'Most veterans were either alcoholics or workaholics and I fitted into the latter category' —Chris Cannin (6RAR, 1967; 7RAR, 1967-68). 'When I look back and I see what I used to do … there were a lot of things wrong that I would never ever admit to at the time … I thought I was fine, but I wasn't' — Alan Thornton (17 CONSTRUCTION SQUADRON, 1968–69). The medical and psychological legacies of the Vietnam War are major and continuing issues for veterans, their families, and the community, yet...

A unique and outstanding military and industrial achievement, the Collins class submarine project was also plagued with difficulties and mired in politics. Its story is one of heroes and villains, grand passions, intrigue, lies, spies and backstabbing. It is as well a story of enormous commitment and resolve to achieve what many thought impossible. The building of these submarines was Australia's largest, most expensive and most controversial military project. From initiation in the 1981–2...

A descendant of early pioneers of New South Wales, James Rowland combined a thirst for adventure with a strong sense of duty. Aged just 22, he became a Lancaster pilot in the elite Pathfinder force, flying 34 missions over occupied Europe and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In January 1945, he was the only survivor of a collision with a Canadian aircraft over Germany. After narrowly escaping being shot as a spy, he spent the rest of the war as a POW.Returning to the R...

For five generations, the Buxton family has contributed to the growth of Melbourne through their real-estate and Property development businesses. They have left their mark in every epoch, rom the magnificence of Rochester Terrace to the to the elegance of 333 Collins Street, from inner-city developments in South Melbourne in the 19th century to Docklands in the 21st, and from eastern suburban projects to fully planned communities at University Hill and Merrifields.The Buxtons are on...

As war clouds darkened over Europe in 1914, a party led by Shackleton set out to make the first crossing of the entire Antarctic continent via the Pole. But their initial optimism was short-lived as ice floes closed around their ship, gradually crushing it and marooning 28 men on the polar ice. Alone in the world's most unforgiving environment, Shackleton and his team began a brutal quest for survival. And as the story of their journey across treacherous seas and a wilderness of glaciers a...

The story of a stranding alone, on an island off the coast of New Zealand, of an English Clergyman. His survival, despair, and joy at rescue.

In early August 1974, despite incredible risks and after six years of secret preparations, the CIA attempted to salvage the sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 from the depths of the North Pacific Ocean. The audacious effort was undertaken with the cover of an undersea mining operation sponsored by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. “Azorian”—incorrectly identified as Project Jennifer by the press—was the most ambitious ocean engineering endeavor attempted by man. Following t...

France, early summer 1794. The French Revolution has been hijacked by the extreme Jacobins and is in the grip of The Terror. While the guillotine relentlessly takes the heads of innocents, two vast French and British fleets meet in mid-Atlantic after a week of skirmishing.The French, in ships painted blood-red and bearing banners proclaiming 'la République ou la mort!' are escorting an American grain convoy to Brest to feed a starving population. Their ships are manned by a mutinou...

As part of the controversial Earl Grey Scheme, this is the true story of the Kerry girls who were shipped to Australia from the four Kerry workhouses of Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney and Listowel in 1849 and 1850.Leaving behind scenes of destitution and misery, the girls, some of whom spoke only Irish, set off to the other side of the world without any idea of what lay ahead. This book tells of their 'selection' and their transportation to New South Wales and Adelaide...

This landmark publication provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of New Zealands involvement in the Vietnam War, and will remain the standard reference work on the subject for decades. Its publication completes the programme of official war histories that began in 1945.Ian McGibbons primary focus is what New Zealand did in South Vietnam. He traces in detail the operations carried out by New Zealand forces and seeks to illuminate the experience of New Zealand soldiers fighting i...

In "Botany Bay, True Tales of Early Australia," John Lang delivers a meticulous account of the early exploration and settlement of Australia, intertwining a rich tapestry of historical narratives with vivid personal anecdotes. Written in the early 19th century, Lang employs a narrative style that reflects the Romantic sensibilities of his time, emphasizing the interplay of nature and human endeavor. The book serves not only as a chronicle of colonial encounters but also as a critique of Br...

The realities of WWII underwater warfare come to life in this chronicle of a submarine sunk in the Philippines—and the remarkable sailors who survived.The fate of the USS Flier is one of the most astonishing stories of the Second World War. On August 13, 1944, the submarine struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less than one minute, leaving only fourteen of its crew of eighty-six hands alive. After enduring eighteen hours in the water, eig...