Free/bargain Australian & New Zealand History & other Non-Fiction authors & books

[Lynx-lynx]

I rarely find authors of non-fiction Australian or New Zealand ebooks that are on special, or cheap even (especially when making use of a Kobo discount voucher code), and wanted to post those rare examples I did find.

A few days ago Amazon Aus had Great Australian Stories by Graham Seal on special for $2.49 as the Deal of the Day, so we may see more non-fiction Aus authored Deal of the Day books on Amazon Aus, or we may not! (It currently sells at $10.88)

Please post any non-fiction authors that you find that fit into the category of free or cheapish.

[Lynx-lynx]

Kobo Aus has got:

Terra Australis: Text Classics
Matthew Flinders' Great Adventures in the Circumnavigation of Australia
By Matthew Flinders, Tim Flannery
$3.45 and discountable (get your discount voucher code from the Kobo Discounts thread)

In this edited selection of his journals, Matthew Flinders, Australia's greatest navigator and the man who named our island continent, describes in captivating detail his epic mission to map our shores between 1796 and 1803.

Edited and introduced by Tim Flannery, Terra Australis is a vital step toward a new understanding of our own history. Flinders tells of meeting and communicating with Aborigines, of the scrub and wilderness. His descriptions of the difficulties that he and his sailors faced still bristle with energy and immediacy two hundred years later. This is Flinders' story in his own words, neglected until now, but destined to be eagerly read by all ages.

First published in two-volumes in 1814, this is the enthralling account of the circumnavigation of Australia, by the man who gave our country its name.

Matthew Flinders was born in England in 1774. In 1789, defying his father's wishes that he enter the field of medicine, Flinders volunteered his services to the British Navy. He became the greatest early navigator of Australia, and explored the Australian coastline with George Bass in his eight-foot long vessel Tom Thumb and later Tom Thumb II. His account of his journeys, A Voyage to Terra Australis, is one of the great achievements of our literature.

Tim Flannery is a bestselling writer, scientist and explorer. He has published over a dozen books, most recently Among the Islands: Adventures in the Pacific. In 2011 he was appointed chief commissioner of the Australian Climate Commission.

textclassics.com.au

'Engrossing.' Age

'These texts convey well the nature of inshore maritime exploration then, and to Flinders's important contributions to the delineation of Australia.' Weekend Australian

'With a series of finely edited versions of Australian historical classics, of which Terra Australis: Matthew Flinders' Great Adventures in the Circumnavigation of Australia is the latest instalment, Tim Flannery and Text Publishing have made Australian history interesting again.' Australian Review of Books

'A fascinating document.' Sun Herald

'Flinders' detailed stories remain vivid to this day...described with the backdrop of the unforgettable wilderness of Australia.' Lobbyist

'The writing is fresh, clear and entertaining.' Australian Review of Books

[Lynx-lynx]

Kobo Aus has got Gregory Blake's

Eureka Stockade
$6.99 and discountable (unlimited50 works at the time of posting)

“This is far and away the most accurate and authoritative account
of the actual battle of Eureka. An outstanding job of sorting fact
from myth.” Peter FitzSimons.

Eureka Stockade: A ferocious and bloody battle, is the epic account of the battle for the Eureka Stockade, an iconic moment in Australian history. On the chilly dawn morning of 3 December 1854 British soldiers and police of the Victorian colonial government attacked and stormed a crudely-built fortification erected by insurgent gold miners at the Eureka lead on the Ballarat Gold Diggings. The fighting was intense, the carnage appalling and the political consequences of the affair profound.

This book, for the first time, examines in great detail the actual military events that unfolded during the twenty minutes of deadly fighting at Eureka. Many of the old assumptions about what occurred that day are turned on the heads, raising in their places provocative questions. Were the intentions of the Eureka diggers as pacific as tradition insists? How was it that men supposedly poorly armed and taken completely by surprise in their sleep were able to deliver ‘sharp and well directed’ fire on their attackers? How close, in fact did the assaulting infantry come to failing in their task, and why has the pivotal part played by the police in the battle been ignored in every retelling of the Eureka story? Why have the Americans, who played a decisive part in the defence of the stockade been all but ignored?

The author argues convincingly that Eureka was not a wanton massacre of innocents, as it has been portrayed. Rather it was a hard fought military engagement. Eureka was a decisive moment in Australian history and in this book it comes alive in a rousing and original manner.

Timely read coming up to the anniversary - 3 December (1854)

Interesting how the expression 'Eureka' and 'it was a Eureka moment' has cottoned on through the English speaking world

[Lynx-lynx]

Amazon Aus Deal of the Day - Mark Johnston's

Whispering Death
$3.79

In Whispering Death, Mark Johnston, one of Australia's leading experts on World War II, explains vividly how more than 130,000 Australian airmen fought Japan from the Pacific War's first hours in 1941 to its last in 1945. They clashed over a vast area, from India to Noumea, Bass Strait to the Philippines. Merely flying over that region's boundless oceans and wild weather was dangerous enough for Australia's fliers, but their formidable enemies made it much more perilous. In their Zero fighters and Betty bombers they were initially too numerous, experienced and well-armed for the few Australians who opposed them in Malaya, the Northern Territory and New Guinea.

February 1942 brought the RAAF its darkest hour: the bombing of Darwin, which no Australian fighter planes contested. But in the months following, Australian aircrew won or contributed to great aerial victories in the air over Port Moresby, Milne Bay, the Papuan beachheads and the Bismarck Sea. The American air force grew to dominate both the Japanese and their Australian ally, but until war's end Australian aircrew continued to battle in Pacific skies, and to die in flaming aircraft or at the hands of vindictive captors. Some pilots, such as aces Clive 'Killer' Caldwell and Keith 'Bluey' Truscott became household names. Certain Australian aircraft caught the public imagination too: the Kittyhawk, the Spitfire and the plane dubbed 'Whispering Death' for its eviscerating firepower and deceptively quiet engines - the Beaufighter.

Australia's flight to victory was never smooth, thanks to internal squabbling at the RAAF's highest levels and a difficult relationship with the allies on whom Australia depended for aircraft and leadership. So controversial were the RAAF's final operations that some of its most prominent pilots mutinied. Based on thousands of official and private documents, Whispering Death makes for compelling reading.

[Lynx-lynx]

Kobo Aus has got mystery writer Sue Williams'


Getting There: Journeys of an accidental adventurer
$3.11 and discountable

When UK-born Australian author Sue Williams first got the travel bug, it took her across Africa, South and Central America, China and India. Travelling by every means imaginable - from converted garbage truck to banana boat, 'punted' railway wagon to the passenger seat of a racing driver's sports car - she survives adventures that range from the hilarious to the horrific.

At various times travelling solo, with a companion and as part of a dysfunctional group, Sue encounters perils as diverse as an amorous Mexican politician in search of a trophy wife and disaffected Ugandan soldiers with evil intent.

Thrown off a bus in Egypt for slapping a groper, jailed in Sudan, abandoned in Nigeria, waylaid in India, nothing diminishes her greatest passion - a thirst for travel and adventure.

[Lynx-lynx]

Kobo Aus has got David Vernon's

Yellow Pearl: Eighteen short stories from the Stringybark Australian History Awards
$2.10 and discountable (bookriot50 works at time of posting)

Lachlan Dunn lifted his eyes from the book he was trying to read. He studied his uncle in the dim lamplight. “What you all done up for?”

Thaiter grinned and finished tucking his clean shirt into his trousers. “It’s me birthday. I’m off ta the Cosmopolitan for a couple.”

“Your birthday?” Lachlan laughed.

“You’ll note. I’m done right. Clean and shaven.” Thaiter did a spin and twinkled his eyebrows. “I might get lucky tonight.”

— from "Done Right" by Donna Fieldhouse

The postman dropped a bundle of mail and there’s a letter with the AIF crest, I recognised the same rising sun symbol from Uncle John’s slouch hat. Nanna concentrated for a long time, holding the thin paper out at arm’s length as if any closer would risk infection by a terrible disease hidden there. She stretched her old thin arms away from her as if trying to bring the important words into focus.

— from "Water or Speed" by Karen Lethlean

Raise the term ‘history’ in a conversation in any group and half the participants will glaze over and talk about something else. Why? Is it because they think that history is a collection of dates or stories about musty, dusty, kings? Perhaps. Or perhaps they have never come across an anthology like this one — full of good writing and intriguing plots. Knowing that a story is true or based on truth always adds a little more spice to a tale, than a straight fiction piece can ever engender. Here are eighteen unique, short stories, chosen from the Stringybark Australian History Awards. Each provides a fascinating insight into Australian history.

Edit

This is a DRM free Smashwords ebook ..... so before you save it add '.epub' to the end of file name (don't leave a space - just add it)

[Lynx-lynx]

Kobo Aus has got Astral Sligo's (real name?)

Great Kiwi Firsts
$3.79 and discountable (bookriot50 works at time of posting)

Our fern might be silver but us Kiwis love to take that gold medal spot. First to give women the vote, first to climb Mount Everest, first to split the atom ...

But did you know that it was a Kiwi who was the first player to be sent off in a rugby test? Or that it was a Kiwi who was the first two-time world Scrabble champion? Or indeed that it was a Kiwi who invented the tranquiliser dart gun? Or that a Kiwi was the first person to free dive to 100 metres unassisted?

Great Kiwi Firsts combines the great, the good and the just plain crazy in a compendium of Kiwi ingenuity and inspiration with just a touch of stupidity.

[Lynx-lynx]

Any New Zealanders like to contribute bargain non-fiction ebooks?

Would love to hear from you

[artig]

Currently free on Amazon: Oli Hille's Creating the Perfect Lifestyle

And until December 1 you can get an extra 30% off by entering the code BOOKDEAL at checkout.

[artig]

The online shop meBooks is a good source of NZ ebooks, both novels and non-fiction. Many older books are available for free download, and (all?) their ebooks are DRM-free, in both EPUB and Mobi formats.

[AnotherCat]

Some freebies off mebooks.co.nz that I have found interesting and easy reads, and which may suit and provide leads for some are:

Castaway on the Auckland Islands
The Castaways of Disappointment Island
Tutira: The Story of a New Zealand Sheep Station (this is regarded as one of NZ's classics)

Other Wellingtonians may be interested in:

Early Wellington

Many of their freebies come from the NZ Electronic Text Centre at Victoria University of Wellington which is worth a look (although many of the items are of specialist interest). Unfortunately their offerings are all (as far as I am aware) online reading only, but for those not inclined to read on line or who want a permanent copy, it is relatively easy to spend an hour or two to hook the HTML from ones browser and build oneself an eBook using the likes of Sigil.

Off there, for those who may be interested in maritime history I would point to:

The Wreck of the Hydrabad
Wrecked on a Reef; or, Twenty Months Among the Auckland Islands

Also there for maritime or naval history buffs is:

The Royal New Zealand Navy 1939-1945

which I was particularly happy to find as my father had a copy which he often lent to ex Navy friends but in the end was never returned, so it was not able to be passed on to me. It is a big book with many illustrations, so was a long job, but I invested the time and built myself an eBook of it.

[Lynx-lynx]

Thank you Artig and AnotherCat

Please post as often as the whim takes

[Lynx-lynx]

Free on Amazon Aus

Country Life Australia: Photos to enjoy (a children's picture book)
Fran West

In this picture book there are 20 colorful photos of country life in Australia.

Photos depict a railway station, mural, tractor, hay bales, country pub, information centre, silos, bakery, town hall, library, post office, public toilets, main street, court house, grocery store, institute, airport, school, church and motor garage.

The photos were taken in country towns in Victoria and South Australia.

This would appeal to children (and adults) of all ages who love country town life, rural activities, old buildings, Australia and travel.

[Lynx-lynx]

Amazon Aus Deal of the Day

Yellow Elephant
Tansel Ali
$1.99

In The Yellow Elephant, two-time Australian Memory Champion Tansel Ali shows you how he turned his very ordinary memory into a champion one – and memorised the Yellow Pages phone book along the way. Ali’s easy-to-follow steps explain how the brain remembers and how you can take advantage of this. Practical exercises help you learn techniques and build your memory skills quickly, enabling you to learn faster, remember more, reduce stress, save time and improve your focus.

A strong memory helps you get ahead in many aspects of your daily life, from remembering your shopping list and studying for exams, to keeping track of business transactions and making sure your message is remembered by clients.

You don’t need to settle for a memory like a sieve: all it takes is some simple techniques to keep your brain fit and improve the way you remember.

Tansel Ali is a two-time Australian Memory Champion and one of the leading thinkers on memory in the world. He has broken several memory records and competed in the World Memory Championships in Malaysia where he achieved 'Grandmaster of Memory' for remembering a random shuffled deck of cards under 3 minutes. He also broke 5 national memory records for a total of 6 out of the 10 events.

Tansel has spent the last 11 years training people how make the most out of their brain to work more effectively. Tansel's interactive coaching style and personal experience has attributed to many success stories, for example coach one of his students to enter the Guinness Book of Records for remembering and recently train a TV personality and CEO to compete and successfully memorise a deck of randomly shuffled cards at the World Memory Championships in London.

[Lynx-lynx]

Kobo Aus has Tim Cope's 2 books at excellent prices:

Off the Rails
$3.99 and discountable (bookriot50 works)

This is the true story of two twenty-year old Australians who travelled for fourteen months on recumbent bicycles from Russia, across Siberia and Mongolia, to Beijing. It is as much a story of perseverance, passion, and belief as it is about the people and remarkable landscapes of Siberia and Mongolia.

Tim and Chris are not just fearless adventurers but philosophers on wheels, willing and able to open themselves up to everything from the voice of the Steppes to the Russian villagers and the nomads of the Gobi desert.

From this they draw an often funny, moving and inspirational tale of living out a dream. Mixed into this journey is the story of their tumultuous relationship as two opposing wills battle it out in the midst of heat, snow and hunger.

On the Trail of Genghis Khan
$7.49 and discountable

The relationship between man and horse on the Eurasian steppe gave rise to a succession of rich nomadic cultures. Among them were the Mongols of the thirteenth century – a small tribe, which, under the charismatic leadership of Genghis Khan, created the largest contiguous land empire in history.

Inspired by the extraordinary life nomads still lead today, Tim Cope embarked on a journey that hadn’t been successfully completed since those times: to travel on horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe, from Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine to the Danube River in Hungary.

From horse-riding novice to travelling three years and 10,000 kilometres on horseback, accompanied by his dog Tigon, Tim learnt to fend off wolves and would-be horse-thieves, and grapple with the extremes of the steppe as he crossed sub-zero plateaux, the scorching deserts of Kazakhstan and the high-mountain passes of the Carpathians.

Along the way, he was taken in by people who taught him the traditional ways and told him their recent history: Stalin's push for industrialisation brought calamity to the steepe and forced collectivism that in Kazakhstan alone led to the loss of several million livestock and the starvation of more than a million nomads.

Today Cope bears witness to how the traditional ways hang precariously in the balance in the post-Soviet world.