In-depth, behind-the-scenes profiles of favourite Australian Story features from the last four years, as chosen by the Australian Story team."I am amazed that people remember the smallest details of the stories that have most touched them and which, in a surprising number of cases, have altered their own attitudes and choices in life." Caroline Jones Australian Story is without doubt one of the best-loved shows on the ABC. A cornerstone of Monday night viewing for 15 years, it has b...

Told from the split viewpoints of Liv and Jory, Kate A. Boorman's What We Buried is a psychological thrill ride that deftly explores how memories can lie, how time can bend, and how reconciling the truth can be a matter of life or death.“Do you ever just want to be believed?”Siblings Liv and Jory Brewer have grown up resenting each another. Liv—former pageant queen and reality TV star—was groomed for a life in the spotlight, while her olde...

A bold and provocative book about Australia's national identity and a plea to keep Australia's famed open-mindedness, Cater tracks the seismic changes in Australian culture and outlook since Donald Horne published THE LUCKY COUNTRY in 1964. 'A great book.' Rupert MurdochA bold and provocative book about Australia's national identity and how it is threatened by the rise of a ruling class. Nick Cater, senior editor at the Australian, tracks the seismic changes in Australian culture an...

Fabulous yarns and memories of going to school and teaching in the Outback.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 stor...

In the tradition of his bestselling CURTIN and CHIFLEY, David Day's exhaustive biography of one of our most fascinating prime ministers.Paul Keating was one of the most significant political figures of the late twentieth century, firstly as treasurer for eight years and then Prime Minister for five years. Although he has spent all of his adult life in the public eye, Keating has eschewed the idea of publishing his memoirs and has discouraged biographers from writing about his life. ...

What are Australia's 'barbecue stopper' conversations right now? What are the things we talk and worry about?the 2009 ABC Boyer Lecturer is our best-known military officer, General Peter Cosgrove - an Australian Everyman whose interests are our own. As a father, General Cosgrove is concerned about the world we will leave to future generations. As a proud Australian, he is interested in how migration changed our sense of national identity. As an ex-soldier his life was about guarante...

Some of Australia's best-known cricketers relive their childhood summers of playing cricket in their backyards.Australia has dominated test cricket over the last 130 years. But it's not the formal cricket academies or high-end coaching that are responsible for the Australian cricket team's winning ways. the backyard has been the real academy of Australian cricket. Don Bradman's unique grip, stance and backlift all evolved in response to the pace at which the golf ball rebounded off ...

One of Library Journal’s 10 Best Books of 2015Following his acclaimed Atlantic and The Men Who United the States, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this imposing force of nature.As the Mediterranean shaped the classical world, and the Atlantic connected Europe to the New World, the Pacific Ocean defines our tomorrow. With China on the rise,...

An unputdownable account of the courage and bravery under fire of our Australian soldiers on the frontline - from WWII to Afghanistan.From Gallipoli to Afghanistan, many Australians have been awarded military honours for acts of selfless courage. Others have missed out. Bestselling author Ian McPhedran uncovers new stories of extreme bravery in action from WWII to today, and hears from those on the front line about what courage really means. Some of these stories, including Medals f...

How the mighty clipper ships transformed Australia from convict outpost to a nation.More than one million Australians can trace their heritage to the migrant ships of the mid-to-late 19th century...The story of the Clipper ships, and the tens of thousands of migrants they bought to the Australian colony of the nineteenth century, is one of the world's great migration stories. For anyone who travelled to Australia before 1850, it was a long and arduous journey that could tak...

The extraordinary story of how Dutch sailors found Australia and an English pirate almost beat Captain CookRob Mundle is back on the water with another sweeping and powerful account of Australian maritime history. It is the story of 17th-century European mariners - sailors, adventurers and explorers - who became transfixed by the idea of the existence of a Great South Land: ‘Terra Australis Incognita'. Rob takes you aboard the tiny ship, Duyfken, in 1606 when Dutch navigator and ex...

The best, the worst and the most memorable moments from Australia's best-known sports commentators."I love this book" Peter FitzSimons Without doubt, we Aussies love our sport. We've got passionate opinions about the contest, the players, the refs and umpires - and about the commentators. Love 'em or loathe 'em, their calling of a game or race can lift something ordinary into the extraordinary, while their quick-thinking asides are often as timeless as the event itself. In Back to t...