By Cape. W. E. Johns
Another in the Biggles series glorifying war and vilifying enemies. . “In which Air Detective-Inspector Bigglesworth takes leave from the Special Air Section Scotland Yard to join the Foreign Legion, and has an adventure involving an old friend, an even older enemy and a near fatal trip to the desolate Valley of the Tartars in Kurdistan.”
London. Hodder and Stoughton. 1954. 198p. USED BOOOK
By C. Serjeant
A boys adventure book linking Christian life to war…FROM CHAPTER 1:
“"Yes, mother. And you remember what he said about being good soldiers of our Lord, don't you?"
"I'm afraid I didn't hear quiteall the sermon," she said, trying to speak lightly. "I wish," she added to herself, "that Jack would stop talking about such things. Especially in public. It would be frightfully embarrassing if he began to discuss religion in front of Lady Hardcastle or Mrs. Lyle-Gault. I'm not sure that they wouldn't think it a joke.'
"Well, mother,"Jack was saying, "that was what his sermon was about--being good soldiers-and somehow I felt I wanted to be one of them-and I am, mother."
London. Pickering & Inglis Ltd. 1932. 67p. USED BOOK
By Arthur Catherall
Classic how-to book for Boy Scouts conveying all the skills needed for leadership, survival and success in war. Inspired, of course, by the writings of Baden Powell who cut his war teething the Boer war. FROM THE COVER: “ They were an odd gang, Af,l Joe, Dick, and Gyp; but once they got the idea of Scouting they were the staunchest friends that anyone could ask for. Their Patrol Leader set a high standard of courage and endurance, and the others one by one played a loyal part in the many daring rescues and thrilling episodes that were to follow- adventures which will be the envy of every Scout.
London. Butterworth Press. 1949. 120p. USED BOOK
By Captain W. E. Johns. Illustrated By Alfred Sindall
A boys’ book from the classic series heralding World War 2, and highlighting the excitement and attractiveness of war..
FROM CHAPTER 1: “ PETER FORTYMORE RECEIVES BAD NEWS. THERE was a pensive, almost wistful, expression on the face of the Honourable Peter Fortymore as, with his chin cupped in his hands, he sat at his study window and stared out across the deserted, moonlit playing-fields of Rundell School, where for five years he had been a pupil. The door be- hind him opened, but he did not turn, for he knew from the heavy, deliberate footsteps that the new- comer washis friend and room-mate, Dick Ripley, known throughout the upper school as Rip…”
London. Geoffrey Cumberlege Oxford University Press. 1950. 245p
By Captain W. E. Johns
The classic boys’ books trumpeting the attraction and excitement of war, especially World War 2.
FROM CHAPTER 1: ““Air-Commodore Raymond, Chief of the Air Section of Scotland Yard, greeted his operational staff from behind a paper-littered desk, as, in obedience to his invitation, they filed into his office.
" Pull up some chairs," he requested. "This is only in the nature of a conference, and, strangely enough, for once there's nothing urgent about it. Help yourselves to cigarettes-we may be some time." He pushed the box forward.
London. Holder and Stoughton. 1954. 162p. USED BOOK
By Charles Dickens
In the quiet village of Chigwell, a decades-old murder remains unsolved, its shadow hanging over the crumbling Maypole Inn. In the sweltering, narrow streets of London, a different kind of darkness is brewing: a mob looking for a reason to burn.
Barnaby Rudge is a young man of pure heart and fractured mind, accompanied everywhere by his uncanny companion, Grip the Raven. While Barnaby sees the world in flashes of color and song, the men around him see only power. From the manipulative demagogue Lord George Gordon to the vengeful ghosts of Barnaby's own past, the stage is set for a collision that will leave the city in ashes.
As the infamous Gordon Riots of 1780 ignite, private secrets and public madness intertwine. Charles Dickens’s most atmospheric historical novel is a gripping tale of:
The "Innocent" caught in the crossfire: A haunting look at how the vulnerable are used by the powerful.
Family Legacies: A dark exploration of the sins of the father visited upon the son.
The Roar of the Crowd: A terrifyingly modern depiction of how quickly a protest becomes a catastrophe.
"I'm a devil! I'm a devil!" croaks Grip. In a city consumed by fire and fanaticism, he might be the only one telling the truth.
London Chapmwn Hall. 1870. Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 467p.
By Nevil Shute
"On the Beach" is a post-apocalyptic novel written by Nevil Shute, a British-Australian author. It was first published in 1957 and is set in the aftermath of a global nuclear war that has destroyed most of the northern hemisphere.
The story takes place in Melbourne, Australia, which has been spared from the immediate effects of the war due to its southern location. However, as the radiation from the northern hemisphere begins to spread southward, the people of Melbourne realize that their time is running out.
The novel follows a group of characters, including an American submarine captain, a young Australian woman, and a scientist, as they confront their mortality and the inevitability of their impending deaths. The story explores themes of hope, despair, and the futility of war.
London Heinemann. 1957. 310p.
By John Updike
"Terrorist" is a novel by John Updike, published in 2006. The book tells the story of a young Muslim-American named Ahmad Ashmawy Mulloy, who becomes radicalized and plots a terrorist attack in the United States.
The novel explores themes of religion, identity, and extremism, and provides a nuanced portrayal of the motivations and beliefs that drive individuals to engage in acts of terrorism.
"Terrorist" received mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics praising Updike's exploration of complex themes and his ability to create nuanced and sympathetic characters, while others criticized the book for being overly didactic and preachy.
NY. Alfred A. Knopf. 2006. 318p.
By Katharine Susannah Prichard
From the jacket: No writer has painted a more vivid picture of the tragic meeting of primitive and civilized humanity than Katharine Susannah Prichard in Coonardoo. First published in 1929, this remarkable novel has become an Australian classic, as moving in its delicate portraiture of an aboriginal girl as it is revealing in its authentic knowledge of the outback scene in northwestern Australia. The little black girl Coonardoo and the boy Hugh are childhood playmates, and the relationship that gradually develops from their early bond is compelling and disastrous. Coonardoo has her tribal partner; Hugh, the station-owner, must marry. This drama is played out in the deserts and cattle country of the northwest, a cruel story redeemed by the poetic quality-of Coonardoo and her devotion to the man whose race dealt so harshly with hers.
Melbourne. Angus and Robertson. 1929.
By Markus Zusak
The Dunbar boys bring each other up in a house run by their own rules a family of ramshackled tragedy their mother is dead their father has fled they love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world. It is Clay, the quiet one, who will build a bridge; for his family, for his past, for his sins. He builds a bridge to transcend humanness. To survive A miracle and nothing less. Markus Zusak makes his long-awaited return with a profoundly heartfelt and inventive novel about a family held together by stories, and a young life caught in the current: a hoy in search of greatness, as a cure for a painful past. “‘Brilliant and hugely ambitious...the kind of book that can be life changing.” The New York Times. “‘Unsettling, thought-provoking, life affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told.” Guardian. ‘Zusak’s novel is a highwire act of inventiveness and emotional suppleness’ The Australian.
Australia. Picador Macmillan. 2018. 581p.
