Dear Village
Skies Of Thunder
$36.99
THE LITTLE-KNOWN STORY OF THE ALLIES' FIGHT IN WWII'S CHAOTIC AND LETHAL CHINA BURMA-INDIA THEATER.
Dear Village
Sparta
$39.99
From warrior queens and the 300 to the Peloponnesian war, a major new history of the world's first superpower
Dear Village
Story Of A Murder
$36.99
Story Of A MurderThe long-awaited new book by the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FIVE, the feminist retelling of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen in Edwardian England, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of music hall women. THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The new page-turning, feminist retelling of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of women. FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR OF TRUE CRIME SENSATION THE FIVE- THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER, WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION. 'Thoughtful, humane, gripping. The kind of popular history you devour in one sitting' Sunday Times, Dominic Sandbrook 'A finely layered portrait of a hypocritical Edwardian society' Financial Times 'An exceptional achievement. I was gripped from the very first page' The Secret Barrister, Sunday Times bestselling author 'I couldn't put it down' Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry 'Under her pen, history comes alive' Professor Dame Sue Black No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story... On 1 February, 1910, vivacious music-hall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies' Guild who demanded an immediate investigation. They could not have known what they would provoke- the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect- Belle's husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen. Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen's typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve - was she really just 'an innocent young girl' in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported? In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard - the women. Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is meticulously researched and multi-layered, offering the reader an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era. PRAISE FOR STORY OF A MURDER- 'Gripping and eye-opening' I-news, Book to Watch Out For 'Reads like a great thriller. I inhaled it' Bella Mackie, bestselling author of How to Kill Your Family 'A unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion' Lucy Worsley, bestselling author and historian 'Fascinating. It's about time Belle became the hero of her own story' Val McDermid, bestselling author of the Karen Pirie series 'As compelling as any crime drama' S J Parris, bestselling author of the Giordano Bruno series 'I had my hand over my wide-open mouth...I can't recommend it more- I will be thinking about it for a very long time. Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Homemade God 'Takes us beyond the world of Dr Crippen into the lives impacted by him and the society in which he moved. Terrific' Ian Rankin, bestselling author of the Rebus series 'Compelling to the very last page' Denise Mina, award-winning author of Reese's Book Club pick, Conviction 'Does for the Crippen Murder case what THE FIVE did for the victims of Jack the Ripper. Forensic research and insistent sympathetic writing. I loved it' PROFESSOR DAVID WILSON, BBC 1, The Crime Squad 'Breathtaking. Rubenhold has not only produced a thrilling reassessment of a notorious crime, but an impressive portrait of an age' Spectator
Dear Village
The Ballad Of Abdul Wade
$34.99
Separating the bulldust from the bush poetry, Ryan Butta reveals a gritty alternative history that defies the standard horse-powered folklore to reveal the untold debt this country owes to the humble camel, its drivers and the Afghans who brought them here. - When Afghan entrepreneur Abdul Wade first brought his camel trains to the outback, he was hailed as a hero. Horses couldn't access many remote settlements, especially those stricken by flood or drought, and camel trains rode to the rescue time and time again. But with success came fierce opposition fuelled by prejudice. The camel was not even classed as an animal under Australian law, and, in a climate of colonial misinformation, hyperbole and fear, camel drivers like Wade were shown almost as little respect. Yet all the while, for those in need, the ships of the desert continued to appear on the outback horizon. After his interest was piqued by a nineteenth-century photo of a camel train in a country town, Ryan Butta found himself on the trail of Australia's earliest Afghan camel drivers. Separating the bulldust from the bush poetry, he reveals the breadth and depth of white Australian protectionism and prejudice. Told with flair and authority, this gritty alternative history defies the standard horse-powered folklore to reveal the untold debt this country owes to humble dromedaries, their drivers and those who brought them here.
Dear Village
The Convict And The Compass
$65.00
The Convict And The CompassSentenced at 26 years old for his role in an uprising against British rule in Ireland, James Meehan arrived in Australia in 1800 as a servant to English explorer Charles Grimes.Through talent and diligence, he rose to Acting Surveyor General of the young colony, working for five governors from 1800 to 1822. Meehan was instrumental in mapping the Sydney environs and planning the town’s layout, as well as early expeditions to the Hunter Valley, Port Phillip Bay, King Island and Tasmania.Kings and governors respected him and he played a crucial role in establishing Australia’s first Roman Catholic place of worship, St Mary’s Church. However, Meehan is a forgotten man in Australian historical writing. The story of how this Irish political prisoner became a fine explorer, conscientious surveyor and excellent busman, is at the heart of Peter Bradley’s thoroughly researched historical non-fiction.
Dear Village
The Courageous Life Of Weary Dunlop
$49.99
The Courageous Life Of Weary Dunlop The extraordinary story of the heroic doctor whose courage and leadership were a lifeline for thousands of Australian prisoners-of-war on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway of World War II - brilliantly told by Australia's favourite storyteller, Peter FitzSimonsIn September 1939, young Australian surgeon Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was working in London when the dogs of war were unleashed. Signing up, he was commissioned a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) and sent to the Middle East, serving in Palestine, Greece, Crete, Egypt and Tobruk.As the European war dragged on, an emboldened Japanese force captured Singapore and marched closer to Australian shores. Weary and over 3000 others sailed back to Java to fight this new enemy. At the No. 1 Allied General Hospital in Bandoeng, the Japanese were ready to murder the bedridden when Weary put his body in front of the bayonets. From that moment his leadership, ingenuity and selflessness became legend as Allied prisoners-of-war were sent to Singapore, Thailand and finally faced the hell of working as slave labour on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway. In the POW camps, tropical diseases, malnutrition, and the brutal work regime imposed by their Japanese captors meant the death toll was horrific. And yet, with little to no medical supplies, under extreme physical pressure, Weary Dunlop took risks and beatings to defy the Japanese and keep his men alive in circumstances that tested the limits of human endurance.Weary was a gentle giant of a man. A boxer and former Wallaby, he could have been an elite sportsman but chose a different path - one that led him from rural Victoria to training as a pharmacist and then to medical school. World War II was the fire that fuelled this remarkable hero. His courageous leadership and calm endurance became beacons of hope to the POWs under his command. His name has become synonymous with courage, compassion and resilience. Now, Weary Dunlop's heroic and inspiring story has been brought to life by Australia's greatest storyteller, Peter FitzSimons.
Dear Village
The Far Edges Of The Known World: A New History Of The Ancient Past
$34.99
'A true tour of horizons, the ancients' and our own' Josephine Quinn, author of How the World Made the West 'This is the book for expanding your ancient history horizon' Tristan Hughes, host of 'The Ancients' podcast What was it like to live on the edges of ancient empires, at the boundaries of the known world? When Ovid was exiled from Rome to a border town on the Black Sea, he despaired at his new bleak and barbarous surroundings. Like many Greeks and Romans, Ovid thought the outer reaches of his world was where civilisation ceased to exist. Our fascination with the Greek and Roman world, and the abundance of writing that we have from it, means that we usually explore the ancient world from this perspective too. Was Ovid's exile really as bad as he claimed? What was it truly like to live on the edges of these empires, on the boundaries of the known world?Thanks to archaeological excavations, we now know that the borders of the empires we consider the 'heart' of civilisation were in fact thriving, vibrant cultures just not ones we might expect. This is where the boundaries of 'civilised' and 'barbarians' began to dissipate; where the rules didn't always apply; where normally juxtaposed cultures intermarried; and where nomadic tribes built their own cities.Taking us along the sandy caravan routes of Morocco to the freezing winters of the northern Black Sea, from Co-Loa in the Red River valley of Vietnam to the rain-lashed forts south of Hadrian's Wall, Owen Rees explores the powerful empires and diverse peoples in Europe, Asia and Africa beyond the reaches of Greece and Rome. In doing so, he offers us a new, brilliantly rich lens with which to understand the ancient world.
Dear Village
The Gods Of New York
$36.99
The Gods Of New YorkFrom the bestselling author of The Bronx is Burning, a superlative account of the New York at a dramatic turning point in its historyNew York City entered 1986 as a city reborn, with record profits on Wall Street sending waves of money splashing across Manhattan and bringing a once-bankrupt and reeling city back to life. But it also entered 1986 as a city divided. Nearly one-third of the city's Black and Hispanic residents were living below the poverty line. Thousands of New Yorkers were sleeping in the streets - and in many cases addicted to drugs, dying of AIDS, or suffering from mental illness. The manufacturing jobs that had once sustained a thriving middle class had vanished. Long-simmering racial tensions were boiling over.Over the next four years, a singular confluence of events - involving a cast of outsized, unforgettable characters - would widen those divisions into chasms. Ed Koch. Donald Trump. Al Sharpton. The Central Park Five. Larry Kramer. Spike Lee. Rudy Giuliani. Howard Beach. Tawana Brawley. The Preppy Murder. The Tompkins Square Riots. Jimmy Breslin. Ivan Boesky. Do the Right Thing, Wall Street, crack, the AIDS epidemic, Black Monday and, of course, ready to pour gasoline on every fire - the tabloids.In The Gods of New York, bestselling author Jonathan Mahler tells the story of these outsized characters and of these convulsive, defining years. It's an exuberant, kaleidoscopic, and deeply immersive portrait of a city in transformation, one whose long-held identity was suddenly up for grabs- Could it be both the great working-class city, drawing in and lifting up immigrants from around the world and the money-soaked capital of global finance? Could it retain a civic culture - a common idea of what it meant to be a New Yorker - when the rich were building a city of their own and vast swaths of its citizens were losing faith in the systems that were intended to protect them? New York was one thing at the dawn of 1986; it would be something very different as 1989 came to a close. This book is the story of how that happened.
Dear Village
The Holy And The Broken
$36.99
The Holy And The Broken THE HOLY AND THE BROKEN When dehumanisation and destruction become the norm, the cycle must be broken. For over twenty years, Ittay Flescher has worked as an educator, journalist and peacebuilder in Melbourne and Jerusalem. When he woke up on the morning of October 7, 2023 to the sounds of rocket sirens over Jerusalem and later saw the devastation of Gaza in response, the grief and sadness that engulfed him - and so many others - compelled him to ask: how can we find a way forward? Following years spent facilitating dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians, Ittay believes that peace can only be found if we are willing to empathize with the pain of others. The Holy and the Broken challenges Palestinian and Israeli leaders, citizens and their supporters across the world to imagine a different reality; to look at history with a different eye; and to search for moments of engagement rather than resentment in the narratives of the past that each side tells about itself. Ultimately, it is a story that aims to comfort the troubled and trouble the comfortable. Praise: 'Courageous and considered. Ittay nurtures the tender, fragile shoots of peace. The world could do with more people like him' Paul Kelly, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist 'A book of rare insight and compassion, The Holy and the Broken offers the one thing we thought we'd lost after October 7: a glimmer of hope for meaningful lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians' Bram Presser, author of The Book of Dirt 'This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book, heartfelt and honest. You do not need to agree with everything Flesher has to say to find the book moving and challenging' Michael Gawenda, former editor in chief, The Age 'This ability to empathize with the suffering on both sides is a core value of Flescher's reconciliation work, and the underpinning to many of the options he outlines' Dr Anne Sarzin, Jwire 'As challenging and as contemporary as it is compassionate. In a world broken by war and polarisation, Ittay offers peaceful possibilities and nuanced perspectives' Rabbi Ralph Genende OAM, author of Living in an Upside-down World 'The Holy and the Broken breaks new ground. Yet what makes it truly singular is its consistent humanity, and its centring of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians' John Lyndon, executive director, Alliance for Middle East Peace 'This account of the writer's devotion to peacebuilding in our war-torn region is a shining testament to what can and should be done by those who can imagine a future peace. It lights a candle in an age of darkness!' Sari Nusseibeh, author of Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life 'When you finish it, you will not only know more about what's happening between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, but you will also know more about yourself' Maoz Inon, Israeli peacemaker and social entrepreneur 'A powerful testament to the possibilities of reconciliation and mutual empathy during conflict, what sets this book apart is its commitment to showcasing the experiences of the diverse individuals involved - especially the integral, yet frequently overlooked, stories of women. By highlighting the gender dynamics at play, Flescher enriches our understanding of the conflict and underscores the importance of supporting a world where more voices are heard and valued' Sheila Katz, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women 'When I picked this book up, I erroneously believed I already "understood" much about the ongoing, collective trauma of Palestinians and Israelis. But this thoughtful and deeply compassionate book shattered that illusion. By the time I put the book down, I was not the same person' Miriam Anzovin, creator of Daf Reactions and Jewish Lore Reactions
Dear Village
The Menzies Ascendency
$50.00
Menzies impact on Australian policy revolutionWas Menzies's unprecedented electoral success merely a matter of luck, or did he make fortune bend to his will? On 30 November 1954, Robert Menzies became Australia's longest serving prime minister. Between the closely fought 1954 and 1961 elections, the Coalition enjoyed a political dominance that allowed it to reshape the nation.The period saw the creation of the Reserve Bank of Australia, the signing of the landmark Commerce Agreement with Japan, vast investment in Australia's universities, the development of Canberra, the opening of Australia's first nuclear reactor, forgotten but transformative healthcare reforms, the abolition of the dictation test, forward progress on Indigenous policy, the signing of an enduring Antarctic Treaty, and more. Yet to critics this was a time when the opportunity for reform was wasted. Has Menzies's deliberate emphasis on continuity over change obscured his achievements? Is consolidated progress preferable to policy revolution? And what does the Australian public want from its leaders? All these issues are explored in the third of a four-volume history of Menzies and his world, based on conferences convened by the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne. Contributors include Robert Bowker, Andrew Bragg, Paul Brown, Elizabeth Buchanan, Selwyn Cornish, Damien Freeman, David Furse-Roberts, Anne Henderson, Paul Kelly, Sean Jacobs, David Lee, Ted Ling, Lyndon Megarrity, Greg Melleuish, Andrew Norton, Michael de Percy, Paul Strangio and Stephen Wilks.
Dear Village
The Most Interesting Book In The World
$39.99
THE MOST INTERESTING BOOK IN THE WORLD 'Charming, hilarious, and guaranteed to make you the most interesting person at any party. Or the most annoying' - Adam Rutherford‘Weird and wonderful facts you didn’t know you needed. Full of quirky nuggets of information and trivia’ - Sun‘Joyously bizarre facts in a new book from a QI brainbox’ - Daily MailDrawn from a former BBC QI Elf's lifetime’s search for the weird and the wonderful, The Most Interesting Book in The World is a miscellany of things too strange to be true, yet somehow are.This remarkable treasury of tales and trivia will whisk you on a jaw-dropping journey through time and space, stopping off to marvel at only the obscure, the startling and the straight-up weird.In it, Edward Brooke-Hitching considers questions such as:- Why is a cat technically a liquid and a solid?- How did nineteenth-century scientists attempt to signal aliens?- Why did the Dutch once eat their prime minister?Nowhere else will you find woven together the stories of the religious leader who attempted to build a robot messiah from a dining table, the anti-gravity ‘air-walkers’ of Victorian London, and the pirates who rode sheep; or practical advice for correctly exorcising a house and casting ancient love spells, along with recent scientific discoveries like the mould that can navigate a maze and that humans can glow in the dark.A unique hybrid of encyclopaedia, trivia and drunken-bar raconteur, all stitched together in one colossal Frankenstein volume packed full of images and photographs - this is the ultimate must-read for anyone looking to tickle the cortex of their curiosity.
Dear Village
The Passion Of Private White
$34.99
From the bestselling author of The Bush, the highly acclaimed story of a fifty-year relationship between a Vietnam veteran and an isolated clan in north-east Arnhem Land – a unique window into Australia’s deep past and precarious present, by one of our master storytellers. ‘How to sum up this story? It’s uncontainable. It wrangles worlds. It keeps getting wider and deeper like a stone in a pond. At its heart – an extraordinary telling of an extraordinary friendship.’ Paul Kelly Longlisted for the 2023 Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award Now in trade paperback, one of Australia’s favourite writers on ‘questions at the heart of Australian history, politics and identity’ (ABR). Fascinating, funny, challenging and beautifully written – ‘a truly remarkable achievement’ (Peter Carey). The Passion of Private White describes the meeting of two worlds: that of the intensely driven anthropologist Neville White, and the world of hunter-gatherer clans in remote northern Australia with whom he has lived and worked for half a century, mapping their culture and history in breathtaking detail. As White began to understand this ancient culture struggling between the demands of Western modernity and the equally pressing need to preserve their lands, customs, laws and language, he was also trying to transcend the mental scars inflicted on the battlefields of Vietnam. Eventually, scholarly observer crossed the line into activist, advocate and defender of the clans’ effort to create a safe and healthy homeland, a seat both of traditional culture and contemporary skills and education. The enterprise meant overcoming everything from insatiable mining companies and official incompetence and neglect, to customs that were fundamental in the old way of life but dysfunctional in the transition to the new. When White began taking his old platoon mates to the homeland, two wildly different groups found in each other some of the solutions and some of the therapy they both needed. Don Watson has had his own fifty-year relationship with Neville White, since meeting him as an undergraduate in Melbourne. This book is the result: moving, enlightening, devastating and inspiring, it is a towering achievement, a profound insight into both our recent and our deep history, the coloniser and colonised – indeed into the human condition itself. 'A truly magnificent achievement' – Peter Carey ‘Remarkable, wholly unexpected and original … [by] one of Australia’s finest writers. It sounds like a lugubrious farce and sometimes it reads that way. But it is a deeply serious enquiry into questions at the heart of Australian history, politics and identity. – Tom Griffiths, Australian Book Review ‘This is the tale of two tribes – one ancient, one modern, both wounded and alienated – and how they came together. It is not, thankfully, a white saviour story: in many ways, it’s Donydji who saves the vets. But it’s also a tale far messier and more interesting than that … about tenacity, commitment, listening – and humanity itself.’ – Linda Jaivin, The Saturday Paper 'A witty and compassionate book about friendship, Indigenous self-determination and people under stress.' – The Conversation
Dear Village
The Question Of Palestine
$36.99
The Question Of Palestine'A compelling call for identity and justice.' ANTHONY LEWIS A groundbreaking account of the history of Palestine by one of the world's most eloquent scholars of the Middle East, featuring a new foreword by Saree Makdisi. This original and deeply provocative book was the first to make Palestine the subject of a serious debate - one that is now more critical than ever. With the rigorous scholarship that he brought to his influential Orientalism and an exile's passion (he was Palestinian by birth and had been a member of the Palestine National Council), Edward W. Said traces the fatal collision between two peoples in the Middle East and its repercussions in the lives of both the occupier and the occupied - as well as in the conscience of the West. He updated this landmark work to portray the changed status of Palestine and its people in light of such developments as the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the intifada, the Gulf War, and the ongoing Middle East peace initiative. For anyone interested in this region and its future, The Question of Palestine remains the most useful and authoritative account available. 'Books such as Mr Said's need to be written and read in the hope that understanding will provide a better chance of survival.' New York Times Book Review 'A rguably New York's most famous public intellectual after Hannah Arendt and Susan Sontag, and America's most prominent advocate for Palestinian rights.' - Pankaj Mishra, New Yorker 'Edward Said is among the truly important intellectuals of our century.' - Nadine Gordimer 'For those of us who see the struggle between Eastern and Western descriptions of the world as both an internal and an external struggle, Edward Said has for many years been an especially important voice.' - Salman Rushdie 'In this seminal text, Edward Said stridently diagnoses western hypocrisy and makes the case for Palestinian liberation, paving the way for so many thinkers who came after him. I wish it were not so, but The Question of Palestine is just as relevant now as it was in 1979.' - Isabella Hammad, author of Enter Ghost 'This re-issue of The Question of Palestine only lends more weight and value to Edward Said's work, to his vision and analysis, to the enduring need for his core principles of justice and empathy. Principles that have perhaps never been as severely tested as they are today. Passionate and patient, the book displays all the features that made Said a great thinker and a powerful advocate, whose absence continues to be felt.' - Ahdaf Soueif, author of Cairo- My City, Our Revolution
Dear Village
The Rise Of The Railway
$65.00
The Rise Of The Railway A first-class journey through the history of railwaysFrom the first steam trains to the high-speed bullet trains of today, Rise of the Railway tells the hidden stories of railway history - the inspired engineering, technical ingenuity, and sheer determination that forged the world's railways.Award-winning writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar reveals how the railways were built not just on bold vision and technical expertise, but also on wild gambles and trial and error - and how the new era of trains brought about sweeping changes in the lives of people around the world.This book details the lives and work of railway pioneers such as George Stephenson and John Stevens, and it explores and maps famous railways such as the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Orient Express. Key technological innovations are explained with in-depth illustrations, while stunning photographs and paintings bring railway history to life on the page. Gripping eyewitness accounts describe the railways of the past through the eyes of people who were there.Packed with colourful stories, technical insights, and beautiful images, Rise of the Railway is the ultimate ride along the rails of history.
Dear Village
The Science Book
$42.99
The Science Book DK's bestselling guide to the "big ideas" of science - now fully revised and updatedDid the universe start with a Big Bang? Is light a wave, a particle - or both? Is a "Theory of Everything" possible?Explaining the key milestones in the field of science in a clear and simple way, The Science Book answers these questions and more besides, and is the perfect introduction to the subject. Untangling knotty theories and shedding light on abstract concepts, entries unpack each complex idea with a combination of easy-to-follow explanations, innovative graphics, and intriguing quotes.Discover the most important theories of history's greatest scientists, why Copernicus's ideas were so contentious, how Einstein developed the concept general and special relativity, and the reasoning behind Crick and Watson's proposed structure for DNA, and much more besides.Fully revised and updated with eight brand-new pages of content, The Science Book is a truly accessible and comprehensive route into a fascinating subject. Packed with scientific quotations, profiles of key figures and discoveries, and flowcharts and infographics that explain the most significant concepts clearly and simply, it is perfect for anyone with an interest in any of the sciences.
