This is a beautiful book of a gifted photographer. Just like the "America Wide" this book offers much joy and peace in browsing through its pages. Thanks God for giving Ken such talent and skills.

"Australia's Age of Iron" is unique in drawing together the historical and archaeological information on the early development of iron smelting in Australia. Due to Australia's comparatively recent European settlement (since 1788) industrial archaeology has a short perspective and has been largely neglected until recently. This book provides the basic information on the earlist attempts at establishing an iron industry and a review of the archaeological investigations. Jack and Cremin give a short introduction to the iron extraction traditions which contributed to the Australian scene, and then trace the history of the history of the various 19th century attempts to establish iron smelting and manufacturing operations. They also provide accounts of the archaeological situation of each of the sites. They document how the the economic survival of the local iron operations, particularly smelting, was dependent upon government support due to the difficulty of the 'infant ' industry becoming competitive with the cheap imports from long established European and North American manufacturers. The book is well illustrated with maps, period photographs of the pioneer iron works and modern black & white photographs of the sites. While the it is comparatively short at xiv + 175 pages it is comprehensively referenced and indexed. It covers a great deal of material and fills a major gap in Australian industrial archaeology. It is expensive, but worth the money, as there is nothing else available in this area.

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"Liquid Gold" will become essential reading for anybody wanting to gain a detailed understanding of Australian wine. It looks closely at the history of the Ozzie wine scene and the trail-blazing vignerons who have elevated this country's wine to world-class status. Nicholas Faith's thesis is that Australians have underplayed the importance of "regionalism". He then demonstrates that each Australian wine district has very distinctive and attractive attributes.

This book is the first comprehensive study of the Australian wine business written by a non-Australian. Faith is an Englishman with expert credentials. He made his name with The Winemasters, the classic 1978 study of Bordeaux. As a contributing editor to the London Financial Times Faith combines a knowledge of wine as one of life's essential joys together with a sharp commercial understanding of the wine industry.

The history of the Australian wine scene is covered in more detail by other authors, but Faith, with his international perspective puts the last 200 years of development in a very relevant, topical and balanced context. Faith's stated purpose in writing the book is "an attempt to explain the success of Australians in the international wine market since the early 1990s". For those readers familiar with the early pioneers and the renaissance of our industry in the 1960s, it may be tempting to skate over the 275 pages it takes Faith to get to the current era.

With an Englishman's appreciation of pedigree, Faith reminds us there are now dynastic Australian wine families eg the Smiths and Wynns, with up to five generations of viticultural, oenological and wine marketing skills behind them. Interestingly, members of these families are still at the cutting edge of wine innovation.

Faith looks at the very topical issue of the two opposing trends in our industry. With the recent large-scale mergers and international rationalisations eg Rosemount/Penfolds and Hardys/Constellation- there is a risk that Australian wine making will become "commodified". Some critics (particularly the French) argue that industrial scale wine production (even at a high technical standard) leads to bland and characterless wine. The discounting power of supermarket liquor buyers and the squeeze they are putting on the growers and winemakers (both large and small) is seen as the biggest threat to our industry's continued success.

Thankfully, there are still the innovative smaller-scale producers who are prepared to experiment and "push the envelope" when it comes to making their vines and wines sing and dance for our pleasure. Faith reminds us of the increasingly important role of estate-grown (individual vineyard) and "hand-made" wines. He assures us Australian producers will continue to carve out valuable niches at this premium end of the market.

Faith is optimistic that the most of these competent "tin shed" wine makers with access to good fruit will survive, despite the increasing dominance of the Big Five wine makers and the pressure of retail liquor discounting. He sees cellar door, mail order and direct sales to restaurants as the key. When coupled with wine regions presented as attractive tourism destinations, the identity and survival of the small labels must be assured. In support of this, Faith tells us of the habit of the serious French wine consumer who likes to buy wine direct from the producer.

The most provocative passage in Faith's book looks at the relative economic power between the grape grower and the wine maker.

"The whole of Australia is now coming to resemble Champagne, another region of blended wines produced by firms that are renowned for the value of their brands but - with a few exceptions - can supply only a small proportion of the grapes they require."

On first reading, you might think Faith has seen too many bottles on the shelves of Sainsbury's bearing the label "Product of South-Eastern Australia". However, statistics are on Faith's side. Recent numbers from the Australian Wine Industry Directory (Wine Titles 2003) show that the Top 22 winemakers own or lease only 20% of the total area of Australia's vineyards. To the outsider, the power would seem to be in the hands of the grower but, increasingly, the winemakers apply a rigorous grading system when buying fruit, and will reject grapes that are of inferior quality.

A close reading of the book reveals a few annoying typos and oversights. One example is the name of Penfold's former Chief Viticulturist in South Australia: David Murdock. Faith spells it Murdoch.

Late in the book, he tells us that the Margaret River region of Western Australia is the only region in the world that was recommended geologically as having soil-types suitable for wine-grape growing - this was before the first vine was planted. However, in an earlier chapter we are told that the founders of the Barossa Valley region in South Australia in the 1830s also consulted a mineralogist before committing to their vineyard plantings.

Faith demonstrates that terroir and regionalism does underpin much of the qualities that we see in Australian wine. He reminds us that Brian Croser's bold move into the Adelaide Hills and Andrew Pirie's rigorous selection of Pipers Brook was driven by a belief that the soils and climate characteristics of Burgundy could be found in parts of Australia. The emergence of great local pinots is a result of this combination of science and passion.

One familiar aspect of both the earliest and current generation of Australian vignerons is the large number of medical doctors who got themselves involved with grapes and wine. Faith tells us about the pragmatic and pioneering doctors of the 1800s who grew grapes and recommended wine as a health-giving tonic. The modern generation of winemaking medicos seems to be more inspired by the need for relief from the pain of taxation. Either way the restorative power of Australian wine is firmly based.

When you finish reading "Liquid Gold" you may be obliged to lift a glass and thank Mr Faith for writing such an informative, provocative and entertaining book.

Riversleigh is a major World Heritage listed fossil site, primarily discovered in the late 1970s in Queensland, Australia. Since the first discoveries an abundance of prehistoric Australian fauna dating from 25 million years ago to the present has been recovered, preserved in limestone sediments and ancient caves, which testify to a formerly lush rainforest climate prevalent as Australia drifted north from Antarctica. It is unfortunate that most of Australia's present day, rather unique animals are in fact, just a remnant of what once was, when formerly higher rainfall spanned much of the continent. Many lineages and individual species, represented by the abundance recovered at Riversleigh, are now extinct and forgotten, except of course by a few enthusiastic palaeontologists, as described in this book. Readers will be surprised and delighted at the peculiar forms and fantastic colour illustrations and reconstructions presented in this book, and what things can be learnt of their extinction over time, as Australia drifted north.

Exquisitely illustrated, with on-site field notes and diagrams should keep the enthusiastic amateur fossil hunter entertained. An abundance of technical notes, photographs of real specimens and colour reconstructions, many of which uphold Australia's reputation for the unusual and/or the alternative, in terms of evolutionary development. Evolutionary experiments abound with examples which include 'thingadonta' (nobody really knows what it is), several species of marsupial lion, Tasmanian 'wolf' (thylacine) ancestors, flesh-eating kangaroos, several failed lines of kangaroos, several platypus ancestors, giant marsupials such as Diprotodon-the world's largest, a giant wombat, koala ancestors, numerous bats, possums, and creepy critters of all types, are presented. No primates unfortunately, and no bears or dogs, but it is interesting how some of these vacant evolutionary niches were filled by marsupial alternatives-especially in the case of the 'Tasmanian wolf', and the carnivorous marsupial 'lion'. And it is interesting to speculate what kind of alternative type of 'marsupial primate' may have (could still!) have arisen. An upright 'hominid'-like marsupial, wandering the Australian plains-who knows if Australian rainforests hadn't have all but disappeared.

The book puts the various animals and lineages into perspective, describing the changes of climate and habitat loss over the last 25 million years as Australia's climate became drier as the continent drifted north. Many lineages were/are in slow decline before the arrival of the aborigines and Europeans, as Australia's rainforests progressively shrank.

The colour illustrations and landscape reconstructions are a major feature, and they are outstanding. This book is highly recommended for the enthusiastic fossil hunter, or for those just curious in Australian animals and palaeontology in general.

I read a review of this book in Vacations & Travel Magazine and couldn't agree more with their description of it as "...a mouth-watering book with drop-dead-gorgeous photography".

Although little-known here in the US, the book has received rave reviews in Australia. The reason is plain to see.

It's packed with fabulous photos from exotic places and inroduces the reader to Australia's fragile ecosystems without sounding in the least bit crunchy or boring.

The Author obviously has a passion for travel, good food & wonderful wines and this shines through with the great recipes and wine recommendations that provide a value-add and point of distinction for the publication.

If there was ever a book that summed up the essence of escape and decadence - this is it! I'm an avid collector of cofee table books and consider this one to be a MUST HAVE. Now all I need to do is save enough to get over there & explore each place in the book!

Fabulous coffee table book. Makes you feel as though you've been to the Outback. Great photography - good writing

An excellent book, full of facts and historical items. Excellent photos of the ships of the RAN.

I like this book very much, I am reading it for the second time. It has a well constructed, thematic approach that takes you from pre-European Aboriginal society to late 20th century attempts to be an 'all encompassing' society. It explains how the physical environment shaped the Australian character together with the cultural and historical pull towards Britain and Europe competing with the pull towards America and Asia as it still tries to define itself in the world. One is left feeling that Australia is a rather unique combination of hedonism, tolerance, stability, blandness and infinite possibility.

This immense coffee-table style book has long been popular in Australia. With incredible photographs by Australia's most renowned photographer Reg Morrison, the viewer is taken to every part of this giant country. The shots are aerial as well as macro, giving a true feeling to what most people never see about this grand country.

Writer/Editor Helen Grasswill comprises the narrative which includes detailed descriptions of the countryside, it's geological make-up and the country's landscape heritage. The writer and photographer compiment each other's work immensely. This has to still be the most comprehensive book on the natural landsape of Australia.

I only have one 'coffee table' book, and this is it.

This inspiring and moving book, beautifully captures in words and over 120 full-colour photographs the essence of the isolated continent that is Australia. The author, Darren Jew, was inspired by his father's travels in Antarctica to pursue a career in nature photography, and has photographed much of the world's wildlife and landscapes. However, it is his native Australia, where he grew up and lives, and where he spent 8 years as photographer for the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service which is his greatest inspiration.

In this book he takes the reader on a journey from the abundant life of the great barrier reef and tropical rainforests, to the stark beauty of the red centre. Along the way he shares with us his understanding of and love for the unique plants and animals that make this isolated continent their home.

Why do I love this book? I have travelled in Australia many times, and it is a truly magnificent and fascinating place to which I will return again and again. The author has captured this magic with breathtaking images and lyrical yet factual prose. It's clear he knows and understands the land, its plants and animals. The breadth of material is outstanding. You can dive down to the depths of the great barrier reef and swim amongst the beautiful corals and cruising barracuda; sit on a sandy athol watching the sun go down or catch crabs scuttling to their holes; climb the misty ranges of the blue mountains or gaze in awe at the majesty that is Ayers Rock.

Darren's range as a photographer is as wide as his knowledge of the land. His portaits of wildlife are superb - some burstling with action such as courting terns and diving whales, others graphic still lifes -the brilliance of the the colourful cup moth on a palm leaf, the beady eye of the watchful yellow python. They're all here: kookaburras and koalas, possums and platypus, cassowarys and crocodiles. There are over around 60 colour plates of all the well known Australian fauna and a few you won't have even thought of.

And the landscape photographs match the wildlife ones in both quantity and quality. Darren really does 'write with light' and captures the spirit of a place perfectly. You can almost feel the water dripping from the tree ferns in the rainforests, imagine the scent of silver barked eucalypts against the deepest blue sky and feel the parched red desert and sacred rocks.

Just as he captures the spirit of the creatures and landscapes, he too captures the moment. One of my favourite pictures is a glassy wave breaking onto the reef, every drop of water frozen at that moment in time - now where's my surf board?

Whilst many of Darren's pictures are spectacular panoramas, he is also adept at capturing the more intimate scenes: a close up of delicate forest fungi dripping with dew; a tiny turtle hatchling making its dangerous trip back to the ocean.

The words which accompany the images are both inspiring and illuminating - simply but engagingly written, with a vast store of first hand knowledge to draw upon. You can tell that the author loves his home and wants to protect and nuture it.

Whenever anyone asks me what Australia is like, I show them this book. Then they book their Qantas ticket. Really, it's that good.