Paul Kelly: the Man, the Music & the Life in Between by Stuart Coupe

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography and Memoir

Renowned music journalist Stuart Coupe examines the life of an Australian music icon - honest, revealing and a must-read for Paul Kelly fans and music lovers alike. He's been called Australia's Bob Dylan and likened to Springsteen and Neil Young, but Paul Kelly stands alone as a chronicler of his and ou r times. He is Australia's best-loved singer, songwriter, author and poetic observer and though he has written his own stories, no one has captured the broader life and times of Paul Kelly - until now. Renowned music journalist, author and for many years Kelly's manager, Stuart Coupe takes us from Kelly's family life as the sixth of nine children in Adelaide to his life today. With Paul's blessing and access to friends, family, band mates and musical collaborators, Coupe shows Paul's evolution from a young man who only really picked up a guitar in his late teens, to an Australian music icon. Through hundreds of interviews, Coupe details the way Paul juggled the demands, temptations and excesses of rock'n'roll with real life. Revealing Paul Kelly's personal relationships, his friendships, his generosity and support of other artists, such as Archie Roach, Kasey Chambers, Kev Carmody, Vika and Linda Bull and Courtney Barnett, the force of Kelly's powerful storytelling, his musical creativity, his activism and his work ethic also shines through. ...Show more

Tell Me Why: The Story of My Life and My Music by Archie Roach

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography /Memoir

A powerful memoir of a true Australian legend: stolen child, musical and lyrical genius, and leader. Not many have lived as many lives as Archie Roach - stolen child, seeker, teenage alcoholic, lover, father, musical and lyrical genius, and leader - but it took him almost a lifetime to find out who he r eally was. Roach was only two years old when he was forcibly removed from his family. Brought up by a series of foster parents until his early teens, his world imploded when he received a letter that spoke of a life he had no memory of. In this intimate, moving and often shocking memoir, Archie's story is an extraordinary odyssey through love and heartbreak, family and community, survival and renewal - and the healing power of music. Overcoming enormous odds to find his story and his people, Archie voices the joy, pain and hope he found on his path through song to become the legendary singer-songwriter and storyteller that he is today - beloved by fans worldwide. Tell Me Why is a stunning account of resilience and the strength of spirit - and of a great love story. Winner of the 2020 Indie Book of the Year Non-Fiction Shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Non-Fiction Archie Roach is the 2020 VIC Australian of the Year 'Just like his early songs, Tell Me Why was written with empathy as its impetus and that intent shines through on every page. This is a phenomenal work by one of the most articulate and recognisable members of the Stolen Generations. It will be read, studied and discussed for many years to come.' The Australian 'Beautiful, gut-wrenching and compelling memoir' Sydney Morning Herald 'Archie's deeply resonant voice sings out - of a broken country and a life renewed. The voice of Australia.' Daniel Browning, ABC journalist and producer 'Roach is honest and humble in his oft-heartbreaking retelling of his search for identity, belonging and purpose' Courier Mail 'Best book of 2019: Tell Me Why by Archie Roach, a beautifully written autobiography that captures one of the most remarkable lives in Australian music' Weekend Australian ...Show more

The Ghosts of Roebuck Bay: The 1942 Bombing of Broome, and its Tragic Aftermath by Ian W. Shaw

$32.99 AUD

Category: Broome History

The Japanese attack on Broome is the second most deadly air raid on Australia soil in our history and yet it's almost entirely overlooked. On 3 March 1942, nine Japanese Zero planes strafed the small town planning to destroy the aerodrome and American planes. With no notice, the townsfolk could only put up minimal opposition and in an attack that lasted only an hour, almost one hundred men, women and children lost their lives. Not a single operational aircraft remained in Broome, but the shocking loss of human life can never be truly calculated. The Ghosts of Roebuck Bay tells the story of this tragedy, shining light on a story that has slipped through the cracks of history. A captivating tale of refugees and soldiers, of reputations made and lost, of survival and spirit that resonates to today. ...Show more

Cattlemen in Pearls - Celebrating Women in Agriculture by Ian and Anne Galloway (Concept by)

$45.00 AUD

Category: General

Cattlemen in Pearls introduces us to 28 remarkable Australian women, spanning three generations, whose love for the land and livestock is ingrained in their genetic profile. These powerful, surprising and moving mini-biographies recount tales of gritty determination, direst tragedy and glorious courage. We are given rare insight into how and what it's like to start a cattle business from scratch; to run a successful stud enterprise; to manage a vast cattle station; to head a pastoral industry group and corporation.The tough physical and emotional terrain of the bush, and strong family ties, play a role in each of these diverse, down-to-earth and sometimes heartbreaking stories. There are droughts, floods, emergencies, times of despair and loss, as well as hilarious antics, joyous gatherings and extraordinary stories of success. For each of these thoroughly capable, warm-hearted women there is simply no other lifestyle choice. Cattlemen in Pearls is a compelling tribute to women in agriculture, specifically Australia's beef industry. ...Show more

History Mysteries: The Lost Explorer by Mark;Greenwood Greenwood

$12.99 AUD

Category: Non Fiction | Series: History Mysteries Ser. | Reading Level: Children's - Grade 2-3, Age 7-8

In 1848 the famous explorer Ludwig Leichhardt sets out on an epic journey. His aim is to cross Australia from east to west, but he never reaches his destination and no one from his expedition is ever seen again. Countless search parties set out to look for the expedition but no trace is ever found. Unti l a young boy is given an artifact with an incredible story. ...Show more

A Diamond in the Dust by Frauke Bolten-Boshammer; Sue Smethurst

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography /Memoir | Reading Level: 3 Biography

The powerful true story of how one woman turned outback dust into a diamond empire Within minutes of landing in Kununurra, Frauke Bolten had made up her mind to get on a plane back home to Germany. It was 1981 and the dusty frontier town was no place for a woman. However, Frauke stayed, determined to h elp her husband carve out a new life farming. Tragedy struck just three years later when Friedrich took his own life and she was left to raise their family alone. Twenty-six years after she sold her first necklace off the back porch, Kimberley Fine Diamonds in Kununurra is now home to one of the world's largest collections of Argyle pink diamonds, with a client list that includes Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Frauke is credited for not only pioneering an industry, but for putting the tiny outback town and its precious diamonds on the map. A Diamond in the Dust is a tale of love and loss, hardship and heartache, but ultimately the inspiring story of how a young girl from Germany overcame tragedy to pioneer a diamond empire in one of the most unforgiving terrains on earth. ...Show more

The Kimberley - Australia's Wilderness by david bettini (Photographer)

$69.99 AUD

Category: General

From the tiger-striped domes of Purnululu to the opal-blue waters of Buccaneer Archipelago, the Kimberley is the most remarkable wilderness in Australia Acclaimed nature photographer David Bettini has captured the essence of the Kimberley's sweeping ranges, plunging gorges and tropical wetlands. He tak es you on a voyage down its convoluted coastline, past sandstone headlands, through mangrove-lined inlets and out to pristine reefs This book contains breathtaking images that celebrate the stark beauty of the dry season and the drama of the wet, when thunderstorms and torrential rain descend on its ancient landscape ...Show more

Flight to Fame: Victory in the 1919 Great Air Race, England to Australia by Ross Smith; Peter Monteath (Editor)

$29.99 AUD

Category: History

 'Flight to Fame', a classic adventure story, tells the hair-raising tale of the world-first flight from England to Australia, in the words of the pilot, (Sir) Ross Smith. In March 1919, Australia's prime minister announced a prize of £10,000 for the first successful flight from Great Britain to Australia in under 30 days. Late that same year, the victorious pilots, Ross and Keith Smith, landed in Darwin to international acclaim. The 'New York Times' gushed: 'Captain Ross Smith has done a wonderful thing for the prestige of the British Empire. He must be hailed as the foremost living aviator.' Their achievement was the forerunner to the age of international air travel. During the race, Ross and his brother Keith (his co-pilot and navigator) wrote in their diaries daily, recording the journey of their four-man crew in their Vickers Vimy G-EAOU twin-engine plane, its open cockpit exposing them to snow, sleet, hail and unbearable heat. Originally published as '14,000 Miles Through the Air' (1922), Ross Smith's book recounts their danger-ridden, record-breaking journey - a mere 16 years after the Wright brothers first defied gravity for just a few seconds. This richly illustrated edition, published to coincide with the flight's centenary, is introduced and edited by historian Peter Monteath ...Show more

Convict Colony: The Remarkable Story of the Fledgling Settlement That Survived Against the Odds by David Hill

$32.99 AUD

Category: History

The author of the magnificent bestselling account of the First Fleet returns to early Sydney to tell the story of the years that followed as it's never been told before.

The Spirit of Rural Australia by Davison Liam Conquest Jim

$35.00 AUD

Category: General

"The Spirit of Rural Australia" focuses on the nature of rural landscapes and communities. The photography has a nostalgic theme that reflects on past farming practices, institutions and key occupations fundamental to rural Australia, while at the same time the text considers the changes which are occur ring throughout rural communities. The book is organised into the sections of Land, Work, House, Town and Communication/ Images of country people, elements of story, anecdote, memoir and biography intertwine to produce this visual celebration. ...Show more

Great Expectations: Emigrant Governesses in Colonial Australia by Patricia Clarke

$29.99 AUD

Category: History

An Alice Girl by Tanya Heaslip

$32.99 AUD

Category: Biography /Memoir

For fans of Tony Tapp Coutts' A Sunburnt Childhood and Mary Groves' An Outback Life, comes Tanya Heaslip's extraordinary story of growing up with her sister and brothers in the late 1960s and early 70s on the outback cattle property just north of Alice Springs.