Book picks similar to
Beyond the Mirage: An Autobiography by Arthur W. Upfield
australian
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historical
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The Knight Banneret
Richard Woodman - 2018
William Marshal is portrayed as being brave, intelligent - but flawed and human too.” Michael Arnold William Marshal was born in a time of civil war. In a time of bloodshed and honour. As a boy he is used as a pawn, during the conflict between Stephen and Matilda. But as a young man he trains as a knight. Marshal learns his trade in England and Normandy, fighting in tournaments and war-games, gaining friends and enemies alike. But the boy must become a man - and the squire must become a knight. Marshal soon finds himself embroiled in the campaigns of Henry II and the rivalry between French Kings. Where once he fought for fame and riches, the young knight finds himself fighting for his life. The Knight Banneret is the first book in an epic series chronicling the story of William Marshal, “the Greatest Knight”. For fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Michael Jecks. Praise for Richard Woodman: “This series could develop into something very special. Richard Woodman knows how to tell a story, but has a healthy respect for history... Compulsive reading.” Saul David “Brings medieval Europe to life. The well-crafted action and historical insights enthral and entertain.” Richard Foreman, author of Band of Brothers. ‘Richard Woodman reminds us of the importance of merchant ships and our debts to the seafarers – men and women – who manned.’ HRH Princess Anne ‘If Neptune’s Trident sets the standard for what is to follow - we can at least rest assured that there is a series that truly does justice to our proud merchant maritime past.’ Nautilus UK Telegraph ‘Richard Woodman tells many a good tale in this first volume and it is fascinating to read. I highly recommend this first volume in the Neptune s Trident for anyone with an interest in the early modern period. If the rest of the series is as good as this one, they should all be on the bookshelves of those studying the history of Britain, from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries.’ Open History Captain Richard Martin Woodman LVO is an English novelist and naval historian. He is the author of the series ‘A History of the British Merchant Navy’ and the Sword of State trilogy, which recreates the true story of George Monck, a giant of the 17th Century.
Waiting for the Thunder
Patricia Shaw - 2001
But this year the ominous storm clouds only serve to remind them of trouble brewing - an Aborgine guerilla fighter in the district with some of his men is causing havoc indiscriminately and placing both Zack Hamilton and William Oatley in great danger. As the days drag on, the Aborigines' struggle for survival involves them all in a vicious waiting game until men with revenge in their hearts have to face the truth about themselves.
True North: The Story of Mary and Elizabeth Durack
Brenda Niall - 2012
Elizabeth and Mary Durack's (Kings In Grass Castles) closely intertwined creative lives were shaped by the pioneering past of their father and grandfather, who set up four vast cattle stations in north Queensland.Brenda Niall was given unprecedented access to private family letters, unpublished memoirs, diaries and family papers to write True North – a biography of the two sisters and a uniquely Australian story.
Convict Colony: The Remarkable Story of the Fledgling Settlement That Survived Against the Odds
David Hill - 2019
We now take it for granted that the first colony was the basis of one of the most successful nations in the world today. But in truth, the New World of the 18th century was dotted with failed colonies, and New South Wales nearly joined them. The motley crew of unruly marines and bedraggled convicts who arrived at Botany Bay in 1788 in leaky boats nearly starved to death. They could easily have been murdered by the natives, been overwhelmed by an attack from French or Spanish expeditions, or brought undone by the Castle Hill uprising of 1804. Yet through fortunate decisions, a few remarkably good leaders, and most of all, good luck, Sydney survived and thrived. Bestselling historian David Hill tells the story of the first three decades of Britain's earliest colony in Australia in a fresh and compelling way.
The Palace Letters: The Queen, the governor-general, and the plot to dismiss Gough Whitlam
Jenny Hocking - 2020
A political betrayal. A constitutional crisis. The Palace Letters is the groundbreaking result of one historian’s fight to expose secret letters between the Queen and the then Australian governor general, Sir John Kerr, during the dismissal of prime minister Gough Whitlam in the 1970s. Whitlam was a progressive prime minister whose reforms proved divisive after two decades of conservative leadership in Australia. When he could not get a budget approved, it sparked a political deadlock that culminated in his unexpected and deeply controversial dismissal by Kerr.More than 200 letters between Kerr and the Queen from the period exist in the archive, and historians have long believed that they could reveal the extent to which Buckingham Palace knew about or approved of the dismissal. But until now they have remained hidden in the National Archives of Australia, protected from public scrutiny through their designation as ‘personal’.In the face of this, Professor Jenny Hocking embarked on a 10-year campaign and a four-year legal battle to force the Archives to release the letters. In 2015, she secured a stellar pro bono team that took her case all the way to the High Court of Australia. On 29 May 2020, the court ruled in her favour, requiring the correspondence to be released.Now, Professor Hocking is able to reveal the previously hidden trove of letters. And, drawing on never-before-published material from Kerr’s archives and submissions to the court, Hocking traces the collusion and deception behind the dismissal, and charts the role of High Court judges, the Queen’s private secretary, and the leader of the opposition, Malcolm Fraser, in Kerr’s actions, and any prior involvement of the Queen and Prince Charles in Kerr’s planning.
The Dirty Chef: From Big City Food Critic to Foodie Farmer
Matthew Evans - 2013
The funny, heart-warming and at times exhausting behind-the-scenes story of Matthew Evans' transformation from high-profile food critic to television's "Gourmet Farmer."
plygs
Ed Kociela - 2012
It's a story of justice, through fate and the legal system. It was hard to read for the mother of an independent daughter, but GOOD.”“As a father of daughters and growing up in the West in the shadows of the LDS Church, this book was as interesting as it was shocking. The author conveyed a firm grasp of the realities of polygamy and the details of a hidden culture outside of American mainstream right in our backyard; hidden by religious beliefs.”“’plygs’ is an extremely well-written piece of fact-based fiction. It is emotionally gripping, and once I started reading, I could not put it down. About polygamy, it steers away from the fake, glammed up version of the religious sect, given to the public by ‘Sister Wives’ and ‘Big Love.’ ‘plygs’ is the tough but honest truth. The characters become real to you as you read about the cruelty, the injustice, and the horrors inflicted upon them, and by them.”It wasn’t long, however, before controversy visited the book as members of various fundamentalist Mormon sects began a campaign to offset the acclaim the book was receiving by submitting negative reviews—some from sect members who had not even read the book—to the Amazon.com site to inhibit sales:“Kociela is not from the Plural subculture; neither does he claim an anthropological degree and years of ethnographic experience in studying the cultural subgroups of Southern Utah. And unfortunately, readers are implicated in the invisible assumption that Kociela's knowledge is pure rather than political.”“Most of this book is not true and this man who wrote it could not substantiate it in anyway (sic) with true documented facts. And I just feel bad for these people that people are believing this book to be of true facts and it is not.”“It’s an unfortunate slandery (sic) that will cause more harm to the victims then (sic) good. wouldn't (sic) recommend.”The book, however, is based on research the author undertook during his 16-year career as a newspaper reporter, columnist, and news editor in St. George, Utah, just 40 minutes from the community the book is based on. He interacted with members of the polygamous community as they shopped in the same stores, met women who were brave enough to escape from the lifestyle, wrote columns on the subject, and directed his news staff in a variety of stories that ranged from the worldwide manhunt for FLDS prophet.
Who'd be a copper?: Thirty years a frontline British cop
Jonathan Nicholas - 2015
Who’d be a copper? follows Jonathan Nicholas in his transition from a long-haired world traveller to becoming one of ‘Thatcher’s army’ on the picket lines of the 1984 miner’s dispute and beyond. His first years in the police were often chaotic and difficult, and he was very nearly sacked for not prosecuting enough people. Working at the sharp end of inner-city policing for the entire thirty years, Jonathan saw how politics interfered with the job; from the massaging of crime figures to personal petty squabbles with senior officers. His last ten years were the oddest, from being the best cop in the force to repeatedly being told that he faced dismissal. This astonishing true story comes from deep in the heart of British inner-city policing and is a revealing insight into what life is really like for a police officer, amid increasing budget cuts, bizarre Home Office ideas and stifling political correctness. “I can write what I like, even if it brings the police service into disrepute, because I don’t work for them anymore!” says Jonathan Nicholas. Who’d be a copper? is a unique insight into modern policing that will appeal to fans of autobiographies, plus those interested in seeing what really happens behind the scenes of the UK police."I HAVE BOUGHT YOUR BOOK." TW, Sir Thomas Winsor, WS HMCIC"A WEALTH OF ANECDOTES. FASCINATING." John Donoghue, author of 'Police, Crime & 999'"AN ILLUMINATING ACCOUNT OF LIFE AS A FRONT LINE OFFICER IN BRITAIN'S POLICE, A SERVICE OFTEN STRETCHED FOR RESOURCES BUT MIRED IN RED TAPE AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS." Pat Condell, author of 'Freedom is My Religion'
Secrets and Lies: The truth behind the headlines
Sam Faiers - 2015
In Secrets and Lies, Sam gives us the truth about life in the spotlight.Finally turning her back on all the TOWIE jealousies and dramas, Sam lays bare her fellow cast members and describes what really goes on behind the scenes. She also reveals all on her dramatic on-off relationship with Joey Essex: the engagements and bust-ups, that infamous 'slap', what really happened when Joey was in I'm a Celebrity, and their doomed rekindled romance.For the first time she talks about her eating issues, as well as her success as a businesswoman, her excitement and sister Billie's pregnancy and the birth of baby Nelly, and her wish to settle down herself. Funny, charming, telling it like it is, Secrets and Lies is essential reading for fans of Sam and TOWIE.
Call the Midlife: And Whatever You Do … Don’t Give Me that ‘Midlife Crisis’ Bulls***t!
Chris Evans - 2015
To take stock of WHERE HE IS and WHERE HE'S AT in order to figure out how BEST to get the MOST out of what he BELIEVES are the BEST YEARS yet to come.His typically positive and upbeat journey involves ONE HUNDRED DAYS of contemplation, research, focus, frustration and DECISION MAKING while SECRETLY:*Training for The London MARATHON*Bringing back his cult Nineties TV show TFI FRIDAY*And the small matter of suddenly being asked to take over TOP GEAR.HEALTH, LOVE, MARRIAGE, SEX, DEATH and even RELIGION all come under his witty microscope as he poses the conundrum - MIDLIFE: CRISIS vs OPPORTUNITY ?There can only be one winner.
Blessed: The Breakout Year of Rampaging Roy Slaven
John Doyle - 2021
Whether it was riding Rooting King to another Melbourne Cup victory, commentating the Olympics or hobnobbing with the country's upper crust, Rampaging Roy Slaven has lived an extraordinary life.But even some of the greatest men come from humble beginnings. Before he shot to fame as Australia's most talented sportsman, he was just another kid in Lithgow, trying to avoid Brother Connell's strap and garner the attention of Susan Morgan from the local Catholic girls school.Blessed follows one year in the life of the boy who would become Rampaging Roy Slaven, a boy who, even at the age of fifteen, knew he was destined for greatness but had to get through high school first.
Blood on the Rosary
Sue Smethurst - 2019
Her twin brother. The secrets and lies that would tear them apart.There is a special bond that twins share, an ethereal connection that can't be put into words.Margaret Harrod shared that unique bond with her twin brother, Michael.As children they were inseparable, and at age 22, together, they gave their lives to the Catholic Church. Margaret became a nun and Michael a Salesian priest - it was the proudest day of their deeply religious parents' lives. Margaret cherishes those carefree childhood memories because the brother she adored is now in jail. Father Michael Aulsebrook pleaded guilty to multiple charges of molesting children, some as young as seven. And the unlikely whistle-blower was his courageous twin sister.It cost Margaret everything, but she couldn't stay silent any longer about the damage her brother was wreaking in his community. Margaret knows of that damage firsthand, having had that trust betrayed herself.Blood on the Rosary is a heartfelt, brave and inspiring memoir that tells Margaret Harrod's story - how she sacrificed everything she held dear in the pursuit of the truth and how she bravely fought her church and her community to bring paedophile priests, including her beloved brother, to justice.
Still Standing: The Autobiography of Kerry Katona
Kerry Katona - 2012
She has hit rock bottom and here, for the first time, Kerry shares how bad it's really been.But this incredible story of survival charts Kerry's rise out of the mire of addiction, depression and bankruptcy. She has brought her life and health back from the brink of total collapse and has become a happy single parent and working mother of four.
Wicked But Virtuous
Mirka Mora - 2000
Mora also offers a unique insight into the lives of her famous contemporaries - Boyd, Blackman, Perceval and others.
My Life: Albert Einstein
General Press - 2018
This is the story of Albert Einstein who born in Germany in 1879. Despite facing countless difficulties in his life, he earned his name in the field of science and proved that what extent a person can go to chose his way. No one born as a genius—man's hard work and passion makes him a genius. CONTENTS: 1. Early Life 2. School Years 3. University Years 4. Post-University Years 5. Scientific Discoveries 6. Personal Life 7. Interesting Facts about Einstein 8. Famous Words by Albert Einstein 9. An Overview of Einstein’s Life