A great book that captures the feel of Hawaii. Victoria's Hawaii is gone but the 'feel' of the place is timeless. Her description of Hawaiian music,plate lunches and hundreds of other details of island life are right on target. If you've been captivated by the idea of island life...read this book. You'll be on the beach,breathing in plumerias as long as your eyes cross the words.

I was introduced to this book by a writer who had lived in Hawaii for most of the '70s, and she felt that it was one of the best personal memoirs of living in Hawaii that she had read. Nelson taught at the University of Hawaii in the '70s, and traveled throughout the islands. She captures the beauty, the sadness, the cultural tensions and improbable harmonies of a people and a setting that is so much more than a Waikiki Beach tourist-trap destination. Her description of the people of Moloka'i was one my motivations to find the true meaning of **Aloha** and visit what may be the friendliest place in Hawai'i. St. Martin's should at least bring it back in trade paperback - the travel sections of most bookstores are dying for a distinctly different look at one of the most fascinating and spiritual places in the world

In the early 1900's Katherine Routledge sailed from England to Easter Island on the schooner 'Mana', leading a group of experts on the first modern day scientific expedition to uncover the secrets of the island. This book is a first-hand account of the expedition. It includes lots of detail on the famous stone statues (moai), the native people & their legends, the mysterious script (rongo-rongo), the bird cult, and much more. Routledge even managed to learn the local language in the hope that interviewing the natives would shed some light on the island's prehistory.

The book is well written and fun to read. It includes lots of fine illustrations, including photos and drawings, depicting the most important sites. It is definately a must-read for visitors to the island, or just for anyone interested in Easter Island and its strange history.

I fancy the image of Katherine Routledge as a kind of Indiana Jones of the feminine persuasion. Certainly she was adventurous for a woman of the early part of the century; just getting to the island in a yacht ranks as a mildly swashbuckling achievement. There are also some references in the book that she had already been to East Africa, perhaps before the turn of the century, although I have been unable to find further information on this.

The Mystery of Easter Island was originally published in 1919, based upon the research of an English lady, Katherine Routledge, who lived on the island in 1914-15. She learned the Rapanui language and interviewed all the old people she could find who still remembered the past. The more we now know about the archaeology of Easter Island, the better this material looks. Routledge did excavations, camped out all over the island and accumulated vast quantities of research material. A 'must read' for someone going to Easter Island.

Any almanac of Australian political history will tell you something like this (usually next to an asterisk): on Remembrance Day, 1975, Australian Governor-General Sir John Kerr, the unelected representative of the British Queen, dismissed Australia's Labor Party prime minister, Gough Whitlam, the elected leader of the national government. Whitlam's successor, conservative Malcolm Fraser, called an election immediately and served as PM until 1983. What the almanacs don't tell you about is the sheer level of passion which consumed and polarized the nation for the better part of 10 years after the Dismissal. Kerr was vilified; a figure of universal hate for those on the Left. Fraser, whom Whitlam tagged "Kerr's cur," was hailed as the country's savior by loyal Tories throughout Australia's suburbs. Whitlam, whose government had staggered through several notorious financial and personal scandals, lost another election and retired from politics in 1978 , but to this day is hailed as a God-Caesar by armies of fervent loyalists. Kelly, an Australian journalist, does not delve into these latter day issues; instead he conducts a piece-by-piece reconstruction of the constitutional, legal and political forces which from 1972 conspired to bring about The Dismissal. Some of his personal interviews from the players brought about real scoops, such as the revelations about those who secretly counseled Kerr on the propriety of his actions. Another bombshell is the realization that Whitlam could so easily have "won" on November 11 itself, even after Kerr had sacked him, with deft application of parliamentary procedure. This is not for the neophyte: a familiarity with Australian politics is assumed.

For all Australians, November 11, 1975 shouls stand as a day simultaneously full of fear and of pride.

On that day the Governor General, Sir John Kerr, sacked the democratically elected government of Gough Whitlam. Kerr was given his job by Whitlam; if Whitlam got to the phone first to call the Queen, he could havfe sacked Kerr.

Of course this Constitutional Crisis did not all happen on one day. Paul Kelly has excelled himself in documenting the background to this crisis and biographing main players. He takes an even handed approach to the political situation and has written an unexpectidely readible book.

November 11, 1975 is a day of fear because it was the day democracy stopped happenning; it was a day of pride because Australians didn't degenerate into a violent mob.

Democracy returned to Australia when a General Election was held on December 13, 1975. By the way, Whitlam lost.

Kelly's book is vital reading for: 1. All Australians, 2. All who love a good political read, 3. All students of Government.

Australian fiction is the best you will ever find (and I've read everything from King to Koontz) but 99% of books from Down Under are not released here in the United States. Why? I don't know. But I DO know what I've discovered. O'Fear by Peter Corris (a Cliff Hardy mystery) is fantastic! I've hunted down more Cliff Hardy mysteries over the internet and they're all great.

Other must reads by Australian authors are:

Any book written by Robert G. Barrett! (The Stephen King of Australia)

Jon Cleary's Scobie Malone mysteries! (As good as anything written by Nelson DeMille)
Blood Junction by Caroline Carver (As good as anything written by Dean Koontz)
Every book written by Peter Doyle! (Move over John Grisham)

My fellow Americans, fight to read the books the US publishers won't let you see! You will be glad you did.

Considering that the hard-boiled private eye novel is one of the distinctly American genres, it's perhaps surprising that one of the best current practitioners of the form is the Australian Peter Corris, with his detective, Cliff Hardy. If we forgive Hardy his affection for wine, which we'll assume is a cultural deal, and a long running relationship, which fortunately never quite achieved Susan Silvermanesque proportions, he's really quite traditional. Of course, it helps that Australia isn't all that different from America, particularly in terms of its cultural heritage. Corris has written 23 Cliff Hardy books, but they are not generally available in the U. S., which is a shame.

From what I've read of them, O'Fear is a fairly representative entry in the series, which is to say, it's quite good. Hardy is hired after an old friend dies in a car accident :

'Barnes Todd has left you some money.'

'Why?'

'To find out who murdered him.'

I sat back in the chair. Sackville unhooked his glasses and set them down gently on top of the file. He massaged the bridge of his nose and tried to look grave, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. It irritated me, the way a lot of small things had lately. What's so funny? I thought. I'd been in this business for nearly fifteen years. I'd found murderers before, hadn't I? Well, stumbled across a couple. 'How much money?' I said harshly.

'Ten thousand dollars. His wife's not too happy about it.'

Hardy learns that with Todd's last breath he gasped the word : "O'Fear..." He recognizes this enigmatic phrase as the beginning of the name of a notorious, but relatively harmless, scoundrel named O'Fearna, who is currently in jail, awaiting trial. His bail just happens to be $10,000.

And he's off...sexy widows, unsavory secrets, random corpses, brutal henchmen, crooked lawyers, the whole nine yards. But what makes the book a real throwback is Hardy's vulnerability :

...I had strewn the contents of my wallet across the desk. I looked at the credit cards and the meagre amount of cash and the creased driver's licence and suddenly felt small and isolated. My only backup in the office was an answering machine; my only means of transport was the Falcon; I had an illegal Colt .45 and a properly licenced Smith & Wesson .38 for firepower. No helicopters, no armoured vans, no shotguns. Who was I kidding? This was too big for me.

If Corris does not quite have the comedic chops of a Robert B. Parker or a Robert Crais, he more than compensates by restoring the dramatic tension of a hero who is truly a lone knight, who can be hurt, even killed, and who has no one he can really trust.

This is good stuff, in a classic vein. Read him, if you can the books.

GRADE : A

This is the remarkable story of Dr. Paul Scully-Power, who became the first Australian-born person to fly into space in October 1984. A brilliant student and accomplished athelete during his formative years, he went on to become the first oceanographer to view the world's oceans from the best vantage point of all- Earth orbit. As a youth with a passion for riding his surf board at Sydney's northern beaches, he managed to combine a love of the ocean with his academic studies. This led him on the path to oceanography. Later he went to the United States on a Navy exchange program, where he briefed and debriefed NASA's astronaut crews on what to look for and photograph as they circled the oceans. He continued to be involved in briefing space shuttle crews for many years afterwards. Through a series of circumstances Paul Scully-Power was chosen to fly into space aboard the Shuttle Challenger. He describes the many sights he saw from space, particularly Australia- the land of his birth. Author Colin Burgess's enduring interest in spaceflight history was kindled by the dramatic flight of John Glenn in 1962, and he is a noted and regular contributor to spaceflight magazines. His friendship with Paul Scully-Power began in 1985 when he asked him to pen a suitable foreword for his children's book, 'Space: The New Frontier'. He has authored an impressive variety of books on topics ranging from humorous anecdotes of flying for Quantas Airways through to best-selling books on the Australian prisoner-of-war experience. Join the first Australian-born astronaut on his incredible journey of discovery, and learn how his space flight has changed forever the way scientists regard our oceans- knowledge which should lead to more accurate weather forecasting.

I cannot recommend this book more highly. Colin Burgess has previously written some excellent books on World War Two prisoners of war, and books of aviation humor, and here he writes with great flair on another subject- the first person born in Australia to journey into space. This book offers a fascinating insight into how someone born outside of the USA and Russia managed to make an incredible journey into orbit and study the oceans from above. However, I believe that this book will not only appeal to those interested in astronauts and Australian space achievements- the book also contains a wealth of breathtaking photos taken from orbit, guaranteed to inspire awe in even the most hardened reader. This book will be of immense interest to both adult readers and younger readers who wish to learn about the wonders of spaceflight. It makes a great companion piece to Burgess's fabulous book about Christa McAuliffe. I can't imagine my bookshelf without it, and would urge you to buy a copy if you can.

I discovered an earlier edition of this truly great book in my local book shop and have since walked most of the walks in both the earlier and this current edition. It has to be the bible for anyone wanting to experience the joys the State of Victoria in Australia has to offer. The track notes are concise, yet easy to follow and are accompanied by useful maps for each walk. The publishers would be advised to re-think their layout designs as the book has a decidedly old fashion feel about it, BUT this does not detract from the usefulness of the book. WELL DONE MR THOMAS !

A diverse range of hikes for all grades of walkers from families to hard-core adventurers. Includes contour maps for each hike as well as photographs and illustrations to accompany the comprehensive route descriptions. The destinations include the Australian Alps, the magnificent Grampians, Wilsons Promontory and Gippsland. Sixty of the walks are with 60 miles of Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria. Introductory chapters include advice on equipment, food suggestions, first aid, etc etc.

An absolutley excellent book, exploring a number of the "mystery" animals of Australia such as the Queensland Marsupial Tiger and the Thylacine. Each chapter has an extensive history of the beast, as well as eyewitness accounts and more. The author never becomes carried away with the subject and declares that such animals DO exist, but deals with it in an interesting and logical manner. A must for any cryptozoology fanatics, especially those from Australia!

Horrified to see this listed as out of print ! I bought a copy in London at UnCon'99. Six mysteries of Australian and Tasmanian animals extinct or fortean in nature. Well written and very enjoyable. Many plates of the Thylacine and locations of sightings and well done illustrations of the various critters so dear to the hearts of armchair monster hunters everywhere.

James Boyd

Pucabob@aol.com

Australian Aboriginal art is gaining international recognition, and rightly so. It is an art form driven by the culture of the artsists, and this book covers the traditional works of desert Australia, and also touches on more the more contemporary works of urban dwellers. These works are vibrant and alive, and the illustrations do justice to the richness of the work. The accompanying text is detailed and authoritative.

If you are interested in the art works of other cultures, or even art in its broadest sense, you will find many of the works presented in this volume to be quite different, even provocative. Others are as spectacular as any landscape known to the Western world.

This is an excellent introduction to a complex topic, and a worthy addition to any library.

This book was recently reviewed on the Sunday Arts program on ABC television in Australia. The book presents an authoratitive overview of the origins and development of Aboriginal Art and Culture in Australia.

It presents information in an easy to read format with enough detail to satisify most readers. It even includes sections on contemporary Aboriginal artists including Lin Onus. There are many colour illustrations of artwork to illustrate the narrative text.

A must have book for those interested in the history and contemporary state of Aboriginal Art and Culture in Australia.

This is undoubtedly the best analysis of the High Court of Australia ever compiled. It is easy to use, being fully indexed, and it covers every aspect of the court from biographical details of Judges to analysis of important decisions. It is a great mixture of history and information.

The individual entries have been written by eminent judges, jurists and lawyers in Australia. It was edited by 3 of the most well regarded legal academics in Australian history and is a terrific reference source. I can recommend it to anyone with an interest or need to look in detail at the Australian legal system. There is no other work with such detail and information in one volume.

This volume represents the most comprehensive bank of information on the High Court to date. With no less than 800 pages dedicated to the various aspects of the Court's history, personalities and institutional structures, it is a must-own for the students of the High Court.

The book is organized encyclopedia-style, with entries arranged alphabetically from the AAP Case (1975) to Ziems v. Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of NSW (1957). The entries are contributed by various Australian legal scholars, and cover a very wide range of interests. My personal favorite entry is the one on 'Jurimetrics' by Tony Blackshield.

Despite the hefty price tag (to match such a hefty book), this is one book that is well worth owning. Toting it around may give me permanent back problems, but I'm willing to risk it.

If you ever want to know anything about the rainforest, this is the series to buy. The author thoroughly discusses people, environment, and hope for rainforests. Beautiful colored pictures throughout the book supports the easy written text. I highly recommend this series to any student who needs to do a report on the rainforest. This series is a must have in any children's library collection.

If you ever want to know anything about the rainforest, this is the series to buy. The author thoroughly discusses people, environment, and hope for rainforests. Beautiful colored pictures throughout the book supports the easy written text. I highly recommend this series to any student who needs to do a report on the rainforest. This series is a must have in any children's library collection.