Featured Titles
Australia’s Oldest House by Sue Rosen
“Rosen has upset the applecart”
… Elizabeth Farrelly
SMH 10-11 July 2010
“Lusciously illustrated, nicely written
and a bloody good read”
… Phillip Adams
Late Night Live ABC RN
Experiment Farm Cottage is languishing in obscurity and poor heritage practice has kept it there.
Built in the earliest days of the colony by surgeon John Harris, the cottage—with its quintessential Aussie veranda and significance to two centuries of Australian homes—deserves a better place in our heritage.
In her latest book, Sue Rosen reveals the mismanagement and red tape behind the story and the damage done when ‘experts’ refuse to engage with historians. Rosen’s book reminds us why such places matter.
Listen to Sue Rosen on ABC Radio National’s By Design and in conversation with Phillip Adams on Late Night Live.
Not a Poor Man’s Field by Michael Waterhouse
This big richly illustrated book tells a between-the-wars story of gold, aviation, race relations and Australia’s inept colonial administration.
H E Charles Lepani—High Commissioner of Papua & New Guinea who recently raised eyebrows with criticism of Coalition election promises to ‘repair relations’ between Australia and PNG—helped launch Michael Waterhouse’s fascinating new book at the NSW State Library. Along with Ross (Climate Change) Garnaut they celebrate the release of this ‘wonderful book, rich in insights into the human condition.’ …Ross Garnaut
This vividly told story of a little-known chapter in Australia and PNG relations will be in book stores soon. Read the High Commissioner’s comments on election claims and Australia/PNG relations here.
Haneef: A question of character
by Jacqui Ewart
“Police and politicians had sent the media into a feeding frenzy of hostility towards the defendant.”
… Geoffrey Robertson, QC
“I’m not the big fish”
…Mick Keelty, former
Federal Police Commissioner
Without evidence and without a charge, Federal authorities held and interrogated Dr Mohamed Haneef for 11 days in 2007 after he lent his mobile SIM card to a cousin. His case dominated front pages for weeks. With access to the main players, only Ewart’s book reveals all the uncomfortable facts.
Jacqueline Ewart is the one journalist who stuck with the infamous Mohamed Haneef case from day one. After a gifted journalistic career Ewart is now senior lecturer at Brisbane’s Griffith University.
Read the full text of Geoffrey Robertson’s Introduction to Haneef: A Question of Character. Order a copy of Haneef from ABG now.
Wild Cattle Wild Country: Old mates and memories from the Top End
by Anne Marie Ingham
Click here for Wild Cattle and the NT History Award
Forget about butchers and fast food outlets. Ingham’s Wild Cattle, Wild Country shows where the meat really came from. Not so long ago, the US hamburger market couldn’t get enough of wild shorthorn cattle from northern Australia, chased across dangerous country by men using horses, helicopters and 4-wheel drives.
The Top End is fenced in now. Managed Brahman herds have taken over from the wild shorthorns and buffalo. The legendary Toyota bull catcher with its “bionic arm” has gone to the National Museum in Canberra. Wild Cattle, Wild Country reminds us of the hard working, hard living stories of those days.
An Irish Woman in Czarist Russia by Jean Lombard
“a remarkable story of survival and courage”
… Frank O’Shea
Canberra Times
Headstrong child of a Russian heiress and an Irish diplomat, Kathleen ffrench lived a storybook life, in a world on the brink of destruction. While her Australian cousins raised sheep, she toured Europe with barons and princesses. Escaping the horrors of War and her Bolshevik prison, she became the first woman to drive into Eastern Siberia, searching for her missing lover.
To order, visit the Australian Book Group’s catalogue here.
The Annotated Such is Life by Joseph Furphy
The prose classic of Australian Literature. Joseph Furphy’s novel of the bush and the outback is a tour de force of genius and originality, published in 1903 and reprinted dozens of times. A book of wit, learning and unforgettable characters and bush philosophy. The Halstead Classics edition is the best ever published, with the fullest annotation. Learn more about the fascinating world of Joseph Furphy at ABC Radio’s Hindsight program.
To order, visit the Australian Book Group’s catalogue here.
