Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    3. Australia & New Zealand - General    4. Convict ships    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Penal colonies    9. Prisoners    10. History / General   

Editorial Review

An extraordinary volume--even a masterpiece--about the early history of Australia that reads like the finest of novels. Hughes captures everythingin this complex tableau with narrative finesse that drives the readerever-deeper into specific facts and greater understanding. He presentscompassionate understanding of the plights of colonists--both freemenand convicts--and the Aboriginal peoples they displaced. One of thevery best works of history I have ever read. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Fatal Shore
It was very detailed about the early history of Australia's settlement colonies including in Norfolk Island, Van Dieman's Land(Tasmania) and New South Wales.It described famous stories of cannabalism, the relationship to the aborigines, the brutality of the penal settlements and the conditions in Ireland and Great Britain that caused the convicts to be shipped half way around the globe.

The Fatal Shore
The book is a fascinating account of the history of Australia.The early years, the time of the penal colonies, are most interesting, and the material should be a story of courage and survival that will hold any reader.As the author suggests, the early history of Australia may be known to many, but rarely has it been clearly depicted in narrative form.

Masterpiece
An extremely well written acocunt of Australia in the early days of colonisation. Taken from various sources and accounts, Hughes guides the reader through a blood soaked and sun bleached story of 18th century survival. The transformation from where Australia was just 200 years ago to where it is now is a testament to the people who came to the colonies first. The Fatal Shore is their story.
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Subjects:  1. 1788-1900    2. Australia    3. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    4. Exiles    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Penal colonies    9. Australasian & Pacific history    10. History / Australia & Oceania   

Editorial Review

There is a clarity, elegance, and beauty to Conway's Read more

Reviews (42)

no title
I related to and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Conway's descriptions of Australia are beautiful.She has written a follow-up book which I would like to read also.And on second reading, I feel more and more that perhaps her mother had some chemical imbalance, because she changed so drastically.Either that, or her repressed emotions after the deaths of her husband and her oldest son in the space of five years, led her to the bitter old woman she became.

An Excellent Choice - The Road from Coorain
I'd recommend the The Road from Coorain anytime.I thought Jill Ker Conway's description of Australia was wonderfully descriptive. I felt I was there as she described her life in the bush as well as the city.Her ability to convey her feelings and her understanding of her situation growing up in a less than idealic life came through the pages as each situation developed. The book left me admiring her strength of character and understanding.
I loved this one and loved Sujoya Roy's novel too
If you enjoyed this book, try For Ganesh: Remover of Obstacles, by Sujoya Roy. Both books tell compelling stories of coming of age of trailblazing women who came to the U.S. from other countries to pursue education. Ker Conway brought her Australian experience; Roy's heroine brought Hindu and India culture. Both have contributed significantly to our world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1934-    2. Australia    3. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Childhood and youth    9. Conway, Jill K.,    10. Country life    11. Historical - General    12. Literary    13. Presidents    14. Smith College    15. Women    16. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    17. Biography: general    18. Conway, Jill K    19. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (21)

A landmark (but dated) study on the ecological dimension of European expansion
Alfred Crosby is widely credited for popularising the ecological dimension of the history of imperial expansion. For this reason, and perhaps this reason alone, his book is worth a read.
Book Review:"Ecological Imperialism"

Triumph of the pig, the rat, the dandelion, the smallpox virus... and the European humans who gave them a ride across the ocean
The most impressive and pleasant aspect of this new approach to world history is the non-anthropocentric perspective Crosby adopts. He tells the story of the expansion of a tightly connected group of European organisms, which includes humans alongside with other domesticated animals, crops, weeds, viruses and bacteria.
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Subjects:  1. Adaptation To Environment    2. Europe - General    3. Europeans    4. History - General History    5. Human Ecology    6. Human Geography    7. Life Sciences - Ecology    8. Migrations    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. World - General    12. Animal migration - Europe - History    13. Europe    14. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    15. History / World    16. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    17. New Zealand    18. USA    19. World history    20. c 1000 CE to c 1500    21. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Reviews (1)

SUPERB OVERVIEWOF OCEANIC ART
The book gives an excellent overview of the art in the Oceanicregion with special emphasis on New Guinea.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Australia & New Zealand - General    4. History - General    5. History Of Fine Arts    6. Oceania    7. ASIA    8. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    9. Melanesia    10. Micronesia    11. Polynesia   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Australia    3. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    4. Australia - History    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. History / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (1)

A classic of environmental history
This book, first published in 1921 in Britain and New Zealand, and now reissued in the United States with a generous and enthusiastic introduction by William Cronon, is certainly one of the strangest and at first sight most unpromising works of environmental history ever written. The book is basically an extraordinarily detailed account of the environmental history of a single sheep "station" (sheepfarm) on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand written by the lessee of the property, Herbert Guthrie-Smith. He describes in great detail the environmental transformations that he himself brought about as he cleared the forest cover from the steep hills, grassed the slopes and stocked the property with sheep. In many ways Guthrie-Smith regretted what he had to do in order to make a living.The book describes everything: clearing the land, changes in birdlife, the local geology and archaeology, the spread of noxious weeds, accelerated erosion, the complexities of exporting wool, etc etc. Guthrie-Smith was from Scotland and the book is written in an old-fashioned heavily literary style, but it is well worth persisting with. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is Guthrie-Smith's descriptions of his Maori landlords, from whom he leased his farm but who were a lot poorer than he was. One can see from his pages how the present day sheepfarming landscape of the North Island was created, and at what cost: a true classic, but for serious environmental historians only. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Essays    3. General    4. Natural History    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. New Zealand    8. Tutira    9. Tutira (N.Z.)    10. Animal husbandry   

Reviews (4)

concise history of australia
According to the author, Australian history is 200 years of racism, sexism, oppression, dominance, exploitation. The victims are aborginal people, women, the early convicts -- and the environment.The villains, of course, are white males. When the Australian economy dips, the fault lies with the U.S., world capitalism and neoliberalism. When the Australian economy thrives, it just means Aussies can waste more money on bourgeois geegaws. The tone is humorless, unrelenting, shrill, one-sided -- a prime example of what one Australian referred to as "black armband history".

How could concise seem so long?
The first thing that came to mind as I trudged through Macintyre's wordy book was how could something called "concise" seem so long? This book is informative but entirely humorless, like reading an ingredient list. Macintyre seems more concerned with showcasing his vocabularity then with enticing you with the facinating history of Australia's past. There is plenty of information in this book if you can make it through to the end while maintaining consciousness. If you are about to visit Australia and you are looking for an entertaining and informative book to stimulate your enthusiasm I strongly recommend Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. If you are looking for a strong sedative then this is the book for you.

Informative and well-written
I have long wanted to read a general history of Austrailia, and when I read. on April 3, 1988, The Fatal Shore, by Robert Hughes, I said to myself, in my post-reading note:"I am glad I read this book, but maybe I'd've done better to read a plain history of Australia than this long account of this aspect of its beginning."I am shamed to say that it has taken over 12 years to do what I thought I should have done back then.This book goes up to 1999, and portrays very well the current dilemmas facing Australia.If you enjoy the articles in Current History, as I do, this book reminds me of those articles, except it is less bland and neutral.Ordinarily I avoid histories with designations such as "short" or "concise" figuring that I want a fuller treatment.But when one knows as little of a country as I do of Australia, I thought this a good introduction to its history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    3. Australia & New Zealand - General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Australasian & Pacific history    8. Australia--History    9. History / Australia & Oceania   

Subjects:  1. Australia & New Zealand - General    2. Encyclopedias    3. General    4. History    5. History: World    6. Oceania    7. Oceania - History    8. Reference    9. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    10. History of other lands    11. Pacific Ocean    12. Pacific studies    13. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    4. Commercial - Illustration    5. History - General    6. Techniques - Drawing    7. Australia    8. Botany & plant sciences    9. Drawing & drawings    10. Illustration   

Editorial Review

Bill Bryson follows his Appalachian amble, Read more

Features

• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Reviews (361)

"Que Sera Sera"
I checked this out of the library and read it on the way to Australia to visit my daughter during her study abroad semester in Brisbane. She read it while we sailed the Whitsundays and dove on the Great Barrier Reef - well, not when we we actually in the water. Before whe started reading it, in conversations I regularly sited Bryson having commented on many of our topics, by saying something, "Just like in the book," or, "Bryson talks about that in the book." A little like Seinfeld having done so many topics, that we live parts of them in our daily lives. Anyway, we left the book on a plane. So, I'll buy a copy for the library and one for me - money well spent. It was a great introduction and punctuated much of the trip. A bus driver in Brisbane was actually whistling "Que Sera Sera," which,I think, was mentioned in the book. I'll find out when I read it again. I'd read Bryson's Sort History of Nearly Everything a couple of years ago. It's also a good read.

Audio CD review: His prose is annoying when spoken aloud
You get your money's worth here--there are a ton of CDs in this audio book. Unfortunately, I found Bryson's prose (which I enjoyed a lot when reading silently, as I have done with his other books) to be greatly irritating when spoken aloud. To me, he sounds kind of 'affected' in parts, and sometimes there is a sort of "moist" sound when he pronounces words. Hard to describe until you hear the CD, but trust me on this one. I think a lot of the positive reviews on here are for the book, and not the CD. I would stick with the written word on this one.

Why I read it twice...a review in two parts.
I took this book with me on a recent trip to Central America and absolutely loved it.While there is less narrative flow than, say, A Walk in the Woods, reading Bryson's thoughts on Sydney harbor, Australian-rules football, former Prime Minister Harold Holt (peace be upon him), forever walking through Canberra, and his near run-in's with a seemingly endless list of nasty (and apparently deadly) native animals was engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.He does this all the while encountering some pretty terrific and endearing folks, drinking many Victorian Bitters, and relaying an impressive and affectionate recounting of Australian history.There really is a lot to like here.So much so that upon finishing the book while still in Central America, and realizing that I committed the unpardonable sin of only bringing one book with me to read (you try finding a decent bookstore in Central America), I turned to the first chapter and started all over again.And it was equally engrossing, witty, and informative if not more-so.I can think of no higher compliment for a book and I recommend it whole-heartedly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Other    2. Audiobooks    3. Australia    4. Australia & New Zealand - General    5. Australia & Oceania - Australia    6. Bryson, Bill    7. Description and travel    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. History    10. Journeys    11. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    12. Travel / General   

Subjects:  1. Australia & New Zealand - New Zealand    2. General    3. History    4. History: World    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Natural history    7. New Zealand    8. Reference    9. Science    10. Conservation of the environment    11. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS   

Reviews (2)

Used 4 yrs ago- will not go again without it
A must for traveling and truly enjoying the people and countryside.Details of out-of-the-way places as well as the city life.Able to getaround without driving (on the wrong side of the road).Will long rememberall of the friendly people and the cleanliness of cities and countryside.

informative and resourseful
This book is great for backpackers and students. It is also helpful members of Hostelling International and VIP backpackers.It explains the cheapest way to travel and the must sees in New Zealand ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. General    3. New Zealand - History    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides   

Reviews (1)

A monumental study.
This is an utterly stunning work that should be required reading for all midwives, obstetrician-gynecologists, feminists of all persuasions--anybody involved in the health care of women.Not only does it take the wind outof the sails of those who believe childbirth is without consequences (partof the natural history of natural childbirth is maternal death), but itdemonstrates how the industrialized world dropped its maternal mortalityratios nearly 100-fold in a century.This has important policyimplications for international health work--providing that theinternational community can persuade developing countries to take women'shealth care needs seriously.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Childbirth    4. Criminal Law - General    5. General    6. Gynecology & Obstetrics    7. History    8. History: World    9. Law    10. Medical / Nursing    11. Mortality    12. Mothers    13. Pregnancy    14. Prenatal care    15. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    16. Australasian & Pacific history: c 1750 to c 1900    17. Australia    18. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    19. Death & dying    20. Europe    21. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    22. Gynaecology & obstetrics    23. History / General    24. History, Other | History of Women    25. Medical anthropology    26. New Zealand    27. Social history    28. Social research & statistics    29. USA    30. United Kingdom, Great Britain    31. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military Science    6. Air forces & warfare    7. Military vehicles    8. USA    9. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (1)

Feeling Australian Now
This book axamines the position of non-indigenous Australians who are sensitive to the great injustices done to Aboriginal people by the European "invaders", but who love the land of their birth and want to belong to it in a way which is both meaningful and yet sensitive to Aboriginal culture.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aboriginal Australians    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Australia    5. Australia & New Zealand - General    6. Cultural property    7. History    8. History: World    9. Land tenure    10. Modern - 20th Century    11. 20th century    12. Australasian & Pacific history    13. Australian aborigines--Land tenure    14. Ethnography    15. History / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (15)

Informative and interesting
This book is fascinating and very readable.Flannery teaches us quite a bit about the ecological history of Australasia for the past few tens of thousands of years.We learn about the flora and fauna, and about the impact of the people who rely on the fertility of the land to survive.We see examples of how human populations fared in places such as Tasmania and Easter Island, where they became isolated and started to run out of resources.
the book should be judged--not the writer
As a reader who admires good writing, and the effort that goes into writing a decent (popularized) account of a field, I take exception to the New Zealand reviewer's gossip of the author as a basis for judging the merit of this book. A Superb "Biography" of Australasia
Tim Flannery has written what can only be described as a the most comprehensive history imaginable of the lands making up present-day Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and New Caledonia.His fascinating account starts with the earliest breakaway of those lands from the super continent Gondwana, more than forty million years ago, and goes right up to the present-day, ending with Flannery's recommendations for preserving Australia's unique ecology.Read more

Subjects:  1. Australasia    2. Australia & New Zealand - General    3. Effect of human beings on    4. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    5. Environmental Studies    6. Extinction (Biology)    7. History    8. History: World    9. Life Sciences - Ecology    10. Natural history    11. Nature   

Reviews (1)

Aboriginal Stories
I bought this book with the hope of finding something more authentic than some of the more popular books on Australian Aboriginal culture I'd read.Though these stories have been collected, translated and compiled by Anglo Australians, my impression is that the authenticity of these stories has been retained.I do believe my authenticity-meter is pretty accurate.However, I have no authority on the subject, and would love to see a review here from someone who does.In absence of such, I hope my review is helpful to others.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aboriginal Australians    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Australia & New Zealand - General    4. Folklore    5. Folklore & Mythology    6. General    7. History    8. History: World    9. Mythology    10. Mythology, Aboriginal Australi    11. Mythology, Aboriginal Australian    12. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    13. Australia    14. Indigenous peoples    15. Myths & mythology    16. Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural    17. Women's studies   

Reviews (2)

An excellent overview
Australian Aboriginal art is gaining international recognition, and rightly so.It is an art form driven by the culture of the artsists, and this book covers the traditional works of desert Australia, and also touches on more the more contemporary works of urban dwellers.These works are vibrant and alive, and the illustrations do justice to the richness of the work.The accompanying text is detailed and authoritative. Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture
This book was recently reviewed on the Sunday Arts program on ABC television in Australia. The book presents an authoratitive overview of the origins and development of Aboriginal Art and Culture in Australia.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aboriginal Australians    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Arts, Aboriginal Australian    5. Asian    6. Australia    7. Australia & New Zealand - Australia    8. Encyclopedias    9. Ethnic arts    10. Reference    11. Art & Architecture | History | Non-Western    12. Art / History / Asian    13. Art of indigenous peoples    14. Australasian & Pacific history    15. Cultural studies    16. Indigenous peoples   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Australia & New Zealand - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Indian Ocean    7. Indian Ocean Region    8. Navigation    9. World - General    10. History / Asia    11. Maritime history    12. Oceanography (seas)    13. Regional geography    14. World history