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Daunt Books Children's Short Story Competition 2013

Australasia and South Pacific

• Australia
• New Zealand
• South Pacific Islands
• Papua New Guinea

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  Heaven's Command by Jan Morris

  Price: £12.99    Add to Basket

  The first volume of The Pax Britannica Trilogy about the rise and fall of the Victorian Empire. Beginning in 1837 at Queen Victoria's accession to the throne, Jan Morris explores the history of this vast empire, while weaving in anecdotes of the daily life of a range of civil servants from the dedicated paternalists to the corrupt self-servers. Excellent and engaging introduction to the subject.

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  Into the Crocodile's Nest: A Journey Inside New Guinea by Benedict Allen

  Price: £7.99    Add to Basket

  A gruelling, yet fascinating account of Benedict Allen's attempts to discover more about the indigenous tribes of Papua New Guinea and his part in one of their toughest inititations.

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  A Land of Two Halves by Joe Bennett

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  Joe Bennett left England for a one-year job in New Zealand. Fifteen years later, he's still there. This hilarious books sees Bennett travel the length and breadth of the country, to find out just what it is that has kept him on the other side of the world for so long.

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  Down Under by Bill Bryson

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  One of the world's most entertaining travel writers, Bryson turns all his wit and charm on Australia, a country he instantly falls in love with. Tremendously funny, and one of Bryson's best.

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  30 Days in Sydney by Peter Carey

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  Part of the excellent "Writer and the City Series" from Bloomsbury, Australia's most important living novelist writes an ebullient account of a return trip to his home city.

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  A Traveller's History of New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands by Richard H. Chambers

  Price: £9.99    Add to Basket

  This historical guide to New Zealand and the South Pacific focuses heavily on the period beginning with the arrival of the first Europeans, with only brief histories of the various cultures before that. Strongest on recent political history.

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  The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin

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  In this beautiful, haunting book, first published in 1987, Chatwin travels across Australia seeking to unravel the mysteries of Aboriginal songlines. These ancient tracks tell the story of the land and hold the secrets of its past. A modern travel classic.

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  Tracks by Robyn Davidson

  Price: £6.99    Add to Basket

  Davidson describes an unimaginable journey she took across seventeen thousand miles of Australian desert. A classic piece of travel writing with a stubborn heroine and plenty of insightful observations.

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  Straying from the Flock by Dr Alexander Elder

  Price: £9.99    Add to Basket

  An honest, opinionated account of Dr. Elder's travels around New Zealand.

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  Kiwis Might Fly: Around New Zealand on Two Big Wheels by Polly Evans

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  In search of the apparently endangered 'Kiwi bloke', Polly Evans travels around the country on an enormous motorbike. Although descriptions of said vehicle take up a disproportionately large amount of the book, her descriptions of the New Zealand countryside and people are a real pleasure to read.

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  An Angel at My Table by Janet Frame

  Price: £9.99    Add to Basket

  This magnificent autobiography, originally published in 3 volumes, from one of New Zealand's greatest writers comes highly recommended. Powerful and inspiring.

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  Living and Working in New Zealand by David Hampshire

  Price: £14.95    Add to Basket

  Contains everything you need to know about relocating to New Zealand, with information on visas, housing, education, employment and much more.

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  The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes

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  Robert Hughe's epic account grippingly portrays the brutal transportation of men, women and children from Georgian Britain into the penal system that was the origin of Australia.

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  Commonwealth of Thieves by Thomas Keneally

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  Another excellent history of the foundation of the penal colony in New South Wales and its effect on the colonisation of Australia. This account focusses on the first four years of the 'Sydney Experiment' and how this helped create modern Australia.

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  Australia by Philip Knightley

  Price: £8.99    Add to Basket

  Marking the centenary of Australia as a nation in 2001, this history of the country focusses less on its origins and more on the major events that occurred between 1901 and 2001, and how Australia became the nation that it is today. Well written and thoroughly researched.

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  Terra Nullius by Sven Lindqvist

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  This lyrical account of Lindqvist's journey across Australia explores the country's traumatic past and reveals the shocking treatment of the Aborigines, from first contact with settlers to the present day.

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  Under the Mountain Wall by Peter Matthiessen

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  In 1961 Peter Matthiessen joined an expedition which set out to study the Kurelu tribe of Papua New Guinea, which had survived since the Stone Age. This is a fascinating account of that expedition.

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  My Place by Sally Morgan

  Price: £9.99    Add to Basket

  This is the powerful and touching story of Sally Morgan's journey to discover her Aboriginal ancestry. As well as her own autobiography, this book includes the stories of three of her relatives. Essential reading for anybody interested in Aboriginal and Australian history.

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  Pax Britannica by Jan Morris

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  The second volume of The Pax Britannica Trilogy about the rise and fall of the British Empire in India. Continuing where Pax Britannica left off, Jan Morris focuses on the empire at its zenith.

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  Farewell the Trumpets by Jan Morris

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  The third volume of The Pax Britannica Trilogy about the rise and fall of the British Empire in India. In 'Farewell the Trumpets', Jan Morris explores the decline of this vast empire.

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  The Dig Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Ill-fated Burke & Wills 1860 Expedition by Sarah Murgatroyd

  Price: £12.99    Add to Basket

  An exceptionally well-written account of the 1860 expedition that set out to find the undiscovered depths of Australia. Travelling from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the far north, Burke and Wills conducted one of the most fascinating explorations in 19th century history.

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  A Secret Country by John Pilger

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  Acclaimed journalist John Pilger turns his critical gaze on his home country, exposing a history of wealth, class and power, and human rights abuses. An important book.

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  Solomon Time: Advetures in the South Pacific by Will Randall

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  This delightful and amusing account of a year spent working on a community project in the Solomon Islands aptly depicts the exquisite beauty of the islands and warmth of its people. A charming, fun read.

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  In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare

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  This strange and fascinating book tells the history of the last two centuries of this unique island. Shakespeare introduces a bizarre cast of characters, from Errol Flynn to the King of Iceland. A tremedously entertaining book.

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  Coconut Chaos by Diana Souhami

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  Part history, part travelogue, this book recounts the infamous mutiny on the Bounty and the subsequent founding of Pitcairn Island, a place the author visits with quirky and amusing results.