History

History

Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard

Reviewed by Richard Tutin There is the thought that not much more can be said about the history of the Roman Empire. Mary Beard though breaks through this thought and has dug a little deeper to reveal more about the Emperors between Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) and Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE). Beard though

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History

The Menzies Watershed edited by Zachary Gorman

Reviewed by Ian Lipke The second volume of Zachary Gorman’s work is called The Menzies Watershed, a singularly appropriate title for the second of a research study which will eventually cover four volumes. Volume No. 1 focussed on Menzies’ career in 1884 – 1942 and covered the journey of a politician in his earliest years.

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History

Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia by Jim Haynes

Reviewed by Richard Tutin History can be interesting when the right book comes along. All too often we are offered books that contain good facts but whose prose can be very dry and droll. We feel the need for a good story or two to liven things up. This is where Jim Haynes’ latest book

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History

Fake Heroes by Otto English

Reviewed by Richard Tutin  History is fickle. Not only is it fickle, it is notoriously selective. It has been said that only the victors get to write it and that is largely true. Otto English has given us a provocative book. The stories he tells about ten characters from the pages of history may or

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History

Courting by Alecia Simmonds

Reviewed by Norrie Sanders One of the more unusual institutions in Zagreb, Croatia, is the Museum of Broken Relationships. Populated by objects and words that tell heartbreaking, though sometimes comical, stories of those who have loved and lost. Courting is a book about a particular kind of broken relationship – one that ends just as

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History

A Hall for All by Peter Roennfeldt

Reviewed by Wendy Lipke For all those who obtained degrees through The University of Queensland, Mayne Hall will be familiar to you. Peter Roennfeldt, an alumnus of the University of Queensland and Emeritus Professor at Griffith University, has provided a detailed account of Mayne Hall from its first ideas to the years where it fulfilled

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History

Hands of Time by Rebecca Struthers

Reviewed by Richard Tutin There is an old hymn that describes time as being like an ever-rolling stream that bears all of us away. Rebecca Struthers captures this neatly as she takes us on a journey through the history of time. Her experience and expertise as a watchmaker put her in a unique position to

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History

Australia’s Most Infamous Criminals by Graham Seal

Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Any country whose first colonists were predominantly criminals should be an excellent breeding place for crime stories.   Graham Seal’s latest compilation in his “Great” series is proof positive that Australia has sired generations of inventive felons for whom nothing is sacrosanct. The book commences with a chapter on crimes of the

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History

Idiots, Follies and Misadventures by Mikey Robins

Reviewed by Richard Tutin We often forget that recorded history has many dimensions. While many complain that they have only be taught or shown one side of historical events – usually that of the winners – it doesn’t take long before other stories begin to emerge. Some of these other stories are very serious and

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History

Russia’s War Against Ukraine by Mark Edele

Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has led to a media frenzy that sometimes overwhelms us with deluges of content. We have daily updates, analysis, propaganda and predictions that add up to an incoherent and often conflicting narrative. No single voice speaks with authenticity and predictions are frequently proven wrong. Into this

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History

Where the Flaming Hell Are We? by Craig Collie

Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Winston Churchill’s insistence on sending Australian and New Zealand troops to defend Greece from Hitler’s juggernaut was an unmitigated failure. The troops were weary from fighting in North Africa, poorly equipped and completely lacking in aerial support. The decision was politically driven and cost the lives and liberty of thousands of

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History

The Shortest History of the Crown by Stephen Bates

Reviewed by Clare Brook For those readers who grew up having a parade of incomprehensible English Kings marched into their brains, they might shy away from Stephen Bates’ The Shortest History of The Crown believing no good could come from attempting to master this royal pageant.  But be assured Bates has provided a most interesting

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History

Courting India by Nandini Das

Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve This impressive volume, possessing meticulously researched facts often resulting from primary sources, is bound to appeal to any scholar interested in the beginnings of the Indian/English connections and the establishment of what was to become the vast British Empire. The English, long regarded as a nation of shopkeepers, at this stage

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History

Behind Closed Doors by Seth Alexander Thévoz

Reviewed by Richard Tutin What goes on behind the closed doors of a Private Members’ Club in London? Seth Alexander Thévoz throws them open to give us both a look and a history lesson. The history lesson shows how the establishment of members’ clubs in London in the late eighteenth century paved the way for

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History

She’s a Beauty by Don Loffler

Reviewed by Richard Tutin It’s amazing how words and phrases are handed down as part of the folklore of various events over the years. Such is the exclamation “She’s a Beauty!” said to be uttered by Prime Minister Ben Chifley at the launch of the first Holden car in 1948. It’s not the first time

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