The fog rolled down the river and engulf our house. The cold and damp penetrated the walls and windows. Our only view, an opaque whiteness. Through the stillness, the sound of a lone bugler playing the Last Post reached us from the nearby cemetery. Another old soldier had died. This was the house our family was living in when Patsy Adam-Smith published The Anzacs, her iconic … [Read more...] about Review: The Anzacs by Patsy Adam-Smith
books
Maybanke Anderson: suffragist and social reformer
Change in a culture often occurs in fits and starts, in confusing whirls of ideas and protest followed by quiet periods where old orthodoxies percolate through society again but in a different guise. Reform digs in its heels. New form orthodoxies flex their muscles and then we find the times of protest, ideas and reform are upon us again. As we cycle through complacency, … [Read more...] about Maybanke Anderson: suffragist and social reformer
History as a Cast of Characters
Over the last few weeks I have made great strides with my book and am now starting to write it. My book is about the beliefs of Australian men who fought in World War I. The book will focus on the interior lives of a number of men as recorded in diaries, letters and court martials. There will be mention of attendance of church services but I am more interested in the faith, the … [Read more...] about History as a Cast of Characters
The Professional Sceptic
This blog post introduces something new to Stumbling Through the Past. I want to help authors at the start of their book-writing careers but I can't possibly review every debut history or biography that is published. So I hope to post the occasional post written by an Australian or New Zealander author who has just published their first history or biography to help them connect … [Read more...] about The Professional Sceptic
Vale Jill Roe
It is with sadness we heard about the passing of Australian historian Jill Roe late last week. During her life she made a significant contribution to Australian history. Through her passing Australia has lost a great contributor to our society, but her work lives on and enriches our lives. Jill Roe is best known for her biography of Australian literary icon, Miles Franklin. … [Read more...] about Vale Jill Roe
