Elizabeth's Bookshop » Uncategorized

WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S FIRST PARLIAMENT!

admin — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 09:45:31 +0000

Western Australia. PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES. Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly. SESSION 1890-1 and 1891-1892.
Premier and Colonial Treasurer: The Hon. John Forrest… Speaker of the Legislative Assembly – First Session: The Hon Sir Jas. G. Lee Steere. (I) pp. xxxii, 445; (II) xlix, 986. Quarter leather. #0818 SCARCE

Topics of debate include: Smuggling, Northern Coast; Lunatic Asylum, Fremantle; Public Health; National Convention; S.W. Railway; Darling Range Railway; Mineral Lands; Railway Bill; Yilgarn Railway; Fremantle Harbour; Road to Nullagine; Drought in the North; Goldfields Bill; Geraldton-Mullewa Railway; Anti-Chinese Petition; Midland Railway Company.

Government Printer, Perth, 1891
Price: $1000.00 (inc GST)
http://www.elizabethsbookshop.com.au/…/western-australia.-…/

Western Australia’s First Parliament

Historian Lord John Julius Norwich (Elizabeth’s History Books podcast)

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 07:27:06 +0000

Historian Lord John Julius Norwich: Born with a silver spoon in his mouth… Or was it the whole set of cutlery? Venice, Byzantium and the whole glorious Mediterranean.
Elizabeth’s Bookshops’ History Books podcast on Radio 6PR Sunday evenings Click here: http://bit.ly/

Amsterdam: Culture & Cannabis, Protestantism & Prostitution

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 06:56:43 +0000

Elizabeth’s Bookshop HISTORY BOOKS podcast on Radio 6PR Sunday evenings 10:10pm: Amsterdam is an “ambivalent city”: Culture and Cannabis, Protestantism and Prostitution… And maybe its origins lie in its rich history. In this historical books segment with Harry Schmitz from Elizabeth’s Bookshops. Harry looks at the book “Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City” by Russell Shorto, “The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age” by Simon Schama and also the work of prodigious history author Barbara Wertheim Tuchman. Click here for tonight’s podcast: https://bit.ly/2ISTUND

Elizabeth’s History Books podcast: Joan of Arc and Lady Emma Hamilton

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 06:51:25 +0000

Elizabeth’s Bookshops’ HISTORY BOOKS PODCAST on Radio 6PR, Sunday evenings 10:10pm. Tonight:

Joan of Arc and Lady Emma Hamilton. Click here: https://bit.ly/2pZHxXv

PATRICK LEIGH FERMOR: An Adventure, by Artemis Cooper

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 03:39:17 +0000

There are three major aspects about Paddy Leigh Fermor’s life (1915 – 2011):
• The question of whether he was just a dangerously charming, completely up himself social climbing Hooray Henry with film star good looks and amazing luck OR (actually) a genuine, impressive all round Renaissance Man who somehow time travelled into the 20th century, a war hero and a literary genius who set the standard for high-end intellectual travel writing and scholarship.
• His war hero reputation is based on his exploits as a S.O.E. Intelligence officer during WWII, leading resistance fighters against the Nazi occupation of Crete and famously kidnapping a German general. (Which was later written up by his mate W. Stanley Moss as the book “Ill Met by Moonlight” (1950) and then the movie (which starred Dirk Bogarde giving a typically quite nice but totally inappropriate understated performance.)
• His books “A Time of Gifts” and “Between the Woods and the Water”, are quite famous travel-writing classics. They are based on his early 1930s trek from Holland to Constantinople (Istanbul) – but not written and published until 1977 and 1986.
There are two elements that make them interesting as a particular genre of travel writing:
Firstly, LF employs a technique that very cleverly retains the persona of an innocent wide-eyed 18-year-old walking and hitch-hiking across Europe in the 1930s, yet embroiders and expands that account with the mass of material, the vast amount of knowledge, the experiences of the next 40 years of his life.
Listen to the rest: Radio 6PR, Sunday evening 22:10, 22nd January. Harvey Deegan’s “Remember When” www.6pr.com.au/live.audio.html

Part of Harry’s talk on 6PR on Catherine the Great 23 August 2015

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 09:12:53 +0000

DEATH OF CATHERINE THE GREAT

Last week I waffled on for so long about Catherine the Great that we never actually got to the bit for which she is – somewhat unfortunately – most widely remembered: The alleged scandalous manner of her death.

The most scandalous, most deliciously gutter press version is of course that she died trying to have sex with a horse.

Being famous for her sexual appetites that story fitted into the general picture of insatiably nymphomaniac Catherine.

The supposed detail was that a stallion was being lowered onto the lady when the harness holding the horse broke and the beast fell on top of her, killing her.

The lesser story is that she died on the loo. Being, by the age of 68 a lady of generous proportions, it is suggested that her weight broke the bowl, it shattered, she fell, she died.

It is probable, however, that – on the weight of evidence, neither wonderfully salacious story is actually correct.

We need to place the stories in the context of the history of propaganda and political character assassination by cartoon or deliberately started rumour.

These days, we are used to propaganda being used by one nation against another:

In WWI the Allies produced many cartoons depicting the German Kaiser and his Pickelhaube helmeted soldiers raping longhaired Belgian ladies in advanced stages of undress.

In WWII The Nazis used a picture of Winston Churchill firing a tommy-gun at a practice range to advance the notion that Churchill was a gangster / war monger.

The Allies in return produced many a cartoon of Adolf Hitler eating his carpet or doing affectionate things with Blondie, his German shepherd.

At the time of Catherine the Great, the 18^th century, this was also considered standard stuff to use in propaganda.

Catherine’s contemporary Marie Antoinette of France was depicted in the republican broadsheets as a sort of insatiable Messalina.

So, as Russia became a world power and started to be a threat to the Western Powers in Europe (Prussia, France, Austria and Great Britain) so the propaganda against what was basically an enemy country intensified accordingly.

The easiest target was the leader of that country i.e. Catherine.

The horse story sort of fitted in with the facts that Catherine, unusual for the time, liked to ride horses astride rather than ladylike sidesaddle and that she apparently spent considerable time alone in the stables.

Because starting a rumour about bonking a stablehand would not have raised even an eyebrow in 18^th c Europe, the propaganda story had to be amped up. Hence It wasn’t a huge jump from there to eventually concoct a story to bonking a horse.

Apart from being salacious and selling newspapers it worked nicely as a put-down of the leader of an enemy nation.

Historically, Sex was rarely used as a propaganda tool against male rulers unless (as in the case of anti-Hitler’s one testicle stories) it implied lack of sexual prowess.

Against female rulers, however (as we have seen with Marie Antoinette), it was a powerful technique and fitted with the (in the Julia Gillard view of history) generally misogynist atmosphere of politics and society at the time.

The less interesting story of Catherine dying on the toilet fits into the same propaganda package. Apart from suggesting bestiality there are probably no better ways of putting down an impressive emperor or empress than by putting about the story that she died on the loo. It works because it shatters the aura of the imperial power and grandeur of that leader.

So nowadays historians generally agree that regarding the death of Catherine the Great there was probably no fatally disastrous attempt to dance horizontal tango with a horse or come to some ignominious end on the toilet. After

an illness, Catherine probably died in her bed surrounded by attendants and lovers past and present.

Elizabeth’s Bookshop makes list of Sydney’s Best Bookstores…

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 12:21:32 +0000

There’s no better time than now to browse the rows of Sydney’s bookstores, old and new.

Winter is the season of grey skies, Game of Thrones puns and curling up under a blanket with an excellent book. Thankfully, Sydney’s bookstore scene is going strong, despite years of dire predictions. We’ve collected a few of our favourite places to browse for books.

Better Read Than Dead
Better Read than Dead in Newtown embodies the best things about independent bookstores. You can find the latest in literary fiction and non-fiction, literary journals, science fiction and an excellent children’s and young-adult range in this carefully curated store. If you can’t decide, ask the passionate and friendly staff for help. Manager Amelia Lush says staff members, “Read something, love it and tell people about it.” This bookstore is a hub for the local community; it holds regular events, its staff attends book fairs and visits local schools. It’s also the perfect end to date night and – for the bibliophile romantics out there – was the site of a recent engagement, which featured sneaky staff members and a faux-book proposal on the shelves.
(02) 9557 8700
265 King Steet, Newtown
betterread.com.au

Abbey’s Bookshop
Abbey’s is a family owned bookstore that specialises in history, literature, science and crime fiction. It’s filled with titles you won’t see elsewhere, and the densely packed shelves offer an “element of serendipity” often missing in our online browsing, says Abbey’s Craig Kirchner. If you’re into fantasy and science fiction the upstairs Galaxy Bookstore is essential: you’ll find a well-stocked shop and enthusiastic staff.
(02) 9264 3111
131 York Street, Sydney
abbeys.com.au

Sappho Books, Cafe & Wine Bar
Sappho Books is a wonderfully ramshackle second-hand bookstore. You could spend hours searching through the packed shelves of contemporary fiction, rare and antiquarian books, sheet music and all the classics from your childhood (Enid Blyton, anyone?). Once you’ve made your selection, head out to the courtyard cafe for some food, coffee or wine.
(02) 9552 4498
51 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
sapphobooks.com.au

Gleebooks
Gleebooks has several locations through Sydney, but the charm of this independent bookseller is best represented by the Glebe Point Road store. Here you can peruse the latest literary releases, non-fiction offerings and the best in children’s and young-adult literature. This flagship store also regularly hosts events, from book launches to talks from local and international authors.
(02) 9660 2333
49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
gleebooks.com.au

Elizabeth’s
Elizabeth’s on King Street is a cosy bookstore with an excellent collection of second-hand books and a handful of new releases. If you find it impossible to make a decision, its charming “blind date with a book” service might be for you. Think literary lucky dip; for around $10 you can purchase a book in brown paper and tied up with twine.
(02) 9267 2533
257 King Street, Newtown

blinddatewithabook.com <3
elizabethsbookshop.com.au

Books Kinokuniya
When it comes to the sheer scale of books on offer, it’s hard to go past Kinokuniya in The Galleries. This sprawling bookstore stocks more than 300,000 titles in English, Japanese, Chinese, French and German. This store’s particularly worth a visit for glossy-book addicts and graphic novel and magna enthusiasts. If you get hungry while making your way through its selection, there’s an in-store cafe.
(02) 9262 7996
500 George Street, Sydney
kinokuniya.com.au

Dymocks On George Street
If you’re in the CBD and on the hunt for a new book, it’s hard to go past Dymocks on George Street. This extensive store stocks the latest fiction and non-fiction bestsellers, and the adjoining stationary store has enough cards, notepads and pens to delight the most dedicated stationary-addict.
(02) 9235 0155
424–430 George Street, Sydney
dymocks.com.au

Ariel Booksellers
Ariel Booksellers on Paddington’s Oxford Street feels more like a gallery than a bookstore. While it has an excellent selection of new-release literary and contemporary fiction, this bookstore is one for art, design and photography enthusiasts. If you need to recharge after browsing through the beautifully displayed, extensive selection of oversized, glossy books, look no further than the in-store supply of Haigh’s chocolates.
(02)3 9332 4581
42 Oxford Street, Paddington
arielbooks.com.au

Berkelouw Books
Berkelouw Books offers a carefully chosen selection of new fiction and non-fiction books (complete with staff suggestions), a collection of literary-themed stationary and knick-knacks, an extensive collection of fiction and non-fiction second-hand books and a cosy cafe(link). It’s the perfect spot for a sleepy Sunday afternoon.
1800 046 240
19 Oxford Street, Paddington
berkelouw.com.au

Press
Press is a weekend-only bookstore that supports independent publishing. If you’re on the hunt for independent or handmade titles, including glossy photo books and zines, you’ll find them here.
116 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale
press-books.co

RARE 5th edition of Darwin’s ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 08:40:41 +0000

Just arrived:
Charles DARWIN: ORIGIN OF SPECIES
Edition with first use of the term “survival of the fittest”.

London: John Murray, 1869, 1869. Octavo. Original green cloth, gilt lettered spine, black coated endpapers. Large bookplate on front pastedown. Touch of light mottling to covers, hinges just a little shaken. A very good copy in the original cloth. Folding diagram at p. 132. Fifth edition of “the most important biological book ever written” (Freeman). This copy is in Freeman’s variant c of the binding without the publisher’s terminal advertisements. It is in this one that Darwin used the expression “THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST”, Herbert Spencer’s term, for the first time; it appears first in the heading of Chapter IV.
Freeman 387. 1869 London, John Murray. Fifth edition. Tenth thousand. 8vo in 8s, 190 mm, xxiii + 596 pp. Binding: green cloth; variant a. spine title ORIGIN/OF/SPECIES/ DARWIN/, two gilt rules at top and bottom; variant c. spine title as variant a., but three gilt rules top and bottom.
Current online prices $5,000 – $6,000.

Busy doing our research. Look out for it online at www.elizabethsbookshop.com.au

THE SALVAGE OF THE SCUTTLED GERMAN HIGH SEAS FLEET

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 07:22:32 +0000

Cox’s Navy and The Man Who Bought a Navy
The story of the world’s greatest salvage achievement at Scapa Flow : by Ernest Frank Guelph Cox, the only private individual to own a navy – even though it was lying at the bottom of the sea when he bought it from the British Admiralty. He had no previous experience of salvage, yet he raised seven large scuttled German warships and twenty-five torpedo-boat-destroyers. Cox of Scapa wrought, in his chosen work, more than any other man had ever achieved before him. Fascinating reading!
Both books available at:
www.elizabethsbookshop.com.au

HARRY PURVIS: OUTBACK AIRMAN

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 06:41:30 +0000

Harry Purvis was co-pilot to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, carried out one of the more impertinent acts of World War II and was chief pilot for the Herald Flying Services, which made large scale country delivery drops of The Sydney Morning Herald.

Purvis later joined the RAAF, where he trained pilots of transport aircraft. He earned the Air Force Cross for his efforts in New Guinea.

But one of the most remarkable achievements of his career came during World War II, when he flew into Bali in 1945. The Japanese surrender had reached Tokyo but word had not got through to the 10,000 armed Japanese troops on the island.

Wing Commander Purvis and his crew based themselves at the Hotel Denpasar, where they learnt that the Japanese general was at his headquarters in the city.

Purvis messaged the general requiring his presence at the hotel, stating that he was acting on authority of the Supreme Allied Commander in the South-West Pacific Area and required his surrender, the handover of his sword and the release of all Australian prisoners.

The bluff also included a demand for a suite at the hotel for each Australian officer and 10,000 rupees for their use while on the island. An entourage from the general duly arrived and, with much bowing and ceremony, handed over the general’s sword. Purvis, realising the lack of English language among the Japanese, chose to sign their surrender agreement as one ”Franklin Delano Roosevelt”.

After the war Purvis was co-pilot on the first crossing of the South Pacific to South America, which was made in a Catalina from Rose Bay to Valparaiso in Chile.

Available at www.elizabethsbookshop.com.au