Bush Legends: South Australian Country Footy Stories

by Anthony Madigan and Michael Madigan, foreword by Graham Cornes. Adelaide: Elvis Press, 2003. RRP: $29.95. (PASA members can order a copy from the Police Journal at a special price of only $20).

Graham Cornes, in his foreword to this book, says: “If you didn’t play football in the country, you missed something special. The fellowship was deeper; the relationships more important and interdependent; the anticipation of the Saturday afternoon gatherings more eager.”

This feast of true stories makes up a wonderful tribute to the fine, but often neglected, tradition of country football in SA.

Co-authors Anthony and Michael Madigan – both former Port Pirie footballers who went on to pursue writing careers – thought that so much has been written about Aussie Rules at the elite level that it was high time to let some of the spotlight shine on country footballers. In this they have succeeded admirably. They have produced a delightful book that will become a collectors’ item.

Some 200 stories – collected over many years from country football clubs, newspapers and individuals – are told with great affection, and are accompanied with photographs and cartoons.

Graham Cornes says that the stories gathered in this volume “will make you laugh and it will evoke priceless memories. Most importantly, it will ensure that you never forget.”

Caroline Carver, Dead Heat. Orion/Allen & Unwin. Paperback: $29.95

This brilliant new thriller from the author of Blood Junction – winner of the CWA Debut Dagger – is a fast and terrifying journey into the heart of one of the wildest places on earth.

Georgia Parish never regretted leaving Nulgarra, Far Northern Queensland. She didn’t miss the oppressive heat, the wet, the bugs, the deadly wilderness. But after a plane crash she finds herself back there, struggling to comprehend a sinister fact – the plane was sabotaged. Was it someone hoping to kill Ronnie Chen, the man who never turned up to take the flight? Or was it to do with the two other passengers, heroic Lee Denham, and his companion, Suzie? After all, nobody could have a reason to want Georgia dead…

Georgia’s search for the truth plunges her into a harsh and unforgiving landscape, across oceans and into crocodile-infested swamps. There, unable to trust anyone, she discovers that more than just her own life is at stake.

Andrew Denton, Enough Rope. ABC Books. $35.

Every Monday night, one million Australians tune into ABC TV’s Enough Rope to see Andrew Denton, well-known interviewer and comedian, conduct fascinating interviews with a diverse range of individuals – including celebrities, politicians, activists, artists as well as the unsung “ordinary” people with their own compelling stories to tell.

Featuring 20 interviews with people such as Russell Crowe, Helen Caldicott, The Wiggles and Molly Meldrum, as well as the removalists, truckies and fishermen who found themselves on the show, Andrew Denton also provides extra commentary on the interviews, and the interviewees.

Justin Richards, Doctor Who: The Legend – 40 Years of Time Travel. BBC Books/ABC Books. Hardcover: $99

This is a large format, lavishly illustrated book, published to celebrate 40 years of the UK’s most popular science-fiction series. This epic publication takes the reader on a journey through four decades of TV history, covering every one of the TV stories. Each entry includes a summary of events, new facts about the characters and fascinating behind-the-scenes information.

Stunningly illustrated with a vast collection of photographs – including previously unseen pictures from archives and private collections – the book provides a unique overview of the series. It also includes features on the make-up, special effects and merchandise that have all contributed to the Doctor Who legend.

Geoff Tibballs, The Bill – The Complete Low-Down on 20 Years at Sun Hill. ABC Books. Hardcover: $39.95

The official companion to the last 20 years of the popular TV police show, this guide recalls the daily lives of the officers at Sun Hill and reminds us of some of the infamous criminals. It goes behind the scenes to reveal the trickery and secret techniques that help bring the drama to the small screen. Illustrated with more than 150 photographs, it takes fans back to the days of Roy Galloway and follows the dramas at Sun Hill since then.

There are additional features on the best stunts, reactions from the press and exclusive interviews with key cast and crew members. This book covers every aspect of the tough, fast-moving show that has gripped viewers all over the world for two decades.

John Freeman, Photography. Pan Macmillan Australia. $40

Many of the vast number of camera owners today aspire to take better pictures than the occasional snapshot, and yet most are often disappointed with the results.

Photography leads and teaches by example with each technique examined in depth and explained by a clear and jargon-free text. Divided into four main sections, it teaches the correct approach to clear picture-making, from holding the camera properly to manipulating images shot on the latest digital cameras. All the popular themes – such as holidays, landscapes, weddings, children and pets – are covered in depth. Inspiring creativity at the same time as providing easy-to-understand technical knowledge, the book will make manipulating a camera become as much second nature as handling a car.

Catherine Atkinson and Maggie Mayhew, Preserves: The Complete Book of Jams, Jellies, Pickles and Preserves. Lorenz/Pan Macmillan Australia. $45

There is nothing more satisfying than stocking the shelves of your store cupboard with your own homemade preserves, and this book is the perfect guide. More than 150 recipes are included and there are useful tips on how to vary recipes to utilize seasonal ingredients.

Dana Mack, The Assault on Parenthood: How Our Culture Undermines the Family. Encounter Books
(www.encounterbooks.com).

As many ordinary Australian parents have come to realize, we live today in an increasingly family-hating culture that offers little respect or support for parents. Parents are routinely depicted as abusive, and unworthy of their authority.

American researcher and columnist Dana Mack has amassed some frightening evidence – and a few horror stories, too – of the varied political and social forces ranged against the family today. She shows the insidious ways in which our culture and various institutions of government insidiously undermine families.

Parental autonomy has been supplanted by the tyranny of so-called “experts” in psychology, education, law and social science, who think they know better than parents how to raise children.

Her book is profoundly relevant to Australian parents and ought to galvanize them into action.

Special book offer

For your chance to win a copy of either Bush Legends: South Australian Country Footy Stories or Caroline Carver’s Dead Heat, put your details on the back of an envelope and send it to Book Comp, Police Journal (168).
Conditions apply: Limit of one competition entry per person. Each entrant must indicate clearly preferred choice of book.