I was reading this book on a visit to NZ, flying from Los Angeles to Auckland. This put Smithy's epic adventures in a new light...as a commercial pilot myself, I could start (just start)to appreciate the problems they encountered, let alone the fear they must have felt... An excellent book, well researched, and as the review states, "not a dull page in the book". Well done Ian.

While i confess to not having read any other books on Sir Charles, I have an appreciation of sorts through the many Smithy stories i had grown up with. My father had worked at Brisbane airport where the Southern Cross stands today and as a boy i recall him telling me Smithy stories as we walked around the old plane. Naturally, 70 odd years after the epic flight, traffic streams past and no one gives it a second glance (although oddly this amazing historical icon is almost hidden from view). I wonder how many young Australians today know who this man is and what he contributed to world aviation.

This book offered a smorgasboard of adventure and excitement and really does put into perspective the amazing feats this man accomplished. It also shows to us a character that was flawed in many ways. Smithy is portrayed as being reckless, selfish and irresponsible and yet also often displayed amazing courage, determination and humour. The book seems factually thorough while continues to flow nicely and is really an entertaining read.

This book would provide an ideal starting point for a film, that could further document and publicise, not only Smithy but all those other early aviation pioneers. Just so many amazing flights amidst so much danger and often so much fun.

A great story of a legend from a time when you really had to do something to earn that epithet.

It would be hard to suggest my review is subjective, since I worked with Bill Laurance in the rainforests of north Queensland in those hot, humid and heady years, and am also in the book-though its appearance in print was a great surprise. Nonetheless, for the reader, biologist, or armchair traveler, this book has a bit of everything. Laurance describes his pursuit of a Ph.d in biology with candor, insight and humor. It was an incredible time in Australia, and for once, at least, the forests won: much of Australia's remaining lowland and montaine rainforest was protected by World Heritage designation and the Rat Patrol and Higher Mammal Crew (led by Laurance) were right in the thick of it. Bill describes the realities of field work: the sheer physical aspect of being in the rainforest, the thrill of encountering relict and highly adapted species, the tension with local townspeople who make their living in extractive industries like logging, and the constant infusion of travelers and characters who were recruited to the little house on Coral Street. Small town, Australia is accurately depicted in the pages of this book: the miners, the timber cutters, pastoralists and plain drunks, most who ultimately come to respect Dr. Laurance and his work. Laurance also describes his travels in New Guinea, including several dangerous and hilarious encounters with local tribesman. Throughout are scattered insights about biology: why for example there are few aquatic marsupials (they would drown in a pouch), and human nature. My only complaint with the book, is that Laurance got the details of my own expedition in search of Morelia carinata with Geoff Cunningham substantially wrong: We did not lose our packs and food in a river crossing in the Kimberley, but walked 42 days to the coast for a rendezvous with a boat that never arrived due to a cyclone. After waiting ten days at the coast, we walked 168 miles to the nearest cattle station on the edge of nowhere. We did not eat anything but grasshoppers and wild figs for ten days, and were grateful to emerge from the outback with our lives. But, since I lost touch with Bill for 5 years, I can imagine he might get those details mixed up. All in all, it's a wonderful book, and a real insight into the challenges of field biology and habitat conservation. Laurance's post-script is a call to action to halt the destruction of rainforests around the world. Get involved. As he used to say, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

After reading a wonderful review in the Chronical of Higher Education, I knew that I had to get my hands on this book.

Similar to Tim Flannery's Throwim Way Leg, Stinging Trees and Wait-a-Whiles recounts a biologist's travels and adventures into the Australian rainforest with his dog (Tulley) and a motley crew of volunteer research assistants.

Although Bill Laurance is a brilliant scientist, he is also a gifted writer who has the ability to spin dry field notes into witty reading.

I highly recommend this book!

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Jeannie Baker's books always have a strong underlying environmental theme, but it is never too strident. Instead, she lets her beautiful artwork do most of the talking.

In "The Story of Rosy Dock" our focus is drawn to the harsh beauty of the Australian desert. The vivid desert red ochre colors shine out from every page. The level of realism that Jeannie has achieved in her collages tease the eye, with many quirky little details which are almost hiding in the huge landscapes.

The highlight of the story is a time when the dryness and harshness of the desert is inundated with rare flooding rains.

The human dimension is sensitively handled, where we see the elderly widow rescued from her little shack, when the floodwaters almost cover its roof. There is humour as well, where we see the widow's armchair high up in a dead tree when the floodwaters subside.

The sight of a small group of kangaroos and camels marooned on an island of high ground is touching. We see the spectacle of hundreds of pelicans coming up from the coast, seeking out the lakes created by the retreating floodwaters.

The environmental message comes through when we recognize the impact of the plagues of rabbits that burrow away in the sandy soil of the desert. The key to the story is the Rosy Dock plant, which was innocently planted by the widow in her precious little garden. This escapes and is propagated all over the countryside. The damaging impact of non-indigenous fauna and flora is a particularly severe problem in Australia.

The negative environmental impact of the Rosy Dock is clearly explained in an "afterword" by the author at the back of the book. In brief, it is the power of these introduced species to "change whole landscapes and push many (endemic) plants and animals to extinction".

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Jeannie Baker is a collage artist. many are created to illiustrate her children's books, but they also stand alone as works of art, and there are some in art galleries. like 'Where The Forest Meets The Sea' the technique is employed to illustrate an environmental theme - this time the introduction of exotic plant species. This time it is a desert environment of the Finke River. It is a superb introduction to this ecological issue. it is not, however finger-wagging. At the end Baker says: " Throughout the world, often with the best intentions, people introduce plants and animals into a new environment with enormous unforseen consequences. Without their normal predators, some non-native plants and animals multiply so quickly they change the whole landscapes and push many native plants and animals to extinction."

Thus Baker seeks to educate and alert us to the problem and raise our awarness so as to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

Equally at home as a general reading book, or useful in a primary school science course.

for the Olympics. This is an excellent pre-travel reference for anyone planning to attend the Summer Olympics in Sydney this year. The historical background will help to bring the city to life, from its beginnings as a penal colony to its growth into one of the world's truly great cities.

Sydney started out as a landing place for convicts from Great Britain. But from those humble beginnings, it has grown into one of the world's great cities. This is a "must read" for anyone planning a trip Down Under any time soon. The insights provided by the author will help the Australian visitor have a much better understanding of the city before him. With the Olympics coming soon to Sydney, the timing of this release couldn't have been better. This is a book worth the investment of time and money. You'll enjoy it.

As just another digger I found this book to be most worthy.
Having been through the training regimes as recommended by Ted Serong in Australia and having the understanding of the type of war we were involved in I could never understand the manner in which the Americans fought the war.
After reading this book I now understand it to have been a distrust of non American ideas and arrogance of the"we know better" type and impatience, thinking always that bigger is better rather than looking at quality.

The Vietnam War, and especially the reasons for its loss, from both military and political standpoints, will continue to be a matter of importance for those who are concerned with the survival of democracies.

Much has been written on political considerations, but military questions have been more neglected. Hence this book, which examines the role of Brigadier Ted Serong in the conflict, will be of great interest to a variety of readers.

Anne Blair is a research associate with the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University. Her interest in Serong is well-based. He had a central role in the development of military strategy and tactics, although to a large extent his views conflicted with those ultimately applied by the United States in Vietnam.

Early during his time in Vietnam, Serong concluded that the American forces were not properly directed, and that the South Vietnamese Army also should have directed its efforts in different ways.

He was involved in the development of the Police Field Force (PFF), with the aim of destroying the structures of the Vietnamese Communists in rural and mountain areas, and also the networks by which guerrillas obtained weapons, food, information and recruits.

Serong's concept (which is particularly persuasive in retrospect) was that the PFF would clear areas of Viet Cong influence, thus freeing the South Vietnamese Army (the AVRN) for combat against the North Vietnamese regiments that were operating in the border areas.

Unfortunately the United States forces showed a lack of patience, and were not prepared to support adequately the gradual advance of the program.

The PFF was absorbed by other US mission programs in 1966-67, but Serong himself remained invaluable and was consulted constantly by government advisers and by military commanders at the highest level.

At all times, his perceptions of the strategic position were sound. For example, he was one of the first to appreciate that the 1968 Tet Offensive constituted, contrary to media reports, a militarily disastrous loss by the Communists.

This book is very valuable. It is well researched. The author had the advantage of numerous conversations with Serong, and her account is expressed carefully, with much detail and appropriate references.

It is impossible to read it without concluding that Serong is a great Australian, and a great man in any context, a figure of enormous importance whose advice, had it been followed properly, would probably have led to a different result in Vietnam.

It is therefore a book which, in addition to its general readership, should be studied closely by military strategists and tacticians, and by the various academics, think-tanks and institutes which are so influential in the application of political and military policy.

- I.C.F. Spry, News Weekly book review, Melbourne, Australia

I've been searching for a book other than a tourist's guide to New Zealand to learn more about my fiance's home country. This is the book! Filled with lots of relevant (and recent) information, including gorgeous photos, this book is amazing. I can't wait to visit this beautiful country with him and see it for myself!

I recently bought my first copy of this book in the Auckland airport. I ordered my second copy for a friend. In addition to being a beautiful "picture book" with photos the quality that I wish I had taken while there, this book provides extensive text with factual information on most aspects of life in New Zealand ranging from the land and its climate, its fauna and flora to its history and the quality of life there today. This is a great book for anyone planning a visit or wishing to recall the special beauties of this wonderful country after returning from a visit. Or you may "visit" this country through this book. It is a very up-to-date publication, we even recognized photos of some of the same Maori performers we saw in concert during our recent visit! This is a very comprehensive publication, I think that it is outstanding!

One of the few books I have re-read in adulthood, having discovered it in late teenagehood. Very good indeed. Its descption of life for a woman seeking independence in Sydney on the post-WW2 period is excellent, as is the exposition of aging, and the bitter-sweetness of an expat returning to a former home. In the scenes in Brisbane suburbia you can almost smell the frangipani and mango trees!

Jessica Anderson deserves a place alongside the equally masterful Alice Munro. Her prose is flawless, compelling, simple and elegant, and it serves a finely crafted story and page-turning plot. I don't know why Anderson is not better known, but I certainly feel lucky that I found her.

How honest should you be with your life? That is a question that every gay or lesbian eventually has to answer. The question lies at the heart of this book. How much should you risk to be comfortable with yourself? And don't let anyone tell you that being "out" is the answer for everybody. It was interesting to see that Karin Kallmaker wrote a review for this book. Kallmaker has to be THE premier writer of lesbian novels right now, but she doesn't mind giving praise to another writer's work. I agree with her about Under the Southern Cross. The Carol Ashton series by McNab is entertaining reading, but this book is much better developed.

Every writer has touchstone books that they turn to for fresh air -- a relief from their own words. Under the Southern Cross is one of mine. Though I enjoy Claire's mysteries, she really shines in this book. The main characters are complicated, and their fears are as real as their passion. Claire creates two women with the strength to achieve their dreams, but places them in the real world, where strength alone is not enough. Add the lush landscape that she describes so beautifully and this book is a rare romance indeed.

This is a great book. I grew up in this area and spent many happy hours on these beaches. It truly is a great present to share with friends overseas and with family.

Nobody alive on earth today can adequately describe the magic that is the Waitakere Ranges -- a unique place on this planet, unrivaled in beauty anywhere at any price. Travel around the Ranges, either on foot or by automobile, and you will be enchanted, spellbound.

Because words are horribly inadequate tools to describe beauty, the Waitakere Ranges must be experienced to be believed. However, _Untamed Coast_ comes about as close as possible to doing this place justice.

A magical book, for a magical place.

Meagan discovered her fiance in their bed with a bimbo six weeks before their marriage and dumped him . The next day, her boss told her that she was to replace the Managing Director's secretary at a very important 3-day business conference with a Japanese delegaton. She was seduced and as she was on the rebound , she did not mind this interlude but refused to continue seeing him afterwards. He discovered hinself in love with her and set out to win her. Passion sizzled between the two but the heroine refused to compromise -- it's either all or nothing. A very enjoyable read.

The story goes that the heroine has just dumped her fiance and is looking for that elusive "perfect" hero. The hero has had his eye on her for a while, and ends up proposing marriage to keep her. And this is where she has to make sure he will still be interested in her forever. Emma Darcy has made her heroine, as always, a strong woman who is not afraid of the hero just because he has power. She gets what she wants i.e. the hero, through a combination of humour, determination and making sure he won't stray, by giving him what they both want..... This book is well written, and the happy ending makes all their doubts and fears vanish with the "I do's". The book is a keeper.