King Charles II by Antonia Fraser

$12.00 AUD

Category: General History

The story of King Charles II is one of enduring fascination. The golden childhood of the boy Prince in the Van Dyck pictures gave way to an adventurous youth in Civil War England and abroad, ending traumatically when his father was executed in 1649. Charles II, King at eighteen, succeeded to `nothing bu t the name'. After his valiant attempt to regain the throne was defeated by Cromwell at Worcester, the King made his epic escape - to years of exile, poverty and humiliation in Europe. The `miraculous' Restoration ushered in a reign coloured by a series of equally dramatic events: the Great Plague, the Fire of London, two Dutch Wars, the bizarre Popish Plot, and finally the efforts of the Whigs to exclude his Catholic brother James from the succession, culminating in the King's unexpected triumph over them at the Oxford Parliament of 1681. A lover of women, passionate planner of parks and palaces and friend of the arts, this was the man who was to overcome the many problems of his reign and die not only in control of his country but in the affection of his countrymen. In this meticulously researched biography, Antonia Fraser offers important judgements and reassessments on central questions of the reign, such as Charles's relationships, his attitude to Kingship, his patriotism and his religious beliefs. Above all she has succeeded in writing a totally compelling narrative, both moving and exciting, and showing all the skills and insights which have secured her place as one of the foremost biographers of our time. `A rich feast of instruction, drama and entertainment' TLS `The fullest and most sophisticated account of the most charming and approachable of English Kings' OBSERVER ...Show more

Ion Idriess's Greatest Stories : Of Miners and Soldiers by Ion L. Idriess

$19.95 AUD

Category: Ion L. Idriess

Breaker Morant by Peter FitzSimons

$45.00 AUD

Category: Australiana

The epic story of the Boer War and Harry 'Breaker' Morant: drover, horseman, bush poet - murderer or hero? Most Australians have heard of the Boer War of 1899 to 1902 and of Harry 'Breaker' Morant, a figure who rivals Ned Kelly as an archetypal Australian folk hero. Born in England and emigrating to Qu eensland in 1883 in his early twenties, Morant was a charming but reckless man who established a reputation as a rider, polo player and writer. He submitted ballads to The Bulletin that were published under the name 'The Breaker' and counted Banjo Paterson as a friend. When appeals were made for horsemen to serve in the war in South Africa, Morant joined up, first with the South Australian Mounted Rifles and then with a South African irregular unit, the Bushveldt Carbineers. In September 1901 Morant and two other Australians, Lieutenants Peter Handcock and George Witton, were arrested for the murder of Boer prisoners. Morant and Handcock were court-martialled and executed in February 1902 as the Boer War was in its closing stages, but the debate over their convictions continues to this day. Does Breaker Morant deserve his iconic status? Who was Harry Morant? What events and passions led him to a conflict that was essentially an Imperial war, played out on a distant continent under a foreign flag? Was he a scapegoat for British war crimes or a criminal himself? With his trademark brilliant command of story, Peter FitzSimons unravels the many myths and fictions that surround the life of Harry Morant. The truths FitzSimons uncovers about 'The Breaker' and the part he played in the Boer War are astonishing - and, in the hands of this master storyteller, make compelling reading.   ...Show more

HERITAGE OF PINES : A HISTORY OF COTTESLOE by RUTH MARCHANT JAMES

$29.95 AUD

Category: Australiana

The World of Henry Lawson

$12.00 AUD

Category: Australiana

The Small Back Room by Nigel Balchin

$6.50 AUD

Category: Military | Series: Cassell Military Paperbacks Ser.

A true classic of war literature

Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir

$7.95 AUD

Category: General History

Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, was one of the leading personalities of the Middle Ages, and also one of the most controversial. Having inherited a vast feudal domain stretching from the Loire to the Pyrenees, she was one of the greatest heiresses in history; yet in her own day, she was famous not only f or who she was, but also for what she did. In an age when women were treated as mere chattels, she made her own choices, wielded power and won widespread respect. Circumstances, however, dictated that her memory would be sullied by calumny and misunderstanding. Eleanor was no saint. She was beautiful, intelligent and wilful, and in her lifetime there were rumours about her that were not without substance. Her contemporaries were sometimes scandalised by her behaviour. She had been reared in a relaxed and licentious court where the arts of the troubadours flourished, and was even said to have presided over the fabled Courts of Love. Eleanor married in turn Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, and was the mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John. She lived to be 82, but it was only in old age that she triumphed over the adversities and tragedies of her earlier years and became virtual ruler of England. Eleanor has exerted a fascination over writers and biographers for 800 years, but the prevailing myths and legends that attach to her name still tend to obscure the truth. By careful research, Alison Weir has produced a vivid biography with a fresh and provocative perspective on this extraordinary woman. ...Show more

BALLAD OF LES DARCY by FitzSimons, Peter

$6.50 AUD

Category: Australiana

The Ballad of Les Darcy, a biography of the legendary Australian boxer, is the latest book from Australia's bestselling author Peter FitzSimons and is exclusive to Books Alive. It's FREE in participating bookshops when a customer buys any book from The 2007 Books Alive Great Read Guide.

1918: The Year of Victories by Martin Marix Evans

$4.95 AUD

Category: Military

Krakatoa: the Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester

$12.00 AUD

Category: General History

On 27 August 1883 the most terrifying volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Krakatoa, five miles off the western tip of Java. The island was destroyed and almost 40,000 people were killed. The impact was truly global: ships sailing in the Red Sea were covered in ash; barometers went haywire in Was hington; the seas were disturbed in Devon; stunning sunsets burned over London; immense rafts of pumice floated to Africa. In his wonderfully engaging and inimitable style, Simon Winchester brings to life the drama, the people and the science behind this iconic event. He explains how Krakatoa is the key to answering our questions about why mountains explode, how life begins and what happens beneath the earth's surface; and hence why the word 'Krakatoa' has become embedded in the consciousness of the modern world. Simon Winchester's book is the first to truly explain the eruption of Krakatoa. Simon Winchester was born and educated in England, has lived in Africa, India and Asia, and now lives in New York. Having reported from almost everywhere during an award-winning twenty-year career as a Guardian foreign correspondent, he is currently the Asia-Pacific editor for Cond ...Show more

Tales of Times Past - Memories of Swan by Maxine Laurie; Vasanti Sunderland Staff

$9.95 AUD

Category: Australiana

The Girl from Botany Bay by Carolly Erickson

$9.95 AUD

Category: Australiana

Acclaim for Carolly Erickson"Carolly Erickson is one of the most accomplished and successful historical biographers writing in English."-The Times Literary SupplementThe First Elizabeth"Even more readable and absorbing than the justly praised works of Tuchman and Fraser. A vivid and eminently readable p ortrait of history's favorite Tudor."-The New York Times Book Review"A masterpiece of narrative, a story so absorbing it is as hard to put down as a fine novel."-Los Angeles Times Book ReviewAlexandra"Gifted . . . breathless . . . heartbreaking . . . Erickson excels."-Chicago TribuneJosephine"An intimate, richly detailed, and candid portrait . . . Erickson's] scholarly insights combine superbly with a mastery of period manners more often found in the best historical fiction."-Kirkus ReviewsMistress Anne"Carolly Erickson is a most admirable biographer, and this book is highly enjoyable as well as being reliable and acute; indeed, it is popular historical biography at its best."--The Times (London) ...Show more