protect
e
Gl
herself but also her new friend. Epic in its scope, Elizabeth's story starts in the 1600s
and evokes Victorian London, the battlefields of WWI and many other periods as
effortlessly as it does the present day. This is a page-turning, satisfying tale that will
satisfy well-read discerning teens. James
Food, Health, Garden
Back Pain: How to Build Core Stability for Longlasting Relief by Adam Gavine & Rod Bonello
If you are looking for long-lasting relief from your back pain, or trying to avoid back problems, it's essential to treat the cause, not just
the symptom. Research shows building your core muscle stability is
the most effective way to deal with most forms of back pain. Drawing on their extensive clinical experience and the latest research, the
authors explain how to find the best possible treatment for your back and get the most
out of your treatment. They provide safe exercises you can do at home to develop and
maintain core muscle stability, illustrated by easy-to-follow photographs. ($32.99, PB)
Four Kitchens by Colin Fassnidge ($45, HB)
Dublin-born chef & guest judge on My Kitchen Rules, Colin
Fassnidge's two restaurants, The Four in Hand, and 4Fourteen,
have been lauded by customers and critics alike. In his debut
cookbook, Colin draws together recipes for the most popular
dishes from the two restaurants, plus lighter bites from the bar
kitchen and barbecue, and dishes from his home kitchen, to create perfect food for any event.
Japanese Soul Cooking
by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat ($49.99, HB)
A collection of 100 recipes that introduces Japanese comfort to
home cooks, exploring new ingredients, techniques & the surprising origins of popular dishes like gyoza & tempura. Japanese
food is often thought of as precise, austere & time consuming to
cook. But along with the complicated (kaiseki & tea ceremony),
there are also the simpler fried chicken dishes & street food.
Through recipes, fascinating narrative & lush location photography, Tadashi Oni and Harris Salat explore Japan’s long history of
homey fare. Dishes such as ramen, soba, tempura & gyoza are included, as well as rice bowls, okonomiyaki & savoury pancakes,
perfect for a week-night meal or weekend entertaining.
Low Sugar, No Sugar: How to reduce your sugar
intake, lose weight & feel great by Jess Lomas
Jess Lomas writes from experience—after reducing her sugar intake in April 2012 she has experienced weight loss and a renewed
level of energy and zest for life. She has created a simple plan
to help people reduce the amount of excess sugar in their daily
diet and has developed over 60 recipes including breakfast ideas,
snacks and desserts. This book is not about extreme dieting, it’s
a lifestyle change. The Low Sugar No Sugar motto is simple; remove the everyday excesses and enjoy the occasional sweetness in life. ($12.99, PB)
Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches
to Go by Wendy Copley ($17, PB)
This book teaches dozens of simple techniques anyone can
master to make creative lunches for themselves & their families. The 50 bento meals feature familiar foods that can be found
in most grocery stores around the country, and the fun themes
will appeal to children and adults alike. Follow the step-by-step
instructions to recreate each bento box in your own kitchen, or
pick and choose the versatile techniques from different parts of the book to make your
own unique creations for a delicious every day treat.
The Lost Art of Feeding Kids: What Italy Taught
Me about Why Children Need Real Food
by Jeannie Marshall ($29.99, PB)
In Italy, children traditionally sat at the table with the adults eating everything from anchovies to artichokes. Their appreciation of
seasonal, regional foods influenced their food choices & this passing
down of traditions turned Italy into a world culinary capital. But
now, parents worldwide are facing the same problems as American
families with the aggressive marketing of processed foods & the
prevalence of junk food wherever children gather. While struggling
to raise her child, Nico, on a natural, healthy, traditional Italian diet, Jeannie Marshall,
a Canadian who lives in Rome, sets out to discover how such a time-tested food culture
could change in such a short time. This is a lively story of raising a child to enjoy real
food in a processed world.
The Twelfth Raven: A Memoir of Stroke, Love and
Recovery by Doris Brett ($29.99, PB)
When Doris Brett’s fit, healthy 59-year-old husband Martin had a
stroke, they were unexpectedly thrown into a journey of discovery.
What began as a minor stroke turned into a golf-ball sized blood clot
on his brain, followed by a life-threatening heart condition. Later
they had to deal with the return of Doris’ ovarian cancer. However
—due largely to Doris’ research into brain plasticity and the neurotherapy techniques she implemented—Martin’s recovery was exceptional and he has now returned to all of his pre-stroke activities.
The Twelfth Raven is a literary journey through a series of crises, and an inspirational
story of recovery after stroke. Doris Brett’s brave and unflinching memoir offers hope to
the hundreds of thousands of people affected by stroke, through the active intervention
Doris conducted and the excellent results that were achieved.
French Parents Don't Give In: 100 Parenting
Tips from Paris by Pamela Druckerman
In response to the enthusiastic reception of her bestselling parenting memoir French Children Don't Throw Food, Pamela
Druckerman now offers a practical handbook that distils her
findings into one hundred short and straightforward tips to
bring up your child à la francaise—including advice about
pregnancy, feeding (including meal plans and recipes from
Paris crèches), sleeping, manners, and more. ($27.99, HB)
Leon: Fast Vegetarian ($49.99, HB)
by Henry Dimbleby & Jane Baxter
This collection of more than 150 really simple, really fast
recipes is a treat for vegivores everywhere. The first part of
the book offers 'Star Turns', those vegetable-based dishes
that can stand alone as a whole meal. There are fantastic
ideas for breakfast and brunch, pasta, grains and pulses, pies
and bakes, rice and curry, and unbeatable kids' meals. The
2nd half of the book focuses on the 'Supporting Cast' & explores accompaniments & smaller plates—including grazing dishes, sides & pickles, salsas, chutneys & dressings.
Vita Sackville-West's Sissinghurst:
The Creation of a Garden ($49.99, HB)
by Vita Sackville-West & Sarah Raven
From 1946 to 1957, Vita Sackville-West, the poet, bestselling author of All Passion Spent and maker of Sissinghurst,
wrote a weekly column in the Observer depicting her life at
Sissinghurst, showing her to be one of the most visionary
horticulturalists of the 20th century. Editor Sarah Raven draws on this extraordinary
archive, revealing Vita's most loved, and most hated, flowers, as well as offering
practical advice for gardeners. Often funny and completely accessibly written with
colour and originality, it also describes details of the trials and tribulations of crafting a place of beauty and elegance within the confines of walls and hedges.
Pests, Diseases and Beneficials: Friends and
Foes of Australian Gardens
by F. David Hockings ($39.95, PB)
This book helps the average gardener to identify & deal
with those common insects & small animals (such as bugs,
beetles, caterpillars, thrips & mites) that are found in every
Australian garden. It offers clear descriptions & full colour
images to aid in identifying insects or other organisms, and
provides useful advice on how to recognise & treat problems. The book also covers feeding habits, life cycles &
insect biology. This fully updated edition has been expanded to include general garden situations as well as Australian native plants, and provides further information
on plant diseases, harmless & beneficial fungi, bacteria & viruses, physiological
disorders & problems caused by horticultural mismanagement.
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture
Twist: How to have your yard and eat it too
by Michael Judd ($32.95, PB)
This is a how-to manual for the budding gardener & experienced green thumb alike, full of creative & easy-to-follow
designs. With the help of more than 200 beautiful colour
photos and drawings, permaculture designer & avid grower
Michael Judd takes the reader on a step-by-step process to
transform a sea of grass into a flourishing edible landscape
that pleases the eye as well as the taste buds. He translates
the complexities of permaculture design into simple self-build projects, providing
full details on the evolving design process, material identification, and costs.
Mangia! Mangia! Gatherings
by Angela Villella & Teresa Oates ($39.99, HB)
Join Teresa and Angela as they clear out their garages to celebrate family christenings & first communions, and delight
in the time-honoured rituals & frenzied food preparation
these entail. Experience a wedding, southern Italian style,
with music, ceremony & a magnificent platter of porchetta
(roast suckling pig) adorned with sparklers. Find out why
nonnas start their Christmas baking in November, and learn
about the respectful spirit of generosity that offers comfort
to a grieving family with a pot of homemade brodo (soup).
110 authentic Italian recipes, including everyday meals, as
well as elaborate feasts to feed a crowd.
Eating with the Chefs ($75, HB)
by Tara Stevens & Per-Anders Jorgensen
Eating with the Chefs documents the daily meal shared by
chefs and front-of-house staff at 18 top restaurants including
Noma, Le Chateaubriand & The French Laundry. Captured
through exquisite photography by Per-Anders Jorgensen
and easy-to-follow recipes, Eating with Chefs provides a
unique insight into the ordinary food behind the immaculate kitchen walls.
11
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8
SUNDAY
2
MONDAY
3
TUESDAY
4
10
11
Event—6 for 6.30
Earth Hour & A First Place
In conversation with Delia Falconer
Delia Falconer talks to David Malouf
about his new collection of poetry
(Earth Hour), and A First Place, the
new collection of personal essays and
writing—celebrating his 80th
birthday
16
17
18
Event—6 for 6.30
Sasha Grishin
Australian Art: A History
In conversation with TBC
Sasha Grishin is a leading Australian
art historian, art critic and curator
and this book is his magnum opus, a
comprehensive and definitive history
of Australian art.
Steven Laurent &
Ross G. Menzies
The Anger Fallacy: Uncovering the
Irrationality of the Angry Mindset
To be launched by TBC
In this ground-breaking book, 2 of
Australia's leading clinical psychologists take a radical approach to anger management, exploding the irrational beliefs that fuel this noxious &
misunderstood emotion.
29 Launch—4 for 4.30
Jack Ellis
The Best Feeling of All
To be launched by Judy Nunn
This book follows two friends who
share in love, loss and life-altering
decisions through the most emotionally charged of all life stages, the
wild and euphoric years between 15
and 25. A strong and compelling debut novel from a new voice in
Australian fiction.
12
WEDNESDAY
5
David Malouf
22 Launch—3.30 for 4
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
Event—6 for 6.30
James Brown
Anzac's Long Shadow: The Cost
of our National Obsession
In conversation with Anna Clark
Defence analyst and former army officer James Brown believes that Australia is expending too much time,
money and emotion on the Anzac
legend, and that today's soldiers are
suffering for it.
9
15
All events listed are $10/$7 concession. Book Launches are free.
Gleeclub members free entry to events at 49 Glebe Pt Rd
March
2014
23 Launch—3.30 for 4
Diana T. Kenny
24
25
From Id to Intersubjectivity:
Talking about the Talking Cure
with Master Clinicians
To be launched by Dr Ron Spielman
Psychoanalysis has moved a long
way from the techniques of classical psychoanalysis. This book seeks
to understand & disseminate these
changes to the wider community.
30
12 Event—6 for 6.30
Don Weatherburn
Arresting Incarceration: Pathways
out of Indigenous Imprisonment
In conversation with Mick Gooda
Despite sweeping reforms by the
Keating government following the
1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the rate
of Indigenous imprisonment has
soared. Don Weatherburn investigates what has gone wrong.
19 Event—6 for 6.30
Rafael Epstein
THURSDAY
Launch—6 for 6.30
6
Anita Heiss
7
Tiddas
To be launched by Sonja Stewart
In Anita Heiss's new novel 5 women,
best friends for decades, meet once a
month to talk about books, and life,
love & the jagged bits in between.
But each woman harbours a complex secret and one weekend, without
warning, everything comes unstuck.
13
Event—6 for 6.30
Rodney Tiffen
14 Double Launch
6 for 6.30
Robert Dixon & Brigid Rooney
Rupert Murdoch: A Reassessment
Scenes of Reading: Is Australian
In conversation with John Menadue
Literature a World Literature?
This comprehensive book traces Ru- Launched by Ass. Prof. Nicole Moore
pert Murdoch's business career, the
Paul Giles
entrepreneurial strategies that led to
his early success and his later exer- Antipodean America: Australasia &
the Constitution of US Literature
cises of monopoly power.
Launched by Prof. Ian Tyrrell
20
Event—6 for 6.30
Bewitched & Bedevilled:
Women Write the Gillard Years
Prisoner X
In conversation with Mark Colvin
Did he work for Mossad? Was he also Panel: Eva Cox, Tracy Spicer
working for ASIO? Was he involved
and others
in the supply of false passports? Was Chaired by Samantha Trenoweth
he a whistle blower or double agent, This is an intelligent but accessible
or simply a young man way out of his analysis of Australia's reaction to the
depth? In Prisoner X Rafael Epstein nation's first female Prime Minister
uncovers the intriguing story of a from some of Australia's leading
young Australian, Ben Zygier, swept
female voices.
up in international intelligence.
26 Event—6 for 6.30
FRIDAY
27
Event—6 for 6.30
21
Double Launch
6 for 6.30
Vagabond Press Poetry
Jaya Savige
Maze Bright
To be launched by TBC
Joel Scott
Dairy Farm
Launched by TBC
28 Launch—6 for 6.30
Panel
Christine Osborne
Adrian Newstead
Travels with My Hat
Beams Falling—P.M. Newton The Dealer Is the Devil: An Insider's
To
be
launched by Ita Buttrose
History
of
the
Aboriginal
Art
Trade
The Lost Girls—Wendy James
In conversation with John McDonald Starting with her first trip to Europe
Hades—Candice Fox
Adrian Newstead’s explosive memoir in 1963, Christine Osborne saw and
Three authors of new Australian
photographed many of the world’s
crime novels join in a panel to talk lifts the lid on what Robert Hughes most pristine places, before mass
once described as 'the last great art tourism and hyper-development
about their new books.
movement of the 20th century'.
changed them forever.
29
31
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OSTAGE an
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13
Australian Studies
QE 53: That Sinking Feeling: Asylum Seekers & the
Search for the Indonesian Solution by Paul Toohey
In an unflinching look at people at their worst and best—and most ruthless and most vulnerable—Paul Toohey focusses on one of Tony Abbott's signature promises: to stop the boats. Has his government succeeded? If so, at what cost? In Java, Toohey observes asylum seekers
heading for Australia and reports on the Indonesian response. He tells
the stories of individual refugees, looks closely at people-smugglers in action, and witnesses
the aftermath of a sinking at sea. Toohey also examines Australian attitudes to refugees, and
what politicians have made of them. He assesses the use of secrecy and the term 'illegals.'
Tracing the path that led to the PNG Solution, he considers whether there are realistic alternatives to the brutally effective system we now have. ($19.99, PB)
Tasmania's Convicts: How felons built a free society
by Alison Alexander ($32.99, PB)
The majority of Tasmanians today have convict ancestry, whether they
know it or not. While the public stigma of its convict past has given
way to a contemporary fascination with colonial history, in this penetrating account of an important aspect of Australia's history Alison
Alexander debates whether the convict legacy lingers deep in the psyche of white Tasmania. Following the lives of dozens of convicts &
their families, she uncovers stories of success & failure. While some
suffered brutal conditions, most served their time and were freed, becoming ordinary and
peaceful citizens. Yet over the decades, a terrible stigma became associated with the convicts, and they and the whole colony went to extraordinary lengths to hide it.
Now in B Format
The Words that Made Australia: How a Nation Came to Know Itself
(eds) Robert Manne & Chris Feik, $19.99
We love a good story
Aboriginal Studies
Dark Emu: Black Seeds, Agriculture or
Accident? by Bruce Pascoe
Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration
of the hunter-gatherer tag for precolonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right
across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating and storing—behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. Gerritsen and Gammage in their latest books support this premise but Bruce
Pascoe takes this further and challenges the hunter-gatherer tag as a convenient
lie. Almost all the evidence comes from the records and diaries of the Australian
explorers, impeccable sources. ($35, PB)
Geoarchaeology of Aboriginal Landscapes
in Semi-arid Australia
by Simon Holdaway & Patricia Fanning
This book provides readers with a unique understanding of
the ways in which Aboriginal people interacted with their
environment in the past at one particular location in western New South Wales. It also provides a statement showing how geoarchaeology should be conducted in a wide
range of locations throughout Australia. ($35, PB)
Yamakarra! Liza Kennedy & the Keewong
Mob ($59.95, PB)
Yamakarra! Is built on the memories of Liza Kennedy
1902–1996. It celebrates a group of Aboriginal people
whose country is between Cobar & Ivanhoe in far western NSW. Lack of water in this region meant that the
grazing industry did not take hold until the 2nd half of
the 19th century, so Aunty Liza grew up with people
who had been born before that industry took over their
country. The level of independence that the Keewong
Mob enjoyed during her early ears had long been impossible for most other
Aboriginal people in south-eastern Australia, and it is this setting that makes
Aunty Liza’s memories special.
Also New
Survival: A History of Aboriginal Life in NSW ($38.95,PB)
In the Absence of Treaty
(ed)
Michele Harris ($17, HB)
14
Australia & the Vietnam War by Peter Edwards
The Vietnam War was Australia’s longest & most controversial military
commitment of the 20th century, ending in humiliation for the US and
its allies with the downfall of South Vietnam. The war provoked deep
divisions in Australian society & politics, particularly since for the
first time young men were conscripted for overseas service in a highly
contentious ballot system. Was Vietnam a case of Australia fighting
‘other people’s wars’? Were we really ‘all the way’ with the United
States? How valid was the ‘domino theory’? Did the Australian forces
develop new tactical methods in earlier Southeast Asian conflicts, and just how successful were they against the unyielding enemy in Vietnam? In this landmark book, historian
Peter Edwards skilfully unravels the complexities of the global Cold War, decolonisation in
Southeast Asia and Australian domestic politics to provide new, often surprising, answers to
these questions. ($50, HB)
Jungle Warriors: From Tobruk to Kokoda & Beyond,
How the Australian Army Became the World's Most
Deadly Jungle Fighting Force by Adrian Threlfall
How did the Australian Army transform itself from a military force
totally unprepared for conflict of any kind in 1939 into a professional,
experienced and highly skilled jungle warfare force by 1945? Adam
Threlfall examines the extraordinary changes the Australian Army
underwent over the course of WW2. He explores how the 2nd AIF
evolved from fighting European & desert wars, in open country &
often with large numbers of troops, to master the very close warfare of jungle combat. Following the story from the training camps in Australia on to the battlefields of North Africa
& the Mediterranean to Milne Bay, Kokoda, and final victory in Borneo, Bougainville &
New Guinea, this is a comprehensive interrogation of Australia's jungle warfare experience.
($32.99, PB)
Tales From Boomtown: Western Australian Premiers
from Brand to Barnett by Peter Kennedy
Journalist Peter Kennedy spent more than forty years observing 11 Premiers of WA, across an extraordinary period of change in Western Australia’s history, from 1970 to 2013. His insider’s account reveals firsthand the issues linked with the jailing of two Premiers and a deputy
Premier, the ruthless removal of a Premier mid-term, the election of
the nation’s first female Premier, and the sensational ‘WA Inc’ Royal
Commission. Kennedy notes how the changes in the eleven Premiers
reflected the development of the state, and reveals the personal maneouverings linked with
a number of key decisions. Speaking to former Premiers, as well as former Prime Ministers
and other national figures, the result is a series of revelations that shed new light on the
politics and politicians of the most dynamic period of WA’s colourful history. ($29.99, PB)
Wife & Baggage to Follow by Rachel Miller
These are the eye-opening first-hand accounts of Australian diplomats wives, from the
founding of the diplomatic service till recent decades. Adventure, hardship, war, opportunity, these are the fish-out-of-water stories of intelligent, dedicated women raising families
in far-flung corners of the globe. They were the unpaid pioneers the nation relied on to help
build its diplomatic service. Illustrated and indexed, this is an important picture of the way
we were, and the way Australia stepped onto the global stage. ($29.95, PB)
Politics
Words Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy
Riot by Masha Gessen ($22.99, PB)
On 21 February 2012, five members of an obscure feminist postpunk collective called Pussy Riot staged a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Dressed in their trademark
brightly coloured dresses and balaclavas, the women performed
their song Punk Prayer—Mother of God, Chase Putin Away! in
front of the altar. The performance lasted only 40 seconds but it
resulted in two-year prison sentences for three of the performers. With unique access to
the band and those closest to them, Masha Gessen explores the status of dissent in Russia, the roots of the group and their adoption—or appropriation—by wider collectives,
feminist groups and music icons.
Battles Half Won: India's Improbable Democracy
by Ashutosh Varshney ($24.95, PB)
This book analyses the deepening of Indian democracy since 1947
and the challenges this has created. Examing themes ranging from
Hindu nationalism, caste politics and ethnic conflict Varshney offers original insights on several key questions: how federalism has
handled linguistic diversity thus far, and why governance and regional underdevelopment will drive the formation of new states
now; how coalition making induces ideological moderation in the
politics of the BJP; how the political empowerment of the Dalits
has not ensured their economic transformation; how the social revolution in the south
led to its overtaking the north; and how the 1991 economic reforms succeeded because
they affected elite, not mass, politics.
Factory of Strategy: Thirty-three Lessons on Lenin
by Antonio Negri ($57.95, HB)
This is the last of Antonio Negri's major political works to be translated into English. It is both a systematic inquiry into the development of Lenin's thought & an encapsulation of a critical shift in Negri's theoretical trajectory. Negri refrains from portraying Lenin as
a ferocious dictator enforcing the poor's reappropriation of wealth,
nor does he depict him as a mere military tool of a vanguard opposed to the Ancien Régime. Negri instead champions Leninism's
ability to adapt to different working-class compositions in Russia,
China, Latin America, and elsewhere. He argues that Lenin developed a new political
figure in & beyond modernity & an effective organisation capable of absorbing different
historical conditions. Negri ultimately urges readers to recognise the universal application of Leninism today and its potential to institutionally—not anarchically—dismantle
centralised power.
The Second Arab Awakening by Marwan Muasher
Marwan Muasher, former foreign minister of Jordan, takes a long,
judicious view of political change in the Arab world, beginning with
the 1st Awakening in the 19th century & extending into future decades when—if the dream is realised—a new Arab world defined by
pluralism and tolerance will emerge. He asserts that all sides—the
US, Europe, Israel and Arab governments alike—were deeply misguided in their thinking about Arab politics & society when the
turmoil of the Arab Spring erupted. He explains the causes of the
unrest, tracing them back to the 1st Arab Awakening, warns of the
forces today that threaten the success of the 2nd Arab Awakening,
and discusses steps all parties can take to encourage positive statebuilding in the freshly unsettled Arab world. ($$41.95, HB)
Faith of the Faithless: Experiments in Political
Theology by Simon Critchley ($29.99, PB)
Why do we still have religion? It seems to offer nothing but violence, suppression and conflict. Discussing the relationship between religion and politics, exploring questions of faith, love, human nature and original sin, Simon Critchley asks whether we can
establish a faith for the faithless and how it can manifest itself in
everyday life, from the identity of love to the role of violence. In these explorations in
politics and original sin, Critchley interacts with the work of Schmitt and John Gray, and
wonders whether there can be a belief for unbelievers. Expanding on his debate with
Slavoj Zizek, he also concludes with a meditation on the question of violence, and the
limits of non-violence.
Realizing Hope: Life Beyond Capitalism by Michael Albert
Someone once said that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the
end of capitalism. Michael Albert would disagree. Realizing Hope offers a speculative
vision of a future beyond capitalism—an alternative to the exploitation of human labour, the unchecked destruction of the earth, and the oppression of
all for the benefit of the few. Participatory economics, or parecon, is
Albert's concrete proposal for a classless economy, developed from
anarchist principles first introduced by Kropotkin, Bakunin & Pannekoek Albert takes the insights & hopes of parecon & enlarges
them to address all key aspects of social life & society—gender,
culture, politics, science, technology, journalism, ecology, and others. Realizing Hope provides vision to help conceive of a world
that might be just over the horizon, a world we can begin building
today. ($26.95 PB)
Now in B Format
The Future by Al Gore, $20
History
The Idea of Israel: A History of Power & Knowledge by Ilan Pappe ($39.99, HB)
Since 1948, the idea of Zionism has been the cornerstone of Israel's identity, its politics and its actions. In this groundbreaking
new history, Ilan Pappe looks at the role of how the idea of Israel
itself was created through history, film and literature. In this history of an idea, Pappe explores the many methods that the state
has used to instil an unswerving belief in nationhood. He also explores how, in the
course of one decade, the Oslo years of the 1990s, this idea came under sustained
questioning for the first time from a new generation of Post Zionist thinkers. A brilliant anatomy of nationalism, from one of the leading and most controversial historians of Israel which shows the dangerous power of ideas.
Dark Invasion:1915, Germany's secret war and
the hunt for the first terrorist cell in America
by Howard Blum ($33, PB)
New York City, 1915: as WW1 rages in the battlefields of Europe, a covert war is taking place in America. When the Germans
find out that the supposedly neutral US have been supplying
goods to Britain & other Allied powers, they implement a secret
plan to strike back. Franz von Rintelen, an aristocratic German
with connections in American banking, arrives in NY to set up
a spy network. This team of saboteurs—including an expert on
germ warfare, a Harvard professor, and a brilliant, debonair spy master—devise a
series of 'mysterious accidents', involving explosives & biological weapons, to bring
down targets such as ships & factories, and even captains of industry such as J. P.
Morgan. A riveting real-life thriller.
The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of
the World by Lincoln Paine ($59.99, HB)
Lincoln Paine takes the reader back to the origins of longdistance migration by sea with our ancestors' first forays from
Africa & Eurasia to Australia & the Americas. He demonstrates
the critical role of maritime trade to the civilisations of ancient
Egypt & Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley. He reacquaints us
with the great seafaring cultures of antiquity, like those of the
Phoenicians & Greeks, as well as those of India, Southeast &
East Asia, who parlayed their navigational skills, shipbuilding
techniques, and commercial acumen to establish vibrant overseas colonies & trade
routes in the centuries leading up to the age of European overseas expansion. His
narrative traces subsequent developments in commercial & naval shipping through
the post-Cold War era. Above all, Paine makes clear how the rise and fall of civilisations can be traced to the sea..
Berlin: Imagine a City by Rory MacLean
Berlin is a city of fragments and ghosts, a laboratory of ideas,
the fount of both the brightest and darkest designs of history's
most bloody century. Rory MacLean assembles an eclectic cast
of Berliners over 5 centuries. We meet the crippled medieval
balladeer whose suffering explains the Nazi's rise to power,
the ambitious prostitute who refashioned herself as a royal
princess, the Scottish mercenary who fought for the Prussian
Army, the fearful Communist Party functionary who helped
to build the Wall. We see Marlene Dietrich flaunting her sexuality in The Blue
Angel, Goebbels concocting Nazi iconography, Hitler fantasising about the megacity Germania & David Bowie recording Heroes. Through these intimate portraits,
MacLean paints a richly varied, unexpected tour of Berlin's history. ($35, PB)
The Fateful Year: England 1914
by Mark Bostridge ($45, HB)
In a vivid and enthralling narrative, Mark Bostridge charts one of
the most momentous years in English history. A crowded cast of
unforgettable characters includes suffragettes armed with axes,
schoolchildren going on strike in support of their teachers & celebrity aviators thrilling spectators by looping the loop. With the
declaration of war, the country is beset by rumour & foreboding.
Amid fears of invasion, there is hysteria about German spies
& outrage at men who are branded 'shirkers' because of their
failure to enlist during the early months of the conflict. As 1914 fades out, and the
casualty lists lengthen, England accustoms itself to the prospect of a war of long
duration. Andrew Bostridge brings this fateful year memorably alive.
Economy of Glory: From Ancien Regime France
to the Fall of Napoleon by Robert Morrissey
From the outset of Napoleon's career, the charismatic Corsican
was compared to mythic heroes of antiquity like Achilles, and
even today he remains the apotheosis of French glory, a value
deeply embedded in the country's history. Examining how Napoleon saw glory as a means of escaping the impasse of Revolutionary ideas of radical egalitarianism reveals that the economy
of glory was both egalitarian, creating the possibility of an aristocracy based on merit rather than wealth, and traditional, being
deeply embedded in the history of aristocratic chivalry & the monarchy—making
it the heart of Napoleon's politics of fusion. Available for the first time in English.
($65, HB)
15
Science & Nature
Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the
Ultimate Nature of Reality by Max Tegmark
Riding his bike to school one morning in 1985, Max Tegmark was
killed by a truck. But it wasn't the Max Tegmark in the universe
we know. In our particular universe, he narrowly avoided the forty tonnes of honking steel, and lived to become one of the most
important, original cosmologists at work today, and to write this
book. But, he asks, if we can't see that parallel world, how do we know that it is real?
Exploring the fundamental puzzle of why our universe seems so mathematical, Tegmark proposes an elegant and radical idea. Our physical world, he says, is not only
described by mathematics, it is mathematics: the world that we inhabit is one vast
mathematical object. This idea offers tantalising answers to our deepest questions:
How large is reality? What is everything ultimately made of? Why is our universe
the way it is?. ($45, HB)
Imagination and a Pile of Junk: A Droll History of
Inventors and Inventions by Trevor Norton
Although inventors were often scientists or engineers, many were
not: Samuel Morse (Morse code) was a painter, Laszlo Biro (the
ballpoint pen) was a sculptor and hypnotist, and Logie Baird (TV)
sold boot polish. The inventor of the automatic telephone switchboard was an undertaker who believed the exchange operator was
diverting his calls to rival morticians and so decided to make all
telephone operators redundant. It often took a while for great inventions to be exploited: transistors languished in hearing aids for ten years before
they transformed radios & twenty years after anaesthetics were invented, some
hospitals were still operating without them. Trevor Norton weaves a witty history
of invention that includes a seductive mix of eureka moments, disasters and dirty
tricks. ($35, HB)
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
by Elizabeth Kolbert ($29.99, HB)
Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically
contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring
the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.
But this time around, the cataclysm is us. Elizabeth Kolbert introduces us to a dozen species, some already gone, others facing
extinction, including the Panamian golden frog, staghorn coral, the Great Auk and
the Sumatran rhino. Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of
the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as a
concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in French Revolutionary Paris
through to the present day.
Social Physics: How Good Ideas Spread—The
Lessons from a New Science by Alex Pentland
If the Big Data revolution has a presiding genius, it is MIT's Alex
Pentland. Over years of groundbreaking experiments, he has distilled remarkable discoveries that have become the bedrock of a
new scientific field: social physics. This revolutionary science
shows that innovation doesn't come from a few exceptionally
bright people, but from the flow of ideas—especially how our social networks spread ideas and turn those ideas into behaviours.
Pentland shows us how to fine-tune these networks to improve their performance
—for instance, by maximising a group's collective intelligence, or by using social
incentives to work through disruptive change. ($29.99, PB)
Philip's Guide to Weather Forecasting
This new edition contains detailed information on what causes the
weather, information on recognising different cloud formations,
notes on how weather systems form, and background on what
causes the extreme weather that has so dominated the news in recent years. Local weather systems, such as wind, visibility, frost
and snow, are also featured, along with information about optical
effects such as rainbows, haloes and mirages. There's also invaluable advice about the instruments available to use at home, making
it the ideal book for the amateur forecaster. ($24.99, PB)
Seven Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing
Them by Mark Jerome Walters ($23, PB)
Every time we sneeze, there seems to be a new form of flu: bird
flu, swine flu, Spanish flu, Hong Kong flu, H5N1, and most recently, H5N7. While these diseases appear to emerge from thin air,
in fact, human activity is driving them. Through human stories and
cutting-edge science, Walters explores the origins of seven diseases: Mad Cow Disease, HIV/AIDS, Salmonella DT104, Lyme
Disease, Hantavirus, West Nile, and new strains of flu. He shows
that they originate from manipulation of the environment, from emitting carbon and
clear-cutting forests to feeding naturally herbivorous cows 'recycled animal protein'.
Readers will both learn how today’s plagues first developed and discover patterns
that could help prevent the diseases of tomorrow.
Now in B Format
The Genius of Dogs: Discovering the Unique Intelligence
of Man's Best Friend by Hare & Woods, $19.99
16
Philosophy & Religion
Culture and the Death of God by Terry Eagleton
How to live in a supposedly faithless world threatened by religious
fundamentalism? Terry Eagleton investigates the contradictions, difficulties and significance of the modern search for a replacement for
God. Engaging with a wide range of ideas, issues and thinkers from
the Enlightenment to today, Eagleton discusses the state of religion
before and after 9/11, the ironies surrounding Western capitalism's part
in spawning not only secularism but also fundamentalism, and the unsatisfactory surrogates for the Almighty invented in the post-Enlightenment era. The author reflects on the unique capacities of religion, the
possibilities of culture and art as modern paths to salvation, the so-called war on terror's
impact on atheism, and a host of other topics of concern to those who envision a future in
which just and compassionate communities thrive. ($34.95, HB)
Now in B Format
The God Argument by A. C. Grayling, $19.99
Boundaries of Toleration
(eds) Alfred Stepan and Charles Taylor ($49.95, PB)
How can people of diverse religious, historical, ethnic & linguistic allegiances & identities live together without committing violence, inflicting suffering, or oppressing each other? Salman Rushdie reflects on the
once mutually tolerant Sufi-Hindu culture of Kashmir. Ira Katznelson
follows with an intellectual history of toleration as a layered institution
in the West & counsels against assuming we have transcended the need
for such tolerance. Charles Taylor advances a new approach to secularism in our multicultural world, and Akeel Bilgrami responds by urging caution against making it difficult to
condemn, or make illegal, dangerous forms of intolerance. The political theorist Nadia
Urbanati explores why the West did not pursue Cicero's humanist ideal of concord as a
response to religious discord. The volume concludes with a refutation of the claim that
toleration was invented in the West and is alien to non-Western cultures.
Worlds Without End: The Many Lives of the Multiverse
by Mary-Jane Rubenstein ($48.95, HB)
'Multiverse' cosmologies imagine our universe as just one of a vast
number of others. While this idea has captivated philosophy, religion,
& literature for millennia, it is now being considered as a scientific hypothesis—with different models emerging from cosmology, quantum
mechanics, and string theory. Beginning with ancient Atomist & Stoic
philosophies, Mary-Jane Rubenstein links contemporary models of the
multiverse to their forerunners & explores their current emergence. If
all possible worlds exist somewhere, then it is no surprise one of them
happens to be suitable for life. Yet this hypothesis replaces God with
an equally baffling article of faith: the existence of universes beyond,
before, or after our own, eternally generated yet forever inaccessible.
In sidestepping metaphysics, multiverse scenarios collide with it, producing their own
counter-theological narratives. Rubenstein argues, however, that this interdisciplinary
collision provides the condition of its scientific viability, reconfiguring the boundaries
among physics, philosophy & religion.
Objective Communication: Writing, Speaking and
Arguing by Leonard Peikoff ($20, PB)
Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism is increasingly influencing the
shape of the world, from business and politics to achieving personal
goals. Here, Leonard Peikoff—Rand's heir—explains how you can
communicate philosophical ideas with conviction, logic, and, most
of all, reason. Peikoff teaches readers how to write, speak, and argue
on the subject of philosophical ideas, including discussions of a wide
range of Objectivist topics—such as the primacy of consciousness, the
pitfalls of rationalistic thinking, and the true meaning of the word 'altruism,' as well as in-depth analysis of some of Ayn Rand's own writings.
Jews and Words
by Amos Oz & Fania Oz-Salzberger ($19.95, PB)
Novelist Amos Oz and historian Fania Oz-Salzberger roam the gamut of Jewish history to explain the integral relationship of Jews and
words. Through a blend of storytelling and scholarship, conversation
and argument, father and daughter tell the tales behind Judaism's most
enduring names, adages, disputes, texts and quips. From the unnamed,
possibly-female author of the Song of Songs through obscure Talmudists to contemporary writers, they suggest that Jewish continuity, even
Jewish uniqueness, depends not on central places, monuments, heroic
personalities, or rituals, but rather on written words and an ongoing
conversation between the generations.
The Romantic Absolute: Being and Knowing in Early
German Romantic Philosophy, 1795–1804
by Dalia Nassar ($77, HB)
The absolute was one of the most significant philosophical concepts in
the early nineteenth century, particularly for the German romantics. Its
exact meaning and its role within philosophical romanticism remain,
however, a highly contested topic among contemporary scholars. Dalia
Nassar's new assessment of the Romantics fills an important gap in the
history of philosophy, especially the crucial period between Kant and Hegel.
Psychology
Falling into the Fire: A Psychiatrist's Encounters
with the Mind in Crisis by Christine Montross
A woman habitually commits self-injury, ingesting light bulbs, a box
of nails, zippers, and a steak knife. A new mother is admitted with incessant visions of harming her child. A recent uni graduate, dressed in
a tunic and declaring that love emanates from everything around him,
is brought to the A&E by his alarmed girlfriend. These are among the
patients whom new consultant physician Christine Montross meets during rounds at her hospital's locked inpatient ward as she struggles to understand the mysteries of the mind, most
especially when the tools of modern medicine are failing us. ($27.99, PB)
Imagine There’s No Heaven
The historical achievements of religious belief have
been large and well chronicled. But what about the
accomplishments of those who have challenged
religion? Travelling from classical Greece to twentyfirst century America, Imagine There’s No Heaven
explores the role of disbelief in shaping Western
civilization.
From Id to Intersubjectivity: Talking about the Talking Cure with Master Clinicians by Dianna T. Kenny
Even university scholars & students of psychology have an archetypal
view of the original form of psychoanalysis and do not appreciate that,
as in other fields such as surgery, major changes have occurred. This
new book opens with a detailed outline of the origins of psychoanalysis
& an explanation of key terms, which are often misinterpreted. The 2nd
chapter examines the changes that have occurred in theorising & practice
over the past 120 years & explores the key developments. The following
chapters contain an interview with a practitioner working in one of each
of the 4 major branches of modern psychoanalysis – object relations, attachment informed
psychotherapy, intensive short term dynamic psychotherapy, and relational and intersubjective theory. ($82, PB)
Somatic Reverie by Elizabeth Kreimer ($65, PB)
This book meets a question addressed by Freud and Bion that is now a
focus of neuroscience research: the bridging between primary somatic
experience and consciousness. Somatic Reverie suggests a psychotherapeutic somato-oneiric inner state of intimate right-brain attunement
between embodied non-verbal selves; and a transformational process
of contiguous experiencing, whereby the psychotherapist viscerally
feels the patient’s raw emotions, and reaches an intense synchronized
coupling of affective consciousness. Elizabeth Kreimer uses narrative
of psychotherapeutic processes with child and adult patients to describe
how somatic reverie has evolved over 3 decades & how it is used in a variety of clinical &
cross-cultural interventions, and is awakened in trainees.
ISBN 9781137002600
Palgrave Macmillan
The Safe Investor
McCarthy guides the reader along a
straightforward path to investment success by
telling engaging and actual stories to illustrate
each of his seven lessons of successful investing.
The Safe Investor will help even those readers
with little interest or aptitude for finance to be
comfortable in knowing what to do to manage
their life investment plan and how to manage
their own advisors.
ISBN 9781137279101
Palgrave Macmillan
Economics For The Curious
Alfred Marshall, the founder of modern economics,
once described economics as ‘the study of
mankind in the ordinary business of earning a
living’. In this title, 12 Nobel Laureates show that
‘the ordinary business of earning a living’ covers a
wide range of activities, as they take readers on an
engaging tour of some of the everyday issues that
can be explored using basic economic principles.
Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage
Brain by Daniel J. Siegel ($32.99, PB)
Between the ages of 12 and 24, the brain changes in important and oftentimes maddening ways. It's no wonder that many parents approach
their child's adolescence with fear and trepidation. In Brainstorm, Daniel
J. Siegel illuminates how brain development impacts teenagers' behaviour and relationships. Drawing on important new research in the field
of interpersonal neurobiology, he explores exciting ways in which understanding how the teenage brain functions can help parents make what
is in fact an incredibly positive period of growth, change, and experimentation in their children's lives less lonely and distressing on both sides of the generational divide.
Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power
by Dan Hurley ($29.99, PB)
For over a hundred years science has agreed: intelligence is fixed. IQ
and other standard tests have shown that whether or not you're born
smart, there's nothing you can do about it. Dan Hurley reveals how a
new field of intelligence research shows that cleverness can be simply
and significantly improved. You'll learn how IQ works (and doesn't),
why being physically fit, taking up an instrument or listening to music
when young, playing video games and doing daily working memory
tests all contribute to making us smarter.
Now in B Format
Far from the Tree: A Dozen Kinds of Love
by Andrew Solomon, $25
Subliminal: The New Unconscious and What It Teaches Us
by Leonard Mlodinow, $19.99
We Are Our Brains: From the Womb to Alzheimer's
by Dick Swaab ($39.99, HB)
Neuroscientist Dick Swaab takes the reader on a guided tour of the intricate inner workings that determine our potential, our limitations, our
desires and our characters, providing a vivid cross-section of what makes
us human. Each chapter serves as an eye-opening window on a different
brain stage: the gender differences that develop in the embryonic brain;
what goes on in the heads of adolescents; how parenthood permanently
changes the brain; the breakdown that leads to Alzheimer's and other
conditions. Swaab shows how everything from our moral character to our religious leanings
to our sexual orientation is present in our neuronal circuits before we are born. And he challenges many of our prevailing assumptions about what makes us human, revealing, for example, how the maternal instinct is actually the result of hormonal changes during pregnancy.
Many of Swaab's conclusions were once controversial given their bold implications, but are
now broadly accepted in the neuroscience community.
ISBN 9781137383587
Palgrave Macmillan
Sigmund Freud’s Discovery Of
Psychoanalysis
This title explores links between Freud’s
development of his thinking and theory and his
personal emotional journey. It follows his early
career, with an ultimate focus on the critical
period 1895-1900. During these years Freud
developed the core of his psychoanalytic theory.
ISBN 9780415635554
Routledge
Stitched Up
Combining industry insider interviews with
a fascinating historical narrative, Stitched Up
delves into the alluring world of fashion to reveal
what is behind the clothes we wear. Stitched
Up explores consumerism, class and advertising
to reveal the interests which benefit from
exploitation.
ISBN 9780745334561
Pluto
The Adventurous Vegetarian
Author Jane Hughes has brought together
favourite meals and fascinating stories from
Belgium to China, Cuba to Palestine. Each
country is introduced by a section about
that country’s traditional vegetarian meals
and interesting info about the history of
vegetarianism within that country.
ISBN 9781780261249
Pluto
palgravemacmillan.com.au
17
Sketchbooks:
Betty Churcher's
& Yours
Betty Churcher has a new book coming out in
April. Australian Notebooks is a collection
of her sketches of her favourite artworks in
Australian galleries. She writes: While I was
director of the National Gallery in Canberra,
I always travelled with my notebook. Often I drew simply to fix
the painting in my memory (once drawn, never forgotten). This
new book follows in the steps of Notebooks, where I sketched artworks in international galleries. Now, with failing health, I have
made one last trip around Australia to visit my most cherished
artworks. This book is to be my last and is, as such, very dear to
me—it is my aim to bring some of the great pictures that sustained
me since my days as a schoolgirl in Brisbane in the 1940s to the
attention of the Australian public, so that I can share my enthusiasm with my readers.
What a good idea for a book. What a brilliant idea for any art lover, or aspiring artist—recording paintings, buildings, sculptures
in their own sketchbooks. And Gleebooks stocks many sketchbooks that would be very suitable for the task. The Tate Modern sketchbook range is fantastic—good quality paper, different
shapes and sizes (the landscape sketchbook is my favourite). The
Clarefontaine sketchbooks range from A6 to A3, and have good
quality paper (and pretty covers). Zap books are very popular for
the young sketching set. With their chunky shapes, fairly ordinary
paper—available in several shapes and sizes—Zap books are the
perfect book to take with you while backpacking. We also have
a great range of Moleskine pocket sketchbooks and watercolour
books ($22.95).
The Sketchbook Project was an art project that
started in 2006, when two friends started sharing, collecting and mailing sketchbooks (544
artists submitted their sketchbooks), and by
2012, an amazing 61,789 artists participated
in the project. The Sketchbook Project Journal: More than 200 Ways to Fill a Page by
Shane Peterman and Shane Zucker ($25) is an
accompanying sketchbook to fill in, but with
some creative directives. The removable cover
folds out to reveal some of the artwork from the projects, and a
photo of the sketchbooks that have been collected at the Brooklyn
Art Library.
My favourite sketchbook, although hardly portable at 34cm
square, is described by its publisher McSweeney’s McMullens as
a 'giant-size, author-illustrator starter kit…one huge completely
blank book, ready to be filled in by you'. One Big Book is $18,
has a hardcover, and good quality white drawing paper, and its
very size alone will inspire you. Louise Pfanner
Stephen Ward Was Innocent, OK: The Case
for Overturning his Conviction
by Geoffrey Robertson QC ($25, PB)
In the summer of '61 John Profumo, Minister for War, enjoyed
a brief affair with Christine Keeler. Late in the afternoon of
Wednesday 31 July 1963, Dr Stephen Ward was convicted
at the Old Bailey on two counts alleging that he lived on the
earnings of a prostitute. He was not in the dock but comatose
in hospital. The previous night he had attempted suicide, because (as he said
in a note) 'after Marshall's [the judge's] summing up, I've given up all hope'. He
died on Saturday 3 August, without regaining consciousness. Many observers
of the proceedings thought the convictions did not reflect the evidence and that
the trial was unfair, and this book will show that it breached basic standards of
justice. Geoffrey Robertson brings his forensic skills and a deeply felt sense of
injustice to the case at the heart of the Profumo affair, the notorious scandal that
brought down a government.
The Pleasure's All Mine by Julie Peakman
Homosexuals, transvestites, transsexuals, sado-masochists,
necrophiliacs—all of these have been, or still are, considered ‘deviants’. Concomitantly there has been an almost
universal acceptance that unembellished vaginal penetration, performed by one man and one woman, is ‘normal’ sex.
This is now contested. But what is perverse sex and what
isn’t? The Pleasure’s All Mine explores the gamut of sexual
activity that has been seen as strange, abnormal or deviant
over the last 2,000 years. ($55, HB)
18
Cultural Studies
Geek Sublime: Writing Fiction, Coding Software
by Vikram Chandra ($27.99, PB)
A great novelist on his twin obsessions: writing & coding. What is the
relationship between the two? Is there such a thing as the sublime in
code? Can we ascribe beauty to the craft of coding? Author Vikram
Chandra has been a computer programmer for almost as long as he has
been a writer. In his new book he looks at the connection between these
two worlds of art & technology. Coders are obsessed with elegance and
style, just as writers are, but do the words mean the same thing to both? And is it a coincidence that Chandra is drawn to two seemingly opposing ways of thinking? Exploring these
questions, Chandra creates an idiosyncratic history of coding—exploring such varied topics
as logic gates and literary modernism, the male machismo of geeks, the striking presence of
an 'Indian Mafia' in Silicon Valley, and the writings of Abhinavagupta, the 10th/11th century
Kashmiri thinker. Part technology story and part memoir, Geek Sublime is a heady book of
sweeping ideas.
The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (And It Wasn't
My Fault And I'll Never Do It Again) by P.J. O'Rourke
The Baby Boom—over-sized, overwrought, overbearing, and all over the
place, from Donovan to Obama. The generation that said with a straight
face, 'We are the world.' What's so funny about peace, love and understanding? Ask the generation responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall
and their knickers. Who put their faith in the Kyoto Accord and disco.
Who dropped out of the capitalist system and popped back again in time
to cause a global financial crisis. A hilarious look at the ageing baby
boomer generation from the author the Spectator labelled 'what happens when America
does Grumpy Old Men'. ($27.99, PB)
Reading Dante by Giuseppe Mazzotta ($34.95, PB)
Guiseppe Mazzotta brings Dante and his masterpiece to life in this exploration of the man, his cultural milieu, and his unendingly fascinating
works. Based on Mazzotta's highly popular Yale course, this book offers a critical reading of The Divine Comedy and selected other works
by Dante. Through an analysis of Dante's autobiographical Vita nuova,
Mazzotta establishes the poetic and political circumstances of The Divine Comedy. He situates the three sections of the poem—Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise—within the intellectual and social context of the late
Middle Ages, and explores the political, philosophical and theological
topics with which Dante was particularly concerned.
Essays and Reviews: 1959–2002 by Bernard Williams
Philosopher Bernard Williams was also a distinguished critic & essayist
with a rare ability to communicate complex ideas to a wide public. This
is the first collection of Williams's popular essays & reviews, many of
which appeared in the NYRB, the London Review of Books, and the
TLS. Included here are reviews of John Rawls's Theory of Justice, Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State and Utopia, Alastair MacIntyre's After Virtue, Richard Rorty's Consequences of Pragmatism, and Martha Nussbaum's Therapy of Desire. But many of these essays extend beyond
philosophy and together provide an intellectual tour through the past
half century, from C. S. Lewis and Umberto Eco to Noam Chomsky. No matter the subject,
Williams probes and challenges arguments, teases out their implications, and connects them
to the wider intellectual scene. At the same time, readers see a first-class mind grappling with
landmark books in 'real time', before critical consensus had formed and ossified. With an
introduction by Michael Wood. ($57.95, HB)
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink ($29.99, PB)
After Hurricane Katrina struck and the floodwaters rose, the power failed,
and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers chose to designate certain
patients last for rescue. Months later, several health professionals faced
criminal allegations that they deliberately injected numerous patients
with drugs to hasten their deaths. After 6 years of exhaustive research
physician & reporter Sheri Fink reconstructs five days in the aftermath
of Katrina at New Orleans' Memorial Medical Centre. She unspools the
mystery of what happened in those days, bringing the reader into a hospital fighting for its life and into a conversation about the most terrifying form of health care
rationing, exposing the hidden dilemmas of end-of-life care and revealing just how ill-prepared we are for the impact of large-scale disasters—while suggesting how we can do better.
The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant,
Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News—And Divided
a Country by Gabriel Sherman ($45, HB)
When Rupert Murdoch enlisted Roger Ailes to launch a cable news network in 1996, American politics & media changed forever. From the
Clinton-Lewinsky scandal to the Bush-Gore recount, from the war in
Iraq to the Tea Party attack on the Obama presidency, Roger Ailes has
developed an unrivalled power to sway the national agenda. Even more,
he has become the indispensable figure in conservative America & the
man any Republican politician with presidential aspirations must court.
How did this man, whose life story has until now been shrouded in myth, become the master
strategist of the US's political landscape? Gabriel Sherman brings Ailes' unique genius to life,
along with the outsize personalities—Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly, Sarah Palin,
Karl Rove, Glenn Beck, Mike Huckabee & others—who have helped Fox News play a defining role in the great social and political controversies of the past two decades.
Poetry
Earth Hour by David Malouf ($29.95, HB)
We sit in the warm dark watching container-ships ride on blueblack moonlit glitters. / After long journeying arrived at the high
tide of silence, after talk. David Malouf's new collection comes to
rest at the perfect, still moment of 'silence, following talk' after its
exploration of memory, imagination and mortality. With elegance
and wit, these poems move from profound depths to whimsy and
playfulness. As Malouf interweaves light and dark, levity and
gravity, he offers a vision of life on this patch/ of earth and its green things, charting
the resilience of beauty amidst stubborn human grace.
The Poetry of Sex (ed) Sophie Hannah ($25, HB)
Romance and poetry seem to go hand in hand but—implicit, explicit, nuanced or starkly frank—sex itself has long been a staple subject for poets. In fact it's hard to imagine a more fruitful
subject for poets than sex, in all its glorious manifestations: from
desire and hope, through disappointment and confusion, to conclusion and consequence. Sophie Hannah's selection ranges from
Ovid describing a summer afternoon of love-making to Rosemary
Tonks telling the Story of a Hotel Room. There are poems that
take a cavalier approach to sexual behaviour, which some would
regard as immoral, poems about fantasising about a lover while being in bed with
another, poems about blow jobs and sex in the office—alongside many poems about
wholesome, committed, sanctioned sex that breaks no rules.
Opened Ground: Poems 1966–1996
by Seamus Heaney ($39.99, HB)
When Seamus Heaney prepared Opened Ground, it came as close
to being a 'Collected Poems' as the author cared to make it. The
edition draws from four decades of Seamus Heaney's verse, together with examples of his work as a translator, from his scintillating debut, Death of a Naturalist, to The Spirit Level, winner of
the Whitbread Book of the Year. The book concludes with 'Crediting Poetry', the speech with which Seamus Heaney accepted the
1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded to him, in the words of the Swedish Academy
of Letters, for his 'works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth'. Opened Ground remains
the most comprehensive edition of his work that Seamus Heaney ever made.
Dog Songs: Thirty-Five Dog Songs and One Essay
by Mary Oliver ($41, HB)
Dog Songs collects some of the most cherished of Mary Oliver's
poems together with new works, offering a portrait of her relationship to the companions that have accompanied her daily walks,
warmed her home, and inspired her work. These are poems of love
and laughter, heartbreak and grief—visiting with old friends, including Oliver's well-loved Percy. Throughout, the many dogs of
Oliver's life emerge as fellow travellers, but also as guides, spirits
capable of opening our eyes to the lessons of the moment and the
joys of nature and connection—in all a testament to the power and depth of the humananimal exchange, from an observer of extraordinary vision.
The Poetry of Derek Walcott 1948–2013
(ed) Glyn Maxwell ($64, HB)
Across sixty-five years, Walcott has grappled with the themes that
have defined his work as they have defined his life: the unsolvable
riddle of identity; the painful legacy of colonialism on his native
Caribbean island of St. Lucia; the mysteries of faith and love and
the natural world; the Western canon, celebrated and problematic;
the trauma of growing old, of losing friends, family, one's own
memory. Included are examples of his very earliest work, like In
My Eighteenth Year, published when the poet himself was still a teenager; his
first widely celebrated verse, like A Far Cry from Africa, which speaks of violence, of
loyalties divided in one's very blood; his mature work, like The Schooner Flight from
The Star-Apple Kingdom; and his late masterpieces, like the tender Sixty Years After.
Correspondences by Anne Michaels ($50, HB)
Anne Michaels' resonant and deeply moving book-length poem
on one side, that ranges from the universal to the intimate, and
Bernice Eisenstein's profound and luminous portraits (accompanied by quotes from great writers and thinkers) on the other, come
together in a uniquely designed accordion book whose physical
format perfectly reflects the thematic interconnectedness of this
creative collaboration—'just as a conversation becomes the third
side of the page ... to name the moment one life becomes another'
(Anne Michaels).
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A Pioneer Trilogy
Before retiring for the night in the clean but sparsely furnished bedroom, I
crept forth to take a dejected survey of the outside world. I had heard the
saying 'the sky's the limit', but here there seemed no limit to the sky. Sky
—sky—such an immensity of sky. One half of its circle dropped down to an
horizon as level as if ruled off with a ruler; the other half merged with the
round naked summits of far hills and the serrated tops of low scrubby tree...
the young moon lay on its back on the western skyline. It was a gilded boomerang... the myriad stars were diamonds of the first water... but what an
appalling loneliness! And what a dreadful menacing silence held the world
in thrall!— Myrtle Rose White (1888–1961) recalling the landscape on
arrival at Lake Elder outback station, near Lake Frome in north east South
Australia in 1910, as a 22 year old mother with a four year old daughter,
Doris (the Little'un).
What a find! This trilogy of memoirs describes life on outback stations in
South Australia and the West Darling district between 1910 and 1938. Born
the third of ten children at Broken Hill, Myrtle's family moved to the Barossa Valley where she attended school at Williamstown. She was working
as a domestic servant when she met her future husband, Cornelius White.
No Roads Go By narrates the seven years they spent on the drought prone
8000 sq mile cattle station in the sand hill country. During that time, two
sons Alan and Garry—'Boy' and 'Little Brother'—were born. The isolation and hardships of outback life are simply and unsparingly related: mail
delivered fortnightly, provisions twice yearly. The two young boys were
frequently ill, the nearest doctor was four hours distant. Rabbit plagues,
dust storms, clearing the constantly silted up water bore with a string of
camels, dispatching drought stricken cattle with a blow to the head, are all
chronicled in restrained prose.
'Pleasant milestones' are also recorded: the three children sliding down
sandy slopes 'with shrieks of happy laughter'; the 'Little'un' with handfuls of
flowers; the beauty of a mob of wild horses; sighting flocks of birds across
a 'darkling sky'; the unexpected return of 'The Boss' after weeks of absence.
In 1922 the family moved to the west Darling district where Cornelius
managed seven stations for 'Cattle King', Sir Sydney Kidman (1857–1935),
including Morden and Wonnaminta, comprising over a million acres
(404,690 ha). In 1937 Cornelius retired and the Whites opened a guest
house in Adelaide. 'The Boss' died three years later. Both sons enlisted in
the Royal Australian Air Force. Alan survived World War II, but Garry was
missing in action.
Encouraged to write by Mary Gilmore (1865–1962), Myrtle White also
formed friendships with authors Jean Devanny (1894–1962), Miles Franklin (1879–1954) and Gwen Meredith (1907–2006). After the war, Myrtles'
daughter Doris and husband Jim Chambers took over the running of Wonnaminta. Many of these episodes are presented in Myrtle White's two sequels, Beyond the Western Rivers and From That Day to This.
After her death in 1961, Myrtle White's ashes were interred at Wonnaminta.
My maternal grandmother, Lilian Hiscock (1915–2007), spent her childhood and young life, married at 19, growing up on a farm near Mulgildie in
remote Queensland. I'm sorry I never really asked her all that much about
those times until late in her long life, when she tended to paint the past in
rather glowing colours and minimised much of the hardship. So reading
these books allows a glimpse of this hardy, vanished generation.
In the introduction to the original edition of No Roads Go By (1932), Mary
Gilmore wrote: There is nothing in this book that is not true. I knew similar
country years ago... there have been times when tears have pricked my eyes
in a sudden sting of recollection of things half forgotten. In other books, the
Outback story has been told by men. Here it is written by a woman who has
lived it, suffered it and loved it. In it you will find not only the fellowship of
men, but unaffectedly and richly, the fellowship of women.
No Roads Go By. (PB. 1973 reprint. Originally pub. 1932).
Beyond the Western Rivers. (PB. 1969 reprint. Originally pub. 1955).
From That Day to This. (1971 reprint. Originally pub. 1961).
All books have slightly worn covers but are otherwise in
quite good condition. Price: $12 each.
When They Came for You: Elegies of Resistance
by Christopher Barnett ($29.95, PB)
Young Turk, Furkan Dogan is pumped full of bullet holes, cut
down by Israeli gunfire as he & his comrades try to break the Gaza
blockade and draw attention to the Palestinian plight. He is only
19. An ageing poet pumps himself full of holes with a syringe
of insulin to stave off his own demise—the death that came to
Furkan too soon. The poet remembers not just Furkan's particular
murder, but through it he laments the loss of his own beautiful
youth. As he speaks to the dead boy, Barnett recalls his own passionate engagement with the world; his influences, political & cultural, and loves lost.
19
Not Dead ... but Liveth!
The Resurrection of 'Professor' Cole's
Funny Picture Book!
Cole's Book Arcade, Cole's Book Arcade
It is in Melbourne town,
Of all the book stores in the land
It has the most renown.
Full forty thousand sorts of books
Are stored within its walls,
Which can be seen, looked at or bought,
By anyone that calls.
Stanzas from the Song of the Book Arcade—sung by an animal choir including Doctor Fish, Master Goose, Lady Pussy and Canon Ostrich, along with
35 other titled birds and beasts—which appears in the opening pages of this
handsome reissue of a true Australian children's classic.
A memory of my childhood in the 1960s—at about age 9—is one of sitting
with my Granny in front of a large fire during a visit to her farm near Ballarat
and spending hours leafing through her copy of the original book, we two
reading parts of it aloud to each other. I also remember getting a copy for a
birthday and attempting to 'improve' it by colouring in several of the black
and white illustrations!
So I let out a gasp of surprise when I spied this volume in the shop and quickly flicked through to find it included my favourite section, Picture Puzzle
Land (pp.162–69), wherein you tried to find a hidden picture within a picture.
Created by bookseller Edward Cole (1832–1918), the original Funny Picture
Book appeared on Christmas Eve 1879, and it's enduring popularity over the
next century was astonishing. Marcie Muir—an authority on Australian children's book publishing—states that it was the most popular book published
in Australia between 1890 to 1940. It ran to 74 printings up to 1987. In that
year Cole Turnley, Edward Cole's grandson, published a compilation of the
original work, combined with two later volumes of varying lesser quality.
Total sales by 1987 were 885,000 copies and this new volume claims over a
million copies sold! I was last able to order a copy for a customer in 1994.
This book has been unavailable for two decades.
The Australian Dictionary of Biography lists Edward Cole's numerous
occupations as merchant, goldminer, plant collector, religious writer and—
most importantly—bookseller and publisher. Born in Kent, England, Cole
migrated to Melbourne in 1852. He opened his first bookshop in 1865. As a
bookseller he prospered. In 1873 the first Book Arcade was opened in Bourke
Street in central Melbourne. Several expansions took place between 1882 and
1904. By 1896, the Arcade consisted of a three storied glass-domed building
with a frontage of 13m (45 ft) and a depth of 180m (600 ft). It contained an
aviary, a fernery and a tea salon, as well as a stock of over a million new and
second hand books! Try and imagine that today.
Sheet music, stationery, art supplies and chinaware were also sold. Music
recitals were performed daily. A giant rainbow decorated the front facade and
became Cole's publishing trademark. The book arcade survived the death of
its founder by a mere eleven years, being wound up in 1929 and demolished
in 1932 to make way for a department store.
The subtitle of the original edition is Family Amuser and Instructor. Through
numerous rhymes, puzzles, pictures and jokes, Cole sought to provide 'moral
instruction' to children in an entertaining way. Chapters in the book warn
of the perils of young readers visiting 'Laziness Land' , 'Temper Land' and
'Greediness Land'. One illustration shows a young boy looking very ill after indulging in the 'tobacco poison' (p. 50). By contrast, 'Dolly Land', 'Play
Land' and 'Santa Claus Land' were rewards for good children.
Michael Brady, editor and 'Curator' of this new edition, has done a (mostly)
good job of selecting the highlights of the original work—within the constraints of 21st century publishing and PC. The new book is now half the size
of the original—hence the 'Little' in the title. The new format is certainly
handier. The rainbow still appears on the cover. Numerous reprintings had led
to an inevitable deterioration of the quality and detail of the black and white
illustrations. They are superbly reproduced here. Perhaps a pristine copy of
the original book has been used to create this new edition.
Now for some personal brickbats and bouquets regarding the selections. I
am dismayed to see the beautiful coloured frontispiece featuring various varieties of apples has been left out. Cole was a firm believer in 'An Apple a
Day...' Also gone is another favourite: 555 Boys and Girls Names and their
Meanings. However I laughed again at the—surprising—inclusion of the
steam-driven whipping machine for naughty boys and the electric- powered
scolding apparatus for naughty girls (pp.18–19). The Shadow Puppet Chart,
which demonstrates how to make various animals, also reappears (p.63). I
20
spent quite a few hours trying to copy them.
A quick comparison glancing through the original sees
that, thankfully, several offensive verses, captions and illustrations have been silently removed. I used to stare in
astonishment at one such. It showed a figure brandishing
a scimitar and was entitled: Here is the cruel Turk, Where
is the poor Greek?—a contemporary reference to various 19th century European conflicts and atrocities. Some
pieces I had forgotten. For example, Cole's prediction of a
mechanical flying machine being built in his lifetime and
the (serious) offer of £1,000 to its inventor—provided they could travel a distance
of 100 miles in it & land, where else, in front of the Book Arcade. (p.153). As
a young boy it used to fascinate me to think that such a wonderful place full of
books could even exist. Now I work in one!
What remains, after 135 years since the original appeared, is the sheer sense of fun
and humour this book contains. Anthropomorphised animals—Mr. Rabbit dressed
up in Victorian finery, frogs riding penny farthing bicycles, Mr. Pig the Barber giving a haircut to Mr. Goat, a rich little Kitten out with Mr. Puss strolling through the
town—are enduringly amusing. Also timeless are the gentle examples of honesty,
charity and kindness towards others, which are also clearly demonstrated in this
unique pictorial work.
Nearly a decade ago I reviewed a second hand copy of the original book and stated
that 'it is now unlikely to ever reappear in any form whatsoever'. I am delighted to
be proved wrong.
Welcome back, 'Professor' Cole!
Stephen Reid
Language & Writing
E W
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Was $40
Now $14.95
21 Essential American
Short Stories
(ed) Leslie M Pockell, HB
S
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P
Was $33
Now $12.95
Now $18.95
13 Ways of Looking
at the Novel
Jane Smiley, HB
Was $50
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Hitch-22: A Memoir
Christopher Hitchens, HB
I
L
A
Was $40
S
Was $36
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Now $14.95
Farther Away
Jonathan Franzen, HB
Canada
Richard Ford, HB
In One Person
John Irving, PB
Was $54
C
Was $40
Was $43
Now $16.95
Now $16.95
No Time Like the Present
Nadine Gordimer, HB
The Chicago of Europe: And Other
Tales of Foreign Travel
Mark Twain, HB
English for the Natives: Discover the Grammar
You Don't Know You Know by Harry Ritchie
Forget the little you think you know about English grammar and
start afresh with this highly entertaining and accessible guide. English for the Natives outlines the rules & structures of our language
as they are taught to foreign students—and have never before
been explained to us. Harry Ritchie also examines the grammar
of dialects as well as standard English and shows how non-standard forms are just as valid. With examples from a wide variety of
sources, from Ali G to John Betjeman, Margaret Thatcher to Match
of the Day, this essential book reveals some surprising truths about the English language
& teaches you all the things you didn't know you knew about grammar. ($30, HB)
The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made
Wordplay More Than Some Antics
by John Pollack ($24.95, PB)
John Pollock leads readers from the pyramids of ancient Egypt to
the smoky coffeehouses of Newton's London to the high-tech labs
of today's top neuroscientists. Along the way, he identifies what
may be humanity's first known pun, recounts the deadly punning
duels of Polynesian legend, details William Shakespeare's invention of the knock-knock joke, and discovers Thomas Jefferson's
lost commentary on punning in America. Weaving a playful yet authoritative narrative,
Pollack also explores how the brain processes humorous wordplay & suggests why, in
evolutionary terms, punsters just might end up getting the last laugh.
Sin And Syntax by Constance Hale ($24.99, PB)
Today’s writers need more spunk than Strunk: whether it's the
Great American e-mail, Madison Avenue advertising, or Grammy
Award-winning rap lyrics, memorable writing must jump off the
page. Copy veteran Constance Hale is on a mission to make creative communication, both the lyrical and the unlawful, an option
for everyone. With its crisp, witty tone, Sin and Syntax covers
grammar’s ground rules, while revealing countless unconventional
syntax secrets (such as how to use—Gasp!—interjections or when
to pepper your prose with slang) that make for sinfully good writing.
Teddy Bears, Tupperware & Sweet Fanny Adams:
How the Names Became the Words
by Andrew Sholl ($24.95, HB)
What's in a name? From Achilles to zeppelin, the words we use in
everyday language invoke a cast of historical characters, but have
you ever stopped to wonder how on earth the names became the
words we use so often? This fascinating book reveals the history
behind the most familiar and more unusual eponyms.
Was $40
Now $16.95
Was $25
Was $60
Was $35
Now $8.95
Now $19.95
Now $12.95
The Sleeping Beauty
& Other Fairy Tales
Scapegoats, Shambles &
Beyond the Finite: The
Physics for Dogs: A Crash Course in
Arthur
Quiller-couch,
Shibboleths: The Queen's English
Sublime in Art and Science Catching Cats, Frisbees, and Dinner
(ill) by Edmund Dulac, HB
from the King James Bible
John-Andrew Sandbrook, PB
(eds) Hoffmann &Whyte, HB
Martin H. Manser, HB
Was $50
Now $18.95
Gallipoli
Peter Hart, HB
Was $18
Now $16.95
The Love-charm of Bombs: Restless
Lives in the Second World War
Lara Feigel, HB
Now $8.95
Jumbo Book of
Japanese Puzzles, PB
Was $45
Was $35
Now $16.95
Taste Matters: Why We Like
the Foods We Do
John Prescott, HB
Was $50
Now $18.95
The Selected Letters of
Charles Dickens, HB
Was $30
Now $12.95
What Caesar Did for My Salad:
The Curious Stories Behind
Our Favorite Foods
Albert Jack, HB
Was $40
Now $16.95
The Violinist's Thumb:
And Other Lost Tales of Love,
War, and Genius, as Written by
Our Genetic Code
Sam Kean, HB
Was $50
Now $22.95
1000 Indian Recipes
Neelam Batra, HB
21
Winton’s Paw Prints
The Arts
Australian Art: A History by Sasha Grishin
This is Australian art historian, art critic and curator Sasha
Grishin's magnum opus—a comprehensive and definitive
history of Australian art. Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, Australian Art: A History provides an
overview of the major developments in Australian art, from its origins to the present.
The book commences with ancient Aboriginal rock art and early colonialists' interpretations of their surroundings, and moves on to discuss the formation of an Australian identity through art, the shock of early modernism and the notorious Heide
circle. It finishes with the popular recognition of modern Indigenous art and contemporary Australian art and its place in the world. ($175, HB)
An Eye for Nature: The Life and Art of
William T. Cooper by Penny Olsen
In the work of artist William T.Cooper, platypuses swim
in green underwater worlds, waves throw up blankets of
spray, embers glow in the aftermath of a bushfire, a Thylacine emerges from the shadows, sniffing the air. But it is
his paintings of birds which set Cooper apart—his raucous
cockatoos, colourful parrots, animated turacos & flamboyantly displaying birds of paradise. Often placed in meticulously studied landscapes, these intricate bird portraits reveal Cooper’s close observation not only of his subjects’ appearance, but their habits, poses & behaviour.
In this biography, Penny Olsen traces the path of Cooper’s life & art—from his
childhood spent in the bush, to his teenage years as an apprentice taxidermist at
Carey Bay Zoo and, later, to his work as a window dresser and landscape artist. She
documents his fruitful partnership with wife and collaborator Wendy Cooper and
his extensive travels in Australia and abroad in pursuit of his subjects. ($49.99, HB)
Merz to Emigré and Beyond: Progressive
Magazine Design of the 20th Century
by Steven Heller ($49.95, PB)
An historical survey of avant-garde cultural & political magazines and newspapers all the way from the early 20th century
to the present day, this book features a unique selection of
international publications from Europe & the USA including Merz (1920s), View (1940s), East Village Other (1960s),
Punk (1970s), Raw (1980s) and Emigré (1990s). The design
of these magazines, often raucous & undisciplined, was as
ground breaking as the ideas they disseminated. Many were linked to controversial
artistic, literary & political movements, such as Dada, Surrealism, Modernism, the
New Left and Deconstruction. They contain the work of many leading experimental artists and designers of their time—from Kurt Schwitters & El Lissitzky in the
20s & 30s, to Art Spiegelman & Rudy Vander Lans in the 1980s & 90s.
Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini
First published in 1981, this visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language has fuelled
much debate over its meaning. With the advent of new media
and forms of communication and continuous streams of information, the Codex if more relevant than ever. This anniversary
edition has been redesigned by the author and features new
illustrations. ($200, HB)
Phaidon Focus Monographs—$24.95 each, HB
Anselm Kiefer; Cindy Sherman; Georgia O'Keefe; Andy Warhol
Painting Abstraction: New Elements in Abstract
Painting by Bob Nickas ($59.95, PB)
In recent years, abstract painting has developed a rich complexity
that, more than ever, rewards intensive viewing. Bob Nickas introduces the reader to the key issues in contemporary abstraction
while profiling eighty artists who, in the last five years, have made
it one of the most exciting areas in contemporary art. Each artist's
paintings are illustrated in lavish full-colour images and accompanied by a text that leads the reader through the work. Among the
80 artists featured are: Tomma Abts, Lisa Beck, Varda Caivano,
Jules de Balincourt, Philippe Decrauzat, Kim Fisher, Katharina Grosse, Alex Hay, Xylor
Jane, Alex Kwartler, Julie Mehretu, Anselm Reyle, Kelley Walker & Heimo Zobernig.
Eero Saarinen by Jayne Merkel ($59.95, PB)
Eero Saarinen was one of the world's most celebrated architects at
the time of his death at the age of 51; he designed and built more
than 35 buildings in his lifetime and collaborated on 30 more with
his father, renowned architect Eliel Saarinen. While all of his projects blur the boundaries between architecture, art, and landscape,
none share a single, identifiable style. Saarinen explored new
materials and techniques in every building, developing innovative uses of granite, glazed bricks, reflective glass, concrete, and
curtain-wall technology to suit each program. Organised chronologically this book traces Saarinen's life and career from his childhood in Finland to collaboration with his father, through his iconic airport projects of the 1960s.
DVDs with Scott Donovan
The Outlaw Michael Howe ($29.95)
Driven by a deep sense of loyalty and an unquenchable hatred towards those he
once served, English convict Michael Howe and a young Aboriginal girl turn
a desperate band of convicts, deserters and bushmen into a fearsome guerrilla
army and lead them in open rebellion against the brutal, corrupt establishment.
A Band Called Death ($35, Region 1)
Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was a band
called Death. Punk before punk existed, three teenage brothers in the early
'70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs
and even pressed a single in the hopes of getting signed. The documentary
chronicles the incredible fairy-tale journey of what happened almost three
decades later, when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of the attic and
found an audience several generations younger.
The Gatekeepers ($29.95)
The Gatekeepers offers a riveting and intimate insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict told by the six former heads of Shin Bet. In a style reminiscent
of The Fog of War, their confessions of torture and terrorism, arrests and assassinations are illustrated with archival footage and chilling animations.
The Act of Killing ($29.95)
Treme: Season 4 ($52.95) Region 1 Import
The fourth and final season of the HBO series Treme aired on US television in
December last year. Created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer —the team
behind The Wire—the series follows the fortunes of a small group of residents
of the working-class neighborhood of Treme in post-Katrina New Orleans. The
botched federal response to the hurricane and the corruption and mismanagement that characterised the recovery impact heavily on the group as they struggle to repair the physical and emotional damage wreaked by the storm and preserve something of the unique cultural and musical heritage of their city. Tight
storytelling, a first-rate cast (including John Goodman, Melissa Leo and several
of the leads from The Wire) and a dream lineup of musicians (Fats Domino, Steve Earle, Dr John, Allen Toussaint, Ron Carter, The Soul Rebels,
and many more) make for compelling television. As an outsider
it is hard to understand how New Orleans could have been essentially abandoned by the rest of the country after the storm and while
this series provides few answers it does serve as a fitting tribute to
the indominitable spirit of this remarkable city and its people. Scott
Also available are Treme: Season 1 ($42.95),
Season 2 ($34.95) and Season 3 ($42.95) all local.
22
In this chilling and inventive documentary, executive produced by Werner
Herzog (Grizzly Man) and Errol Morris (The Fog of War), the unrepentant
former members of Indonesian death squads are challenged to re-enact some
of their many murders in the style of the American movies they love. Special
features include audio commentary with Joshua Oppenheimer and Werner
Herzog, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris on The Act of Killing and a Q&A
Masterclass with Joshua Oppenheimer.
The Selfish Giant: Dir. Clio Barnard ($32.95, Region 2)
13-year-old Arbor (Conner Chapman) and his best friend Swifty (Shaun
Thomas) are excluded from school and are outsiders in their own neighbourhood. They meet Kitten (Sean Gilder), a local scrapdealer—the Selfish Giant. They start collecting scrap metal for him, but Arbor becomes increasingly
greedy and exploitative, like Kitten, which fractures their friendship leading
to a tragic event.
Much Ado About Nothing ($29.95)
Joss Whedon’s modern re-telling of Shakespeare's story of sparring lovers
offers a dark, sexy, funny and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game
that is love.
What Maisie Knew ($29.95)
This contemporary New York City revisioning of the Henry James novella
by the same name starring Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård and Steve
Coogan, is a touching comedic drama set against the chaos and complexity of
modern marriage and family.
There is no such thing as reproduction. When two
people decide to have a baby, they engage in an
act of production, and the widespread use of the
word reproduction for this activity, with its implication that two people are but braiding themselves together, is at best a euphemism to comfort
prospective parents before they get in over their
heads. In the subconscious fantasies that make
conception look so alluring, it is often ourselves that we would like to see live forever, not someone with a personality of his own. So begins Andrew Solomon's monumental research project into the 'exceptional' child, Far From the Tree: Parents,
Children and the Search for Identity, in which Solomon looks deeply into 'exceptional' or 'horizontal identities' in children—covering deafness, dwarfism, Down's
Syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, disability, prodigies, children of rape, crime and
transgender.
According to Solomon vertical identities mean attributes and values 'passed down
from parent to child across the generations not only through strands of DNA, but
also through shared cultural norms—like ethnicity or language'. Horizontal identities are inherent or acquired traits that 'may reflect recessive genes, random mutations, prenatal influences, or values and preferences that a child does not share
with his progenitors'. In the opening chapter, Son, Solomon positions himself on
the horizontal line by identifying as gay. An identity that, it saddens him to say, his
liberal-minded 'accepting' parents would probably have had genetically adjusted
prenatally if there had been such a procedure available. In the final chapter, Father,
Solomon—now a parent (in a composite family he has written about in Newsweek &
The Observer)—sums up: I started this book to forgive my parents and ended it by
becoming a parent. Understanding backwards liberated me to live forwards... I felt
I owe it to both my parents and myself to prove that we had been less than half the
problem... I grew up afraid of illness and disability, inclined to avert my gaze from
anyone who was too different—despite all the ways I knew myself to be different.
This book helped me kill that bigoted impulse, which I had always known to be ugly.
It's a 700 page journey (plus an 80 page bibliography!) that is best taken a chapter,
or identity, at a time. As Solomon immerses himself in the lives of his subjects, each
part shifts the discussion of difference forward, with absolutely no stone—scientific,
philosophical, sociological or personal—unturned. Every time you think (usually
from discomfort—some of the profound disability and children of rape stories are
beyond gut wrenching) 'Hey, but what about...', he raises that exact question and
thrashes out every possible grey area, never stooping to a definitive answer.
Solomon's last book The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression (2001) won
the National Book Award for Nonfiction and this latest has won the National Book
Critics Circle Award. I'm going back to read all of Solomon's work, including his
novel The Stone Boat, apparently based on his experience of witnessing his mother's planned suicide at the end of a long battle with ovarian cancer. Far From the
Tree is really a book that changes the way you look at difference. Perhaps if Tony
Abbott read it he wouldn't be so quick to frame the ABC's so-called bias as towards
'the other, not to Australians'. Winton
ABN 87 000 357 317
what we're reading
Judy: I can highly recommend The Lost
Carving by David Esterly to readers fascinated by the act of making. The author is a
man who turned—swerved is the word he
uses—from the critical contemplation of
poetry and philosophy to carving in wood.
This beautiful memoir gives the reader
some access to how it feels thinking and
making 'in the marrowbone'. Edmund de Waal loved it and I did too!
Steven: The Sixteenth Rail: The Evidence, the Scientist and the Lindbergh
Kidnapping by Adam J. Schrager—A fascinating and suspenseful book of a
true forensic science triumph. Forget CSI. Read in awe as Arthur Koehler—
mild mannered, dedicated US Forest Service employee and 'xylotomist' (expert on the identification of wood)—spends two years investigating the 'Crime
of the Century' and makes the crudely constructed ladder used in the 1932
kidnapping of baby Charles Lindbergh, Jr. point unerringly and conclusively
towards the culprit, Bruno Richard Hauptmann.
Andrew: Americanah is a big novel at over 600 pages with a terribly drab
earthen cover, but is in fact a terribly charming, colourful and immensely
readable book. Ostensibly it is a simple long-term love story about a pair of
Nigerian university students, one of whom moves to the USA and becomes a
celebrity blogger, and the other who becomes an ‘illegal’ in London, delivering refrigerators and attempting a sham marriage to gain residency. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a brilliant observant eye and nails every scene she
depicts; whether it is in describing the office politics of a start-up women’s
magazine in Lagos, a hideous dinner party of the nouveau-riche in West London, Princeton campus satire, or the gloriously extended fly-on-the-wall social
comedy of a seedy New Jersey hair-braiding salon. The lightness of touch belies, ultimately, a really sophisticated and trenchant look at race politics, class
and immigration, particularly in contemporary USA. I suppose ‘post-colonial
African American Steel Magnolias’ doesn’t really do this book anywhere near
justice, but if the notion of such a book appeals, it goes some way to intimating
this book’s spiky humour and intelligence.
Louise: I've just finished Dorothy Whipple's 1934 novel They Knew Mr
Knight, and I really enjoyed it. It's a linear, straightforward story about a middle class English family who ascend the social staircase, through the agency
of the shady Mr Knight. Told mainly from the point of view of the female
characters, it's the story of a marriage, a family, and a whole strata of English
society between the wars. Dorothy Whipple does have a moralistic attitude in
her books (possibly why they are no longer popular), but her real strength is
in capturing the outward day to day life of her characters, then just as quickly
taking the reader into their inner lives. Rich in fascinating domestic detail, and
I should also add that the gardens in the book are an important element, so
vividly described that the reader is feels drawn into them.
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23
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Bestsellers Non-fiction
1. In the Absence of Treaty
(ed) Michele Harris
2. French Women Don't Get Facelifts: Ageing
with Attitude
Mireille Guiliano
3. The Fast Diet
Michael Mosley & Mimi Spencer
4. The Whitlam Legacy
(ed) Troy Bramston
5. The Road to Middlemarch: My Life with George
Eliot
Rebecca Mead
6. The News: A User's Manual
Alain de Botton
7. Sustainable Energy Solutions for Climate Change
Mark Diesendorf
8. Free Schools: How to Get Your Kids a Great
Education without Spending a Fortune
David Gillespie
9. The Poet's Wife
Mandy Sayer
10. Sheila: The Australian Beauty Who Bewitched
British Society
Robert Wainwright
Bestsellers Fiction
1. The Town That Drowned
Riel Nason
2. Fixing the Broken Nightingale Richard James Allen
3. Woodsmoke
Todd Turner
4. The Goldfinch Donna Tartt
5. The Narrow Road to the Deep North
6. The Luminaries
7. Stoner
8. Eyrie
9. Burial Rites
10. Barracuda
24
Richard Flanagan
Eleanor Catton
John Williams
Tim Winton
Hannah Kent
Christos Tsiolkas
....... and another thing
Looks like from the non-fiction bestsellers that there's been a new year's
interest in dealing with the wrinkles and the rolls amongst our customers—and from my sedentary computer-bound life I wish you all luck in
your endeavours. Sadly In Praise of the New columnist David McLaughlin has left Gleebooks to pursue his acting career, so it's good to have
Morgan Smith filing from her Dulwich Hill outpost of empire this month
& I look forward to her continued posting from D'Hill. Janice Wilder has
had time off this month, so in April we should have a report of holiday
reading from the Wilder Aisles. I've just finished a new Willy Vlautin,
The Free (p.5). His previous book Lean on Pete is a favourite of mine—
a heartbreaking Catcher in the Rye for the dispossessed of a broken US,
and The Free returns to this American underclass of the working poor.
As with Lean on Pete, the bleakness of this landscape is ameliorated
by Vlautin's tender characterisation. For my monthly crime hit I look
forward to reading the new P. M. Newton, Beams Falling (p.6). Like
David, (p.2) I really enjoyed her debut, The Old School. Into a Raging Blaze (p.7) looks like it might fill a gap left by the end of Borgen,
and the long delay between now & the release of The Bridge, season 2.
I'll definitely be reading Paul Toohey's take on the Abbott government's
asylum seekers 'solution' in his Quarterly Essay (p.14), and then to Terry
Eagleton's book on secular v. fundamental, Culture and the Death of
God. Louise has got me inspired to exit Photoshop, get out the pencils
and fill a few sketch books on page 18, and once finished doodling, three
newly released documentaries on page 22—A Band Called Death, The
Gatekeepers and The Act of Killing—are a must. Lastly, please take
note of the front cover—there's been a big reshuffle in the shop at #49
Glebe Point Road and at last the children's books, and those who wish
to browse them, can breathe. It's fantastic to see such a great collection
more comfortably housed. Viki
Main shop—49 Glebe Pt Rd; Ph: (02) 9660 2333, Fax: (02) 9660 3597. Open 7 days, 9am to 9pm Thur–Sat; 9am to 7pm Sun–Wed
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www.gleebooks.com.au. Email: books@gleebooks.com.au, oldbooks@gleebooks.com.au