All his life, Austen Layard has dreamt of unearthing the fabled ancient city of Nineveh, which lies buried under the sands of the Middle East. And now as he battles corrupt warlords and races against time, at any moment his dream could become a nightmare. MONStERS IN tHE SAND is a gripping adventure story that will inspire readers to dig into the intriguing past of today's war torn Iraq.
Mia Montrose, archaeological linguist, has discovered that the Black Madonna is a code used by secret societies throughout time for the lost key to an ancient power source: the Sphere of Amenti. Kali, inter-dimensional Queen of the Anunnaki - now fully merged with the youngest Dragon Queen, tamar Devere - has less than a year to rehabilitate her Fallen kindred who desire inter-galactic domination. Ashlee Granville-Devere, and the Dragon Queens must pool their talents to open the twelve Stations of the Signet Grid and unlock the Halls of Amenti lest the Fallen succeed in using time-travel technologies to destroy humanity. From the ancient past to the distant future, from Montsègur to the way-stations of the universe, from the Underworld of the Kali Rift to the Otherworld of the Ranna time Flow - the inter-time war must be won for the sake of the future.
Waking up in a laboratory floating in space, five children and a furry brick realise they ve been cruelly experimented on limbs have been added, looks changed and some really weird things happen to their bodies. Escaping the research station these Lab Rats embark on a hilarious action-packed mission to find their homes before the evil Professor Xanax and his nasty assistant, Bumface capture them again.
'Mike, a lot, sometimes rot, has been written about me. Please hold this, my real story, to edit and present to a new generation, after I and the crooks we've exposed have turned to dust.' Darcy Dugan Written in secret during his long years in jail and smuggled out to keep it safe from his enemies until now, Bloodhouse is Darcy Dugan's brutally honest and gripping story of his extraordinary life and times. During Dugan's criminal career, he pulled off countless hold-ups but it was his daring escapes that captured the public's imagination and earned him the monicker of 'Houdini of the prison system'. One of his many famous escapes occurred less than half an hour after arriving at Long Bay, another after sawing a hole in a moving prison tram, but even Dugan couldn't crack Grafton Jail, the infamous 'Bloodhouse', where he spent 11 torturous years. In all, Dugan spent 44 years in prison. His firsthand experience of brutality and corruption led him to become an outspoken campaigner for reform and the archenemy of Sydney's criminal underworld, corrupt police and an unjust prison system. threatened with execution if revelations in his book became public, Dugan asked Mike tatlow to suppress this story until both he and his enemies had turned to dust, and write the concluding chapters. the result is a must-read account of a true Australian original.
When Kasumi leaves her remote village for the teeming city of Edo, her life is transformed. As a lady-in-waiting in a samurai mansion she discovers a rare talent for art and falls in love with a young samurai. How could she ever return to the life of a simple mountain girl? But Kasumi must set aside her own concerns. Her country is on the brink of change and Edo is simmering with tension. And her mistress has a dangerous secret--a secret that Kasumi is gradually drawn into... Set against the vivid backdrop of nineteenth-century Japan, THE PEONY LANTERN is a powerful story of art, love and friendship, and finding your own path. Ages 12+ PRAISE and ACCLAIM ***Shortlisted in the 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards*** 'This masterfully written and lyrical novel challenges the tenets of the times and a woman's role in it...an enlightening and thoroughly satisfying read.' Judges' comments, 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards 'Lyrical, fascinating and evocative, Frances Watts' work is always extraordinary' Jackie French, bestselling author of TO LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY 'The beauty of Watts' writing leads us through an exciting narrative, the mystery's solution only revealed at the end ... Destined to be enjoyed by anyone over the age of 12 and bound to be a favourite to be shared within a class, an added advantage is its 'usefulness' as a text aptly aligned to the new English curriculum. Captivating.' BUZZWORDS BOOKS 'Watts writes with sympathy and appreciation of Japan and the Japanese people. Her strongly delineated characters and lyrical descriptions of place inform a book which will engage the thoughtful reader.' READING TIME
Former test bowler, ABC Radio cricket commentator, funny man, raconteur and all-round sporting tragic Kerry O'Keeffe recalls some of the most hilarious and poignant events from his life - in sport and away from it. From the racetrack at Fanny Bay in Darwin and catching up with mates for legendary lunches to leading a tour party through the highs and lows of the 2004 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies and backyard cricket tests with his surfing champion son, the author of the bestselling ACCORDING tO SKULL relates the agony and the ecstasy of a life lived through sport. With more humour than your usual stand-up comic and more sharp-eyed opinion about the state of cricket than you average commentator, Kerry O'Keeffe has written another winner for all lovers of the game and punters who love a laugh.
Norstalos stands on the brink of destruction. But the three invading armies are probably the least of Queen Merren's problems. Her people despise their would-be saviours, the army of goblins she has won to her side, while the dragons want Martil and the fabled Dragon Sword for themselves. Now Merren must make the most painful choice of her life ... marry Count Sendric for the good of the Royal House or the man who loves her, the troubled Champion, Martil. praise for Duncan Lay: 'Hugely enjoyable' Daily telegraph 'For fans of David Gemmell' Bookseller+Publisher
ROCKY ELSOM: LEADER OF tHE WALLABIES is an insightful and revealing look into the rugby union career of one of Australia's greatest Wallabies, Rocky Elsom, as seen through the eyes of the key figures in his life, including family members, team-mates and coaches. From representing Australia at under 16s level to attaining cult status in Ireland and named as the best player in the world, Rocky has exerted the same talismanic influence on the Wallabies that Richie McCaw has had on New Zealand. A rugged individualist, Rocky's biggest task to date will be leading the Australian team for the World Cup in New Zealand in September 2011. "After covering Rocky's career as a journalist for eight years I thought I had a fair idea of him, but I realized I hardly knew him at all. Rocky is like a modern day renaissance Man, a Leonardo da Vinci in studs. Apart from being one of the greatest Wallabies of his generation, Rocky is a musician, a philosopher, an entrepreneur and a pilot just to list a few of his pastimes. Most people enjoy speaking about, even boasting about, their interests, especially if that is landing a rickety two-seater t-Bird sideways on a slippery runway, not Rocky. He rarely talks about it, he just does it." - Bret Harris
In reading UNDER tHE INFLUENCE, I have not only discovered that alcohol has been integral to major events in Australian history, I have also found - as will many other readers - that it has also been integral to major events in the history of my own family. It's intoxicating to read the story of our country through the bottom of a glass. (from the Foreword by Mandy Sayer) UNDER tHE INFLUENCE is a unique look at Australian history as seen through the perspective of the influence of alcohol. Extremely readable and well researched, this book shows how the patterns for alcohol use (and abuse) can be traced back to the very early days of white settlement in Australia, taking us all the way up to the present day and our ongoing concerns about teenage drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence, as well as the role of the industry players in the promotion and packaging of an increasingly dizzying array of alcoholic products. Along the way we learn of the social, political and cultural facets of alcohol and it makes fascinating reading discovering what our attitude to alcohol says about who we are, who we care about, and what we care about.
War with hell looms and the cruel demons could gain control of everything. Emma Donahoe has faced down threats to her loved ones and never given up the fight. But as the demons close in, she faces a new danger - John's love for her could lead to her complete annihilation. As battles rage for control of Heaven and Earth, she must fight her own war to retain her independence as her identity is absorbed into the man she loves.
Former world boxing champion Danny 'the Green Machine' Green's raw courage in the boxing ring - and his humanity outside of it - has made him one of Australia's most admired fighters. In CLOSED FIStS, OPEN HEARt: tHE DANNY GREEN StORY he documents the life of a modern day gladiator in a series of fast paced anecdotes which get straight to the heart of boxing and why men continue to pursue the sport.
Liz Ellis is vice-captain of the Australian netball team and is fast becoming one of the most popular sporting personalities in Australia. Playing the Game explains to readers exactly what it is like to be a well-known top-level sportswoman in Australia. Liz looks back on what she needed to do to be successful, the sacrifices she made, the lessons learned, and the good times, too. * Will appeal to girls in their early teens * Netball is the Number One participation sport in Australia and New Zealand * Ideal role model
Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has been writing about the Australian outback and its people for many years. But as well as being a writer and storyteller he is a collector of rich outback characters - and Jack 'Goldie' Goldsmith is, he says, a gem among many. Born in the Blue Mountains more than 70 years ago, Goldie was a troubled, reckless boy. When he was 15 he left home and school and took off for the bush with his mate Bluey. It was just after World War II and there was massive unemployment, and he had to take whatever job was going. In his travels throughout western New South Wales and Queensland Goldie worked at everything: he picked potatoes, trapped rabbits, was a shearer, roustabout, railway fettler and ringer, among many other jobs. And before long Goldie became known as the kind of bloke who could do anything - and who probably would. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh tells Goldie's story in his own words, and the result is a rich and vivid account of a fast-vanishing Australia, with its values of mateship, willingness to give anything a go, determination not to let the bastards get you, and spirit of daring and adventure.
If your teacher commuted to school in a plane; if you had to watch out for rogue bulls rather than traffic; if your daily pick-up was done by a horse - you probably went to an outback school. this collection of more than sixty stories, gathered by Bill 'Swampy' Marsh in his travels across Australia, perfectly captures the experience of life growing up in the outback. Whether you loved school or not, these stories will bring a smile to your face and maybe even a tear to your eye, as students and teachers alike share their yarns and memories of a time gone by. ...this little kid, he spun around at me and he snapped, 'Piss off, Miss.' Of course, I immediately replied with, 'Excuse me. In this school we always use our best manners when we talk to teachers and adults. So what should we say, then?' And this little kid, well, he looked up at me all sheepish and he said, 'Well then, Miss, piss off, PLEASE.'
the final fabulous story of the Celestial triad, which began with the Ancient Future trilogy. With the Nefilim gone, and all the human races united, it is time for tory and Maelgwn to unite into one soul-mind and assume their rightful place among the other ascended masters of the Cosmic Logos. But first, they must address the growing problems on Gaia so that their planet of origin may join the new interstellar alliance. On Kila, Lahmu's newly appointed council is confronted by a major threat to the peace when the Aten space station is mysteriously stolen. Now Lahmu and the young rulers of the intergalactic alliance must track down the culprits before the Aten's time travel function is discovered and history is cast into chaos. tory and Maelgwn struggle to guide their kindred, left behind on the earth plane. But will the Dragon's boys perceive the counsel of their absent parents, before an intergalactic incident lands Gaia in the middle of a supernatural disaster?
It's school holidays but Archie and Jess's mum has to go to work at the tV studio. Problem is, children have been banned from the studio, but there isn't anywhere else for Archie and Jess to go. Can they get through the day without being sprung by the big, burly security guard? And what's going to happen when they are discovered on the set of the hit, A PLACE LIKE OURS, pretending to be extras? A hilarious chapter novel for young readers by one of Australia's most-loved authors.
Steve Austin isn't your average dog trainer. In this feelgood, yarn-laden memoir he shares amazing stories from a career of rescuing and training shelter dogs to become a crack force of K9s, culminating in his work for the 'Young Diggers' program, which pairs specially trained dogs with returned Diggers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and more, with astonishing results.A down-to-earth Aussie larrikin of a bloke with a gift for telling a great yarn, Steve Austin trains extraordinary, elite dogs for vital missions internationally in the fields of drug enforcement, environmental protection and much much more. From drug detection to penguins, cane toads and even truffles, and from the icy conditions of Macquarie Island to the LAPD, if you need something detected, Steve's got a dog for that. And a yarn to tell!
Judith Brown, a mother of three, was murdered in her Anna Bay home, just north of Newcastle, on 2 June 2000. Detective Sergeant Peter Fox from Maitland Police Station led the murder investigation. Early suspicions indicated Judith Brown might have fallen victim to a botched break-in. With no eyewitnesses and the forensic evidence not pointing to a single suspect, investigators were left with little to go on. Within weeks of the murder, Peter Fox's team was reduced to one, with the support of Crime Scene Examiner, Detective Senior Constable Peter Muscio. Against advice to take what he had to a Coronial Inquiry and with a growing workload, Peter Fox continued his investigations into Judith's Brown s murder. A suspect emerged, though there was insufficient evidence to make an arrest. Driven to see justice done, he continued to gather evidence, spending part of every day following up leads. After 18 months Peter finally put together a compiling, though circumstantial case against his suspect. It was a risk. Some of Peter's colleagues still didn't believe the evidence would stand the scrutiny of a trial. three years after Judith Brown's murder, Peter Fox's suspect faced trial in the Newcastle Supreme Court. the jury would hear not all of Peter's evidence, most importantly, what Peter believed to be the motive for the murder. Peter, himself, would be accused of being obsessive, while every piece of physical evidence was attacked for supporting only what Peter Fox wanted it to. In the end, the murder of Judith Brown was solved, not by a confession or showing motive, but by passionate police work in presenting one of the most fascinating and complicated circumstantial cases to be placed before a NSW Supreme Court.
the new book from the author of In Bed with Jocasta and the Dag's Dictionary. Meet Richard, the original desperate husband, and his partner, the fabulous but formidable Jocasta. And say hello to their teenage offspring - the teutonic Batboy and his irrepressible younger brother. Desperate Husbands lifts the lid on so-called normal family life, and reveals its soulful, hilarious absurdity. Welcome to a world where household appliances conspire against their owners, fathers practise ballet in the hallway and dead insects spell out an SOS on the kitchen floor. By turns sweet-natured yet perverse, familiar yet wildly original, Desperate Husbands may be the funniest book you read this year. 'Desperate Husbands is desperately, wickedly funny. I devoured it in one sitting, greedily checking ahead to see that I still had pages left. Richard Glover has done the miraculous - he's made ordinary family life extraordinarily entertaining. this is a must-read for anybody who's ever had a wife or a husband or a mother or a stove or a child or a pulse. Go ahead and open a page at random - you'll laugh out loud.' - Augusten Burroughs, bestselling author of Running with Scissors
For 21 years Phillip Adams has been the witty, smooth and informed voice of Late Night Live on ABC Radio National. In the studio he bats questions to world leaders, thinkers, ideologues, crackpots and gurus. But what about the stories that don't make it to air? the ones about the guests who don't behave, the tricky questions that must be asked, the interviewees who don't pause for breath or - worse - who refuse to speak? Here, Phillip shares the secrets of his radio days from when he was looked upon as a commercial upstart to when Henry Kissinger, Christopher Hitchens, Kevin Rudd and so many others have lined up to be interviewed by him. He reflects on the sometimes comic, sometimes poignant, sometimes fraught art of putting together live radio, for a show where anything could happen and almost everything has.
the problem with being a sleepwalking dog is you don't have a clue where you are when you wake up! When Skoz finds himself falling from a great height - with no parachute - he has no idea how he got there. It's going to take more than an emergency flying lesson from a very cranky bird to keep Skoz airborne. But if he doesn't get his ears flapping soon, it'll be SPLAt! Want to know more about everyone's favourite sleepwalking dog? Head to harpercollins.com.au and andrewdaddo.com, where you can write a review, download an activity pack and more! Skoz's hilarious adventures continue in Skoz the Dog: All at Sea, and watch out for more wacky sleepwalking tales coming soon. Oh boy oh boy oh bowowow! Ages 7+ PRAISE FOR SKOZ tHE DOG 'Daddo has expertly achieved the voice of a dog and woven first person and third person narration to a very humorous effect ... Skoz is sure to become many 8-12 year olds new "best friend"' MAGPIES 'A fun, fast-paced read' DMAG 'this energetic story flies by' SUN-HERALD 'We need more whimsical, harmless, chapter books for children who are beginning to read independently, and the adventures of Andrew Daddo's Skoz seem made to order' WEEKEND AUStRALIAN 'full of thrilling, funny mishaps and misadventure for Skoz ... [who] is a gorgeous character that finds his way into readers' hearts, and stays with them long after the covers of these books have been shut' KIDS' BOOK REVIEW 'Perfect for emergent readers, this is bound to be popular with junior primary aged readers' AUSSIE REVIEWS
It's much more fun to say 'What's the John Dory?' instead of 'What's the story?' and 'Give me a Captain Cook' instead of 'Give me a look', and wonderfully cheeky to remark 'Who made the apple tart?' instead of 'Who made a fart?' But there is also a darker side to rhyming slang - it can be used like a secret code (perhaps that's why criminals have always been fond of it!). Since colonial days, Australians have used rhyming slang with great style. And as the addition of Britney Spears (beers) goes to show, rhyming slang is still very much alive. In DOG'S EYE AND DEAD HORSE, Graham Seal shares his long-held fascination with this aspect of everyday language. As well as including an A to Z section, he groups the rhymes by themes - 'the body plus its functions, its adornments and its afflictions' has the most entries. Expect irreverence, whimsy and wit. You may be shocked but you will also laugh out loud.
NOtORIOUS AUStRALIAN WOMEN celebrates the lives of some of Australia's most fearless, brash and scandalous women. there's tilly Devine, who went from streetwalker in London to wealthy Sydney madam and standover merchant; Mary Bryant, the highway robber and First Fleeter who escaped by rowing from Port Jackson to timor with her two children; Lola Montez, the Irish-born grande horizontale, who destroyed King Ludwig I of Bavaria; Ellen tremaye and Marion Edwards, women who challenged the gender order and became men; and Helena Rubinstein, who rewrote her humble Polish background and became one of the most successful and astute businesswomen in the world. From bushrangers, courtesans and cross-dressers, to writers, designers and a radical or two, what these splendid rebels have in common is a determination to take their destinies into their own hands.
It is 1899, and one of the fiercest storms in history is brewing - a hurricane named Mahina. to a remote part of the Queensland coast come the hundreds of sails of the northern pearling fleets, and a native policeman trying to solve a murder. Nearly two thousand men, women and children are gathering around Cape Melville, right in the path of the storm that is about to cause Australia's deadliest natural disaster. Based on real events, this is the story of an unstoppable force of nature and the birth and death of an Australian dream. Praise for Affection: 'a literary tour de force' the Australian 'this is strong stuff. the oppressive humidity of townsville seems almost to drip from the page and lends Affection a hypnotic, dreamlike quality that is hard to shake ... an astonishing novel' Vogue 'a bona fide page-turner' Sydney Morning Herald
The Science Show with Robyn Williams on Radio National is one of the longest running programs on Australian radio. Scientific issues, debates, events, personalities, exposing scientific fraud, discoveries and broadcasting pranks have been its hallmarks, and the show has given Australians fascinating insights into all manner of things. In this lively account of forty years of The Science Show, Robyn reveals in his inimitable style why science is important - touching on topics like the flakes and the heroes, propaganda, cosmic revolutions, our relationship with animals, women in science, and of course, the environment. Informative, entertaining and memorable, this is a book that is a must read for anyone who is interested in ideas and the truth.
'I worked like a slave. Even now, I don't sleep more than three or fours hours.'-'I think if you give your children $2 million, it's a boon. If you give them $20 million or $200 million, it's a curse .-.-. ' Ordinary men and women who started businesses in their homes and garages; former immigrants who arrived in Australia with nothing but drive and ambition; heirs and heiresses who struggle to hold on to their fortunes: these are Australia's super rich. Dr Michael Gilding interviews fifty people from the Business Review Weekly Rich Lists and answers the questions: 䚧97Who are the super rich? 䚧97How did they make their fortunes? 䚧97How did they triumph over obstacles? 䚧97What do they plan to do with their money? In this often revealing and always compelling book, you will discover what it takes to become one of the super rich 埡nd how to stay that way.
'the biggest cleared area was my vegetable patch ... I ran and lay down and made a little tent over myself. I thought it would preserve the last of the oxygen. Under the blanket I could hear explosions - the gas bottles from the houses further up, and I could just imagine all my neighbours dead up the road. the wind was roaring, the trees cracking: an awful lot of noise ... I thought I wasn't going to survive.' Peter Luke, Gaffneys Creek, Victoria 'the sky got darker again ... I started to think about the next day's newspaper headlines: "Stupid thirty-eight-weeks pregnant woman drives into fire with toddler."' Sonia Stanton, Canberra 'I looked down into where the houses were totally surrounded by a sea of flame and thought, well, that's it, she's all over. Everybody will be killed down there.' John Hyles, Namadgi Ranges GREAt AUStRALIAN BUSHFIRE StORIES is a collection of remarkable tales from all around Australia that tell of our country's fiercest natural phenomenon: the bushfire. Farmers, landowners, firefighters and city dwellers share with ABC journalist Ian Mannix their experiences of fires: preparing for them, fighting them, and the heartbreak task of mopping up when even their best efforts failed. Some stories are funny, some tragic, many courageous, but all are a testimony to the ingenuity and grit of human beings as they fight to save their homes, their towns and, in some cases, their lives.
the inspiration for Channel Nine's FAt tONY & CO, the new crime series from the producers of UNDERBELLY. An epic tale of family, crime and betrayal set against the backdrop of Melbourne's bullet-riddled suburbs. the cradle-to-cage story of how milk-bar owner tony Mokbel became the Mr Big of Melbourne's drug trade with tentacles reaching around Australia and the globe. Award-winning crime writer Liam Houlihan documents the extraordinary rise and fall of the man they call 'Fat tony', from his ascension through the drug trade to the decade-long and only-now-complete struggle to hold Mokbel to account for his crimes. Houlihan explores the criminal intrigue and political embarrassment arising from the daring and complex escape by public enemy number one - out from under the noses of the authorities - as well as the way wealthy criminals with access to smart lawyers are able to exploit the system and delay justice. Featuring exclusive interviews with top cops and Mokbel family members - and a cast of characters ranging from Zarah Garde-Wilson to Carl and Roberta Williams, Mick Gatto to Chopper Reed and Judy Moran - it's a stranger-than-fiction story of sex, pills, perfidy and pizza.
Yirra's mum's sick of vacuuming up fur balls, the neighbours are fed up with having their undies nicked from the clothesline, and her step-dad just wants his slippers back. If Yirra doesn't find a dog-trainer soon, she'll have to give her beloved Demon to a new family - one who likes dogs who run and dig a lot. Bursting with energy and madcap fun, Yirra and Her Deadly Dog, Demon gives young readers a contemporary view of urban Indigenous life in Sydney.
Banned takes us on an unexpurgated journey through the ebb and flow of Australian obscenity. throughout the last century and a half, society in general reacted against what it deemed lewd or disgusting in literature, film, art, tV and personal behaviour. Numerous assorted works, objects and events from the novels of D. H. Lawrence to the sight of a man's exposed nipples have, at some stage, been officially considered unfit for public consumption. James Cockington takes a fearless look at events both well known (the Eugene Goosens scandal) and more obscure (police raids on 'immoral' pyjama parties in Surfer's Paradise in the 1950s) to discover the frequently absurd attitudes that underpin notions of decency and morality. It is a tale told with wit and dry good humour, enriched by photos and images of the weird ways of wowserism.
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