The Long Farewell

The Long Farewell: the perilous voyages  of settlers under sail in the great Australian migration by Don Charlwood was originally published in 1981. The fifth edition of the book was published in 2015.

Don Charlwood has used excerpts from diaries and log books of emigrants travelling to Australia in the middle of the nineteenth century to tell the story of Australian migration. In the book he discusses the perils of such a journey, the route taken, the types of sailing ships and auxiliary steam ships that made the journeys, conditions in Britain causing people to emigrate to another country, preparation required for the trip, leaving home, accommodation on board ship, the crew, surgeons and health, messes and dining, life on board ship and the arrival. The book is well illustrated and there are detailed notes, bibliography and index. The full diaries of three travellers are also included.

This is a well written book providing valuable information for anyone researching this period of Australian history, family history or interested in the history of ships.

The restless kings

The sub-title for The Restless Kings by Nick Barratt is Henry II, his sons and the wars for the Plantagenet Crown. They were certainly members of a dysfunctional family living in what could only be described as chaotic times.

When William the Conqueror took over the governing of England he and his family were also responsible for Normandy and other parts of France. The Restless Kings examines the constant conflicts in keeping controls of these lands and acquiring additional lands through marriage. There were constant differences with kings in France with subsequent battles. There was also conflict with the church not to mention the barons vying for power.

Henry II had tried to bring in powers for the organisation of the governance of Britain with mixed results. He also tried to provide his sons with land and some power. However the four sons - Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John - had their own visions and desires for power. Henry and Geoffrey died before their father leaving Richard as king when their father died. 

In reality however, Richard was more interested in military campaigns including involvement in one of the Crusades than ruling England. When he became king he spent three months in England including his coronation and organising finances for his crusading ventures. He later spent another week or two before returning overseas to other interests. Meanwhile the country was in financial crisis. 

When John became king he was left with disputes across the channel which ending up in England losing control of Normandy. Back in England there was rebellion from the barons and constant disputes with the church. There was growing resentment of the assumed total power of kings over their subjects and eventually the Magna Carta was drawn up shortly before John died.

During these years of chaos structures began to be implemented regarding organisation of England's finances and general laws. Unfortunately there were times when kings such as John did not behave rationally resulting in unfortunate decisions for the country. For all his faults, and there were many, John was the first of the Plantagenet kings to make ruling England his prime concern.

Reading this book in October 2023 you can't help but conclude past events involving the search for power at all costs by governments and parliamentary parties and also religious groups still exists in the world today.

The bone hacker

Temperance Brennan and Andrew Ryan now live in their new apartment in Montreal and are discussing when and where they should go on holiday. However, during a storm a man standing on a bridge appears to be hit by lightening and when the body is finally located Tempe is called in to help identify the body. It is then  discovered that not only had he been murdered but he was a visitor from the islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean Sea.

When Tempe alerts the police in Turks and Caicos the police superintendent says she will come to Montreal to assist in the investigation. It then becomes obvious that she really wants Tempe to assist her with a similar cold case investigation back on the islands. However when they arrive at the islands a boat is found with five bodies on board. Then the police superintendent is murdered. All in all not the greatest advertisement for tourism to the islands. 

Tempe does what she can to investigate the deaths of the cold case victims. Meanwhile it becomes obvious that all the deaths are linked to a crime that could affect countries throughout the world.

As in all the books in this series Kathy Reichs, as a forensic anthropologist, provides clear descriptions of the various organisations and procedures involved in solving a case. Tempe is dedicated to her work but is also compassionate with a sense of humour that helps keep her sane in an often tiring and dangerous job. The Bone Hacker is number 22 in the Temperance Brennan series and well worth reading as part of the series or as a stand alone book.

A clear flowing Yarra

The subtitle of A clear flowing Yarra by Harry Saddler is 'visions of Melbourne's river as it is and could be'. The author provides an interesting look at the Yarra River and some of its tributaries that are a feature of Melbourne and many of its suburbs. The book contains interviews with people from many of the groups who care about the river and its environs and work to preserve the river. The author also discusses some of the animals, birds and reptiles that can be found near the river.

Much of the work consists of his musings about whatever topic he is writing about resulting in a rambling and sometimes repetitive discussion. The book, though, does contain some informative information about the Yarra River and its environs.

Normal rules don't apply: short stories

Normal rules don't apply is an apt title for this collection of short stories by Kate Atkinson. The book contains a collection of eleven loosely connected short stories introducing the reader to a variety of characters and situations. The stories combine elements of mystery, fantasy, folklore, humour, drama and much more. 

The scene is set in the first story - The Void - where for five minutes each day the world is reset. This theme is continued in a story later in the book - Gene-sis. One character who appears in a number of stories is Franklin who spends much of his time questioning decisions with 'what if?' which is also the title of the final story which ties some of the threads occurring in other stories together. There are lots of dogs and horses and cats - some may even talk. One story occurs in a parallel world while another brings back the spirit of someone who has recently died. There is also a fairy-tale queen who does not keep a promise made to a witch - the effects of this also appear briefly in another story.

This is a fun collection of stories to read due to the variety of styles and topics combined with the realisation that a person or location or event from another story has been incorporated into the new story. The stories, in many cases, also encourage us to think about how we live our lives and how our lives are affecting our world.

Review:

Normal rules don't apply by Kate Atkinson - a mixed bag of stories Guardian 30 August 2023

The Disorganisation of Celia Stone

Celia Stone is a control freak. Her life is totally organised not just by to-do lists but also an analysis of pros and cons for her decisions which she keeps in her diary. This organisation is directed not just for her own actions but for the life of her husband, Jes. Her life is managed to minute detail - the amount and type of food eaten, amount of exercise undertaken, meditation, visits made to family members, money spent on various items, type of fabric used in clothes, aversion to anything that might harm the environment ...

Celia works full time and has just completed her first first book which is about to be published. Life is looking good. Then, when Celia is about to turn 34, Jes suggests that they should consider having a baby. This plan is not on her schedule.

Following Celia's journey, this novel looks at issues such as handling grief, mental health, body image and healthy eating as Celia struggles to recognise what she really values in her life.