Reviewed by Ian Lipke A Free Country: Australians’ Search for Utopia 1861 – 1901 is the second volume in a five part series that “describes the dominant stream of ideas behind this country’s development, the stream of liberalism…the volume is…carefully illustrative of the history, influence and adoption of the dominant ideas animating that development” (Philip Ayres
Reviewed by E. B. Heath The take home message from Duncan McNab’s The Snapshot Killer might be that a give-them-the-benefit-of-the-doubt attitude towards first time sexual offenders by the judiciary could result in the death of many women. Christopher Wilder was charged with rape in his teens. He received only a good behaviour bond and
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Trevor Noah was born into a truckload of disadvantage that will be beyond the imagination of most of his readers. His auto-biography, It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime, Stories from a South African Childhood, (adapted for young readers) applies intelligent analysis of Noah’s early life in South Africa, chronicling a personal
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke At a time when so many people are being dispossessed of their homes through war and starvation and are moving in search of a safe haven, it is timely that a novel foregrounding the refugee’s perspective is brought to public notice. One can understand that countries close their borders when the
Reviewed by Rod McLary On 11 May 1995, the then Labor Federal Government announced that the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission would conduct an inquiry into and report on the history and effects of the forced separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. In the subsequent report, entitled Bringing Them
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Caitlin Maling is an experienced poet with several publications to her record. Fish Song is her third book of verse. Her affinity with ordinary Australians is captured by her dedication to her husband with a sly dig at him in a parlance every ordinary bloke would understand immediately: To Greg –
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Throughout Irish history, brave people have fought to rid their land of invaders. Over many centuries, Vikings, Normans and several English monarchs tried and failed to control Ireland. But liberty for the inhabitants was ephemeral and ultimately the rising might of the British Empire prevailed. By 1800, any semblance of Irish
Reviewed by Angela Marie ” …one other that clearly signposted exactly where Jimmy Page intended to go next in his career – with or without The Yardbirds. It was called ‘Happenings Ten Years Time Ago’ and it was a monumental piece of work. Released … in October 1966, months before first albums by Cream, Jimi
Reviewed by Angela Marie This morning I sat on a train reading a novel written for children. At times I was smiling, at times moved. Always engaged. The novel was BOOT and as the cover tells us Boot is a small robot on a big adventure. The reader immediately realises our hero is not human.
Reviewed by Rod McLary Michael is fourteen and he has misplaced his mother. Or – more accurately – his mother has been replaced by the eponymous ‘other mother’. He doesn’t really understand how he knows she has been replaced except that everything about the other mother seems a ‘little off’ such as her smile being
Reviewed by Gerard Healy An interesting story of memory manipulation that had me engaged initially but became more confusing as the characters time-travelled back and forth down various memory trails. Reading it was like a hike in the woods that gradually lead into a maze of blind alleys. The story centres on two main characters
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Love Song is the third book in the Daughters of the Outback series by Sasha Wasley and the film rights to all three novels have just been sold. Soon readers will be able to view Willow, Free and Beth on the screen amid the beautiful Australian landscape. The earlier books in
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Advancing Australia Ideas for a better Australia is a 130mm x 196mm, 145 page booklet containing articles from many expert thinkers and edited by Amanda Dunn and John Watson. The Foreword to the book is written by Michelle Grattan AO, Professorial Fellow of the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at
Reviewed by Rod McLary Matilda – as implied by the subtitle to this new biography – was a remarkable woman whose story is not often found in the history books. There are a few reasons for this. First, there is a paucity of contemporary material on her; second, there is almost nothing of her personal
Reviewed by Angela Marie There’s something about a book. There’s something about holding it in your hands and carefully turning the pages. A book is a gift and how wonderful if that gift recognises and celebrates the love and affection between mother and child. I LOVE MY MUM BECAUSE is an interactive picture book targetted