Showing results by narrator "David Tredinnick" in All Categories

When the Japanese invade in 1942, the Australian men and women stationed at the New Guinea port of Rabaul flee into the jungle. Written off by their government as ‘hostages to fortune', the little-known garrison on Australia's tropic frontier has been left with no modern equipment, no lifeline to the outside, and no means of escape. Most are captured and killed in the sinking of the prison ship Montevideo Maru, which remains Australia's worst sea disaster. But the surviving soldiers and nurses carry on.

Far from being a land of plenty, the Antarctic continent—if it was that—was no place for human beings. Robert Falcon Scott's 1910 attempt to reach the South Pole is placed in jeopardy when Edward Evans joins as his second-in-command. A clash of personalities between the two men almost prevents the Terra Nova from sailing, but they forge ahead, conscious of competing expeditions racing to the pole. On the treacherous journey across the Antarctic ice, the differences between the scientific-minded Scott and the ambitious Evans become insurmountable.

Elizabeth posts a ‘room for rent’ notice in Trevor’s bookshop and is caught off-guard when Trevor answers the advertisement himself. She expected a young student, not a middle-aged bookseller whose marriage has fallen apart. But Trevor is attracted to Elizabeth’s house because of the empty shed in her backyard, the perfect space for him to revive the artistic career he abandoned years earlier. The face-blind, EH Holden-driving Elizabeth is a solitary and feisty book editor, and she accepts him, on probation. 

It's hard to imagine this story as being part of our past, but in 1942, an 11-year-old Australian boy, Richard Manson, and his parents either side of him were shot by the Japanese for suspected spying in Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. Acclaimed Fourth Estate author and award-winning science journalist Ian Townsend has uncovered a fascinating story of World War Two, little known to most Australians.

A novel adventuring between the pre-WWI Russian enclave in Brisbane and Tsarist Russia. From the author of Schindler's Ark, another tale of oppression and the triumph of determined peoples.Artem Samsurov, a charismatic protege of Lenin and an ardent socialist, reaches sanctuary in Australia after escaping his Siberian labour camp and making a long, perilous journey via Japan.

When Grace married Captain Leo Waterhouse in Australia in 1943, they were young, in love - and at war. Like many other young men and women, they were ready, willing and able to put the war effort first. They never seriously doubted that they would come through unscathed. But Leo never returned from a commando mission masterminded by his own hero figure, an eccentric and charismatic man who inspired total loyalty from those under his command.

Welcome to Volume 9 of Seniors' Stories displaying the thoughts, emotions, lifestyles, pleasures, disappointments, elation, sadness, and every emotion we have been willing to share of the exciting age group known in Australia as our Seniors.

Catholic priests don't generally have children, but Australian legend Father Chris Riley has brought up about 60,000 – and they're some of the toughest kids around. He regularly encounters some of the most troubled children on Earth – kids who have given up or refuse to talk to others, who steal, take drugs, see themselves as irredeemable failures, hate everyone and everything, self-harm, have been abused or abuse other kids, and prostitute themselves.

The breadth and richness of Keneally's life is explored in this comprehensive biography, authorised by the subject and written by Stephany Evans Steggall. For five decades Tom Keneally has been one of Australia's finest and most loved writers. Celebrated across the world as a master storyteller and known especially for the Booker Prize-winning Schindler's Ark, he is also respected for his humanitarian work and his commitment to causes such as republicanism.

Do you believe in love? Do you trust your partner? Nick Souter did, with good reason - he and Anne had something special. He didn't make a habit of going through her pockets but what's a man supposed to do when he's got a rotten cold and a wife who helps herself to his handkerchiefs? You can't blow your nose on an adulterous love-note but it certainly took Nick's mind off his sniffles. Secrets and lies can turn doubt into obsession and a loving couple into snarling adversaries. Secrets and lies can kill.

Lancelot, an orphaned kangaroo adopted by a farmer and his wife, is the constant figure across these stories. He is also disabled, after losing one of his arms in an accident. His quest is to discover his kangarooness and find love and acceptance among his fellow creatures.Lancelot is a little Joey whose mother has died. He is adopted by Bill and Emmy, the farmer and his wife, and he doesn’t even know that he is a kangaroo.

Eight years after passing the audition for TV's ‘Money Quest' quiz show, Paul Hetherby is still waiting for the call to appear on the program. Devoid of any life skills other than avoiding responsibility and memorising useless facts, Paul's obsession with becoming Australia's next quiz-master is rivalled only by a tragic devotion to his latest disorderly and not very successful rock band, Explosive Hits. Which leaves his long-suffering girlfriend a distant third.

What do three dogs and a cat have to say when a baby kookaburra is found in their yard? Buddha, the cat, starts by asking, “What the blooming tail is it, mate?” Hoover, one of the dogs, thought it looked like lunch. Ajax thought it was a toy. But Stelze, an aging Doberman, informed everyone it was a baby, and she planned to protect it in every way possible. A young kookaburra named Pirate finds himself on an unfamiliar farm after a storm.

Representing the Universal Conscious Community, 52 authors have co-created the "Unfolding Journeys: Ways to Connect" book. Some of them are established writers, and for the others, it's a debut. Still, all have a few things in common—love for writing, the ability to reflect on their transformational journeys and willingness to share learnings along the way. The journey towards inner peace is unique for everyone. For some, it's a smooth road while for others, it's a bumpy, frightening ride.