History

History

Convict Orphans by Lucy Frost

Reviewed by Rod McLary While the history of the transportation of many thousands of convicts to Australia from 1788 to 1868 is well-known to most Australians, the fate of thousands of abandoned children is less well-known.  But their stories are critical to a fuller understanding of our history.  But who are these abandoned children and

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History

Sub-Imperial Power by Clinton Fernandes

Reviewed by Richard Tutin  We like to think that the days of Empire and Imperial might are over. Much has been written about the exploitation exercised by the British Empire during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries on countries such as India and Africa. The effects of this still live on to the present day. After

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History

Winston Churchill by Tariq Ali

Reviewed by Richard Tutin Tariq Ali does not like Winston Churchill. He dislikes the war-time leader of Great Britain with a passion. Everything Churchill stood for such as his love of the British Empire, desire to defeat the Axis powers during World War II and his aim to remove Adolf Hitler from the Chancellorship of

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History

Papyrus by Irene Vallejo

Reviewed by Richard Tutin The lure of owning and reading books is still alive and well despite the growth of eBooks and their accompanying readers and apps. The desire to hold and physically look through a volume, no matter the size, is as strong as it has ever been if the number of book shops,

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History

The Mighty 747 by Jim Eames

Reviewed by Richard Tutin  Australians have always been inveterate travellers. Business, the needs of Government, leisure and those who have felt the need to get away to prove themselves have all contributed to the great exodus that has left our shores. The majority of course have returned while some have remained away having settled in

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History

Empire, War, Tennis and Me by Peter Doherty

Reviewed by Richard Tutin  On one of the walking paths that my wife and I regularly use is a house that has a rather fine tennis court. It looks as if it is well cared for  and regularly used when it comes into view. Seeing it recently reminded me of Peter Doherty’s book Empire, War,

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History

Remote as Ever by David Scrimgeour

Reviewed by Ian Lipke During the 1970s, two significant Aboriginal social movements gained momentum across Australia. It is not to be assumed that these movements were triggered by activities that were specifically 1970. Their pressure was always being felt. An aspiration to self-determination and autonomy had always existed but what was different was the presence

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History

The World by Simon Sebag Montefiore

Reviewed by Ian Lipke As others have said, this is, without doubt, a dazzling achievement – if just in terms of tonnage. The book purports to follow the human story from a starting point thousands of years ago through all the myriad ages since. It is easy to bag the book and argue that as

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History

Pharaohs of the Sun by Guy De La Bédoyère

Reviewed by Richard Tutin Ancient Egypt has held its fascination despite the passage of time. In fact, this fascination has increased as we move through the twenty-first century. While we like to think that Queen Cleopatra is probably the most remembered Egyptian monarch, she is eclipsed by a predecessor whose name has been on people’s

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History

We, The Oppressors by Dr Jack Davy

Reviewed by Richard Tutin Oppression is rife in the world. It always has been and probably always will be. History indicates that there has never been a moment when oppression has been totally eradicated. If that is the case, then oppressive actions and desires need to be managed. However, oppression has an equally insidious companion

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History

The Work of History edited by Peter Beilharz and Sian Supski

Reviewed by Richard Tutin The question is often asked if written history should be subjective or objective. Answering this question has led to many debates and discussions. Those debates and discussions include whether history as a discipline should be taken seriously or removed from the fabric of society entirely. It is therefore good to come

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History

The Shipwreck by Larry Writer

Reviewed by Richard Tutin Australia is home to over eight thousand shipwrecks around its coastline. This staggering number asserts the important role ships have played in bringing people, goods and services to our shores especially when European settlement began in 1788. One of the greatest maritime disasters that Australia had to face was the wrecking

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History

Harold Holt by Ross Walker

Reviewed by Ian Lipke Ross Walker has opted to tell history as a story. A tale of Holt’s private and public life is a useful way to bring to readers the personality of Holt the man while allowing the decisions relating to his public life to be reported. The book reveals that Holt’s private life

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History

Unmaking Angas Downs by Shannyn Palmer

Reviewed by Ian Lipke With Shannyn Palmer we meet a writer who is very difficult not to quote. We can paraphrase her but always run the risk of producing a lower-rate product. What does this strangely titled book set out to tell us? Why do we need a new work of history that seeks to

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History

Budapest: Between East and West by Victor Sebestyen

Reviewed by Richard Tutin Reading Victor Sebestyen’s very rich and detailed history of Budapest reminded me of when my wife and I visited the city as members of a tour group in 2010. That brought on the urge to dig out of their various hiding places some video and photos we took during the two

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