SARAH E BRADDOCK CLARKE and RYOKO YAMANAKA KONDO (Eds) Byzantine Silk on the Silk Roads. Reviewed by Ann Skea
This sumptuous book is richly illustrated and almost as carefully crafted as the Byzantine silk of its title. Editor Sarah Braddock Clarke describes Byzantine Silk on the Silk Roads as an ‘academic book’, yet there is much to interest and delight a general reader like...
NRB readers’ favourite reviews of 2022
Which of our reviews this year did you enjoy the most? We’ve run the numbers to discover our top ten reviews of 2022 based on reader views. Are any of your favourites among them? Or perhaps on your TBR pile? (A TBR pile is a wonderful thing – there’s...
LARA FEIGEL Look! We Have Come Through! Reviewed by Ann Skea
DH Lawrence as life coach? Lara Feigel’s examination of the writer’s life and work has a personal application. First, a confession. While I enjoy some of DH Lawrence’s poetry, I have never warmed to his novels. I have a cherished memory of a university lecturer...
STEFAN SZYMANSKI and TIM WIGMORE Crickonomics: The anatomy of modern cricket. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Szymanski and Wigmore examine cricket’s evolution from an elite English pastime to a global phenomenon. Bat and a ball games are as old as humankind. They are a testament to our creativity. Cricket emerged in Britain in the latter part of the sixteenth century,...
MYF WARHURST Time of My Life. Reviewed by Virginia Muzik
Myf Warhurst’s memoir of life, music, and the media is like reminiscing with an old friend. Many of us can recall a song we heard in childhood that blew open our world the first time we came across it. For a young Myf Warhurst, that song was ‘Howzat’ by 1970s...
JOHN KERR The Big Folbigg Mistake: extract
Did Kathleen Folbigg kill her babies? John Kerr makes the case for taking another look. In 2003 Kathleen Folbigg was convicted of killing her four children: Caleb, 19 days old (1989); Patrick, 8 months old (1991); Sarah, 10 months old (1993); and Laura, 19 months old...
ANKE RICHTER Cult Trip. Reviewed by Mary Garden
Anke Richter’s stories of New Zealanders’ experiences of cults raise universal questions about the appeal – and danger – of such groups. No one joins a cult. They join interesting groups that make them feel special, that give them solace, hope and answers. In...
BEN SCHNEIDERS Hard Labour: Wage theft in the age of inequality. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck.
Ben Scheiders examines wage theft and challenges the notion that Australia is a fair-minded society. Ben Schneiders is an investigative reporter with The Age. Since 2015 he has written hundreds of articles on wage theft with colleague Royce Millar. His object in this...
PETER VAN ONSELEN and WAYNE ERRINGTON Victory: The inside story of Labor’s return to power. Reviewed by Bernard Whimpress
This expert analysis of the 2022 federal election examines Labor’s rebuilding process, the six-week campaign, and the challenges ahead. Victory was released for sale just over four months after election day, but it would be foolish to categorise it as a ‘quickie’. It...
DAVID ENRICH Servants of the Damned: Giant law firms and the corruption of justice. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
David Enrich delivers a cautionary tale of the capture of US courts by vested interests. The powerful have always needed handmaidens to tend to their needs. They employ small armies of professionals – lawyers, accountants, scientists, engineers, technical and cyber...
ANNA SPARGO-RYAN A Kind of Magic. Reviewed by Virginia Muzik
Anna Spargo-Ryan’s memoir melds a vivid account of lifelong mental illness with thorough research. Early on in A Kind of Magic, Anna Spargo-Ryan tries to establish where her mental illness story begins, looking – not surprisingly – to her family. Did she inherit...
Recent Posts
DAVID PRICE The Shameful Isles. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck6 November 2025David Price’s history of Western Australia’s lock hospitals and the [ … ]
BRIAN STODDART Playing the Game: How cricket made Barbados. Reviewed by Bernard Whimpress4 November 2025Brian Stoddart’s multi-faceted account of a small island’s cricket history is a [ … ]
ANDREW PIPPOS The Transformations. Reviewed by Linda Godfrey30 October 2025The second novel from Andrew Pippos draws inspiration from the epics of ancient [ … ]
JOHN BANVILLE Venetian Vespers. Reviewed by Naomi Manuell28 October 2025Set in Venice in 1899, John Banville’s new novel blends crime and the gothic as [ … ]