SARAH OGILVIE The Dictionary People. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Sarah Ogilvie tells the stories of the thousands of volunteers whose assiduous reporting created the Oxford English Dictionary. About eight years ago, Sarah Ogilvie was making a nostalgic visit to the Dictionary archive in the basement of the Oxford University Press....
LOL TOLHURST Goth: A history. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Lol Tolhurst reflects on Goth as a post-punk cultural movement, its resonance with the Romantic era, and its enduring appeal. Lol Tolhurst’s first memoir, Cured: The tale of two imaginary boys, was his account of The Cure’s early days. Tolhurst was one of the band’s...
RACHEL MADDOW Prequel: An American fight against fascism. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Rachel Maddow’s account of how Nazism gained a foothold among US politicians in the 1930s holds lessons for the present. When Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany in early 1933, he embarked on a long-term plan not only to keep the United States out of a future...
VIET THANH NGUYEN A Man of Two Faces: A memoir, a history, a memorial. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
The Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer reflects on his life and what it means to be a Vietnamese refugee in America. In 2015 Viet Thanh Nguyen published The Sympathizer, a novel that explored the Viet Nam war, particularly the involvement of America,...
NRB readers’ favourite reviews of 2023
Which of our reviews did you enjoy the most in 2023? We’ve checked the stats and the results are in: here are our top 10 reviews of the year. Is your favourite among them? Or one of your favourite books? Or just a few things you’d like to add to your TBR...
SIMON BUTT Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Simon Butt reveals how and why corruption remains a problem at the highest levels of the Indonesian legal system. Simon Butt is a Sydney University law academic who has devoted much of his career to researching and writing on the operation of the Indonesian legal...
MICHAEL SEXTON Stories for Harry & Ray. Reviewed by Bernard Whimpress
In Stories for Harry & Ray, Michael Sexton brings together 43 of his essays on sport. The result is a small gem. Fellow Adelaide sportswriter Michael Sexton has a number of impressive books to his name – 1964: A Season, A Game, A State; Chappell’s Last Stand;...
ROBYN DAVIDSON Unfinished Woman. Reviewed by Mary Garden
Robyn Davidson’s memoir delves into her family relationships and provides a window onto the ongoing trauma of sibling abuse. Robyn Davidson is best known for her international bestseller Tracks, about her trek across 2700 kilometres of Australian desert in 1977. Her...
DAVID MARR Killing for country: A family story. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
David Marr’s account of his ancestors’ involvement with the Native Police and the murder of Aboriginal people is distressing and important. Several years ago, one of David Marr’s older relatives informed him that his great-great-grandfather Reginald...
KATE FULLAGAR Bennelong and Phillip: A history unravelled. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Kate Fullagar puts the lives of Wangal man Bennelong and Governor Arthur Phillip into a larger context beyond the brief years they spent together. What we regard as the modern history of Australia commenced with Britain establishing a colony in New South Wales in...
TIM FLANNERY and EMMA FLANNERY Big Meg. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
From the ancient megalodon to Jaws, Big Meg feeds our fascination with huge and dangerous marine creatures. I was fascinated by the prospect of Big Meg: The story of the largest and most mysterious predator that ever lived, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I...
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