Australian non-fiction from 2021

Design: Building on Country (First Knowledges)

Alison Page, Paul Memmott

Aboriginal design is of a distinctly cultural nature, based in the Dreaming and in ancient practices grounded in Country.Alison Page and Paul Memmott show how these design principles of sophisticated…

In stock at 7 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 7 shops

Paperback

Labor People: The Stories of Six True Believers

Chris Bowen

In Labor People, Chris Bowen brings to life six great Australians and servants of their party and tells their story. Spanning the 1890s to the 1970s, in paying tribute to…

Available to order, ships in approx 4 weeksAvailable to order

Paperback

Gentle and Fierce

Vanessa Berry

New collection of essays on the relationships between humans and animals, by Vanessa Berry, author of Mirror Sydney, and the memoir of adolescence Ninety9.

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate and Bigotry

Are we a nation of racists? Thirty-nine writers confront our darkest truths in this fearless collection of short stories, poems and essays from the margins of Australia.

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

The Winter Road: A Killing at Croppa Creek

Kate Holden

An epic true story of greed, power and a desire for legacy from an acclaimed Australian storyteller.

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Two Afternoons in the Kabul Stadium

Tim Bonyhady

An exciting social history of Afghanistan told through art

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Inga Clendinnen: Selected Writings

James Boyce

Inga Clendinnen was one of Australia’s greatest writers and thinkers. This selection covers the full scope of her writing, from Tiger’s Eye to Aztecs, from Boyer Lectures to essays on…

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Read review

Paperback

Who Gets to Be Smart: Privilege, Power and Knowledge

Bri Lee

Bri Lee, best-selling and award-winning author of Eggshell Skull, asks Who gets to be smart? in this forensic and hard-hitting exploration of knowledge, power and privilege.

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

True Tracks: Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Culture

Terri Janke

Indigenous cultures are not terra nullius - nobody’s land, free to be taken. Using real-world cases and personal stories, True Tracks is a ground-breaking work that paves the way for…

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

So You Think You Know What’s Good for You?

Dr Norman Swan

Informative, accessible and easy to understand, So You Think You Know What’s Good for You? has everything you need to know about health and wellbeing, delivered with Dr Norman Swan’s…

In stock at 4 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 4 shops

Paperback

Full Circle; Power, Hope and the Return of Nature

Scott Ludlam

A visionary book for our wild times

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Read review

Paperback

Soil

Matthew Evans

The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy

In stock at 5 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 5 shops

Paperback

Long Half-life: The Nuclear Industry in Australia

Ian Lowe

A timely and riveting account of the political, social and scientific complexities of the nuclear industry

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Men Without Country

Harrison Christian

Full of misadventure and mystery, Men Without Country is a sweeping history of exploration and rebellion in the South Seas - told by a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian, the…

Available to order, ships in 10-14 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Rogue Forces

Mark Willacy

Rogue Forces is the explosive first insiders’ story of how some of Australia’s revered SAS soldiers crossed the line in Afghanistan, descending from elite warriors to unlawful killers.

Available to order, ships in 10-14 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

An Insider’s Plague Year

Peter Doherty

An illuminating glimpse into the scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic from Australia’s most prominent ‘insider

Available to order, ships in 7-14 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

The Art of More: How Mathematics Created Civilisation

Michael Brooks

Bestselling science writer Michael Brooks takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of civilisation, as he explains why maths is fundamental to our understanding of the world.

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Read review

Paperback

My Body Keeps Your Secrets

Lucia Osborne-Crowley

A widely researched and boldly argued work about reclaiming our bodies from shame from a key intersectional feminist thinker of a new generation

In stock at 3 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 3 shops

Paperback

Alpha: A Reckoning for the Navy SEALs

David Philipps

A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter uncovers the story of the shocking rise and fall of a decorated Navy SEAL accused of war crimes, the fellow SEALs who turned him in, and…

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Read review

Paperback

Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming

Gabrielle Chan

There is no farmers and others. If you eat or wear clothes, the decisions you make influence farming.

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

Tongerlongeter: First Nations Leader and Tasmanian War Hero

Henry Reynolds,Nicholas Clements

In Tongerlongeter, acclaimed historians Henry Reynolds and Nicholas Clements retrieve one of Australia’s greatest war heroes from historical obscurity.

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

The Brumby Wars: The Battle for the Soul of Australia

Anthony Sharwood

The passionate debate surrounding the wild horses of Australia’s High Country and beyond - feral pests that ruin the environment or icons of our national heritage?

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Read review

Paperback

Lies, Damned Lies: A Personal Exploration of the Impact of Colonisation

Claire G. Coleman

A deeply personal exploration of Australia’s colonisation past, present and future by one of Australia’s finest contemporary authors.

Available to order, ships in 10-14 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

The Psychic Tests: An Adventure in the World of Believers and Sceptics

Gary Nunn

Award-winning journalist Gary Nunn investigates psychics, mediums and astrologers to understand their uncanny power - and whether it’s used for good or evil.

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Mortals: How the Fear of Death Shaped Human Society

Rachel Menzies,Ross Menzies

Human society is shaped by many things, but underlying them all is one fundamental force - our fear of death. This is the ground-breaking theory explored in Mortals.

In stock at 3 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 3 shops

Paperback

Broken: Children, Parents and Family Courts

Camilla Nelson,Catharine Lumby

A devastating account of how Australia’s family courts fail children, families and victims of domestic abuse

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

No, You’re Not Entitled to Your Opinion

The Conversation

The best of the best: A decade of Conversation essays. Global content for a local audience.

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Quarterly Essay 83: Top Blokes - The Larrikin Myth, Class and Power

Lech Blaine

What makes a top bloke? Does the myth of the larrikin still hold sway? And whatever happened to class in Australia?

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

Title Fight

Paul Cleary

A David-and-Goliath story set in the ancient landscape of the Pilbara

Order online and we’ll ship when availablePre-order now

Paperback

Our Sunburnt Country

Anika Molesworth

Our Sunburnt Country shows that there is a way to protect our land, our food and our future, and it is within our grasp.

Available to order, ships in approx 4 weeksAvailable to order

Paperback

Sold Down the River

Scott Hamilton,Stuart Kells

Two insiders expose the shocking and shameful betrayal of Australia’s regional heartland so international bankers and traders could make a quick buck.

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Hardback

The Accidental Prime Minister

Annika Smethurst

The first definitive biography of Australia’s thirtieth prime minister, Scott Morrison.

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Wounded Country: The Murray-Darling Basin - A Contested History

Quentin Beresford

Like many Australians, I looked on with horror as images of a million dead fish swamped the media and consumed the news cycle. I resolved to dig deeper.

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

Currowan

Bronwyn Adcock

Australia’s worst bushfires, and how we live with fire in a climate-changed world

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

The Devil’s Work

Garry Linnell

Born bad or simply mad? It’s time to meet Frederick Deeming, the man known and reviled throughout the United States, England and Australia as the Criminal of the Century.

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Hippocrasy: How Doctors are Betraying Their Oath

Rachelle Buchbinder,Ian Harris

In Hippocrasy, two world-leading doctors - rheumatologist and epidemiologist Rachelle Buchbinder and orthopaedic surgeon Ian Harris - reveal the true state of modern medicine and how doctors are letting their…

In stock at 3 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 3 shops

Paperback

Vandemonians: The Repressed History of Colonial Victoria

Janet McCalman

From award-winning author and historian Janet McCalman, the engrossing tale of Tasmanian convict settlers in colonial Victoria

In stock at 3 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 3 shops

Paperback

You’re Doing it Wrong

Kaz Cooke

You’re Doing it Wrong is an outrageous tour through the centuries of bonkers and bad advice handed down and foisted upon women, told as only Kaz Cooke can - with…

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Firestorm

Greg Mullins

Combines thrilling stories of what it’s like to be on the front line of Australia’s first giga-fire with the hard truths of human-caused climate change, and what we do about…

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Girt Nation: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 3

David Hunt

The saga of Australia continues with… Girt Nation

In stock at 5 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 5 shops

Paperback

Australia & the Pacific: A History

Ian Hoskins

Award-winning author, Ian Hoskins, presents a revealing new way of looking at Australian history by expanding his gaze to examine Australia’s story in a Pacific context

In stock at 2 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 2 shops

Paperback

The Fairytale: A Real and Imagined History of Australian Sport

H.G. Nelson

For more than thirty years, H. G. Nelson has been finding the poetry in the punt and humour during half-time. Now, he turns his keen eye for facts and folly…

Available to order, ships in 5-9 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Harlem Nights: The Secret History of Australia’s Jazz Age

Deirdre O'Connell

From the wild jazz clubs of Prohibition-era LA to Indigenous women discovering a new world of black resistance, this anatomy of a scandal-fuelled frame-up brings into focus a vibrant cast…

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Hardback

Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher’s Extraordinary World

Craig Foster, Ross Frylinck

From the creators of the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, featuring an introduction by Jane Goodall. An immersive journey into the underwater world that holds transformative lessons for…

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Read review

Paperback

Signs and Wonders: Dispatches from a Time of Beauty and Loss

Delia Falconer

The celebrated, Walkley Award-winning author on how global warming is changing not only our climate but our culture.

Available to order, ships in 10-14 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Quarterly Essay 84: The Reckoning - How #MeToo is Changing Australia

Jess Hill

Tracing the impact of Australia’s #MeToo moment

Available to order, ships in 3-5 daysAvailable to order

Paperback

Country: Future Fire, Future Farming (First Knowledges)

Bill Gammage, Bruce Pascoe

What do you need to know to prosper as a people for at least 65,000 years? The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise and ingenuity of…

In stock at 6 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 6 shops

Paperback

Lies and Falsehoods: The Morrison Government and the New Culture of Deceit

Bernard Keane

A timely, intelligent dive into the new culture of political deceit in Australia and the world.

Available to order, ships in 10-14 daysAvailable to order

Books, books & more books.

Straight to your inbox.

Australian non-fiction from 2021

Design: Building on Country (First Knowledges)

Labor People: The Stories of Six True Believers

Gentle and Fierce

Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate and Bigotry

The Winter Road: A Killing at Croppa Creek

Two Afternoons in the Kabul Stadium

Inga Clendinnen: Selected Writings

Who Gets to Be Smart: Privilege, Power and Knowledge

True Tracks: Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Culture

So You Think You Know What’s Good for You?

Full Circle; Power, Hope and the Return of Nature

Soil

Long Half-life: The Nuclear Industry in Australia

Men Without Country

Rogue Forces

An Insider’s Plague Year

The Art of More: How Mathematics Created Civilisation

My Body Keeps Your Secrets

Alpha: A Reckoning for the Navy SEALs

Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming

Tongerlongeter: First Nations Leader and Tasmanian War Hero

The Brumby Wars: The Battle for the Soul of Australia

Lies, Damned Lies: A Personal Exploration of the Impact of Colonisation

The Psychic Tests: An Adventure in the World of Believers and Sceptics

Mortals: How the Fear of Death Shaped Human Society

Broken: Children, Parents and Family Courts

No, You’re Not Entitled to Your Opinion

Quarterly Essay 83: Top Blokes - The Larrikin Myth, Class and Power

Title Fight

Our Sunburnt Country

Sold Down the River

The Accidental Prime Minister

Wounded Country: The Murray-Darling Basin - A Contested History

Currowan

The Devil’s Work

Hippocrasy: How Doctors are Betraying Their Oath

Vandemonians: The Repressed History of Colonial Victoria

You’re Doing it Wrong

Firestorm

Girt Nation: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 3

Australia & the Pacific: A History

The Fairytale: A Real and Imagined History of Australian Sport

Harlem Nights: The Secret History of Australia’s Jazz Age

Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher’s Extraordinary World

Signs and Wonders: Dispatches from a Time of Beauty and Loss

Quarterly Essay 84: The Reckoning - How #MeToo is Changing Australia

Country: Future Fire, Future Farming (First Knowledges)

Lies and Falsehoods: The Morrison Government and the New Culture of Deceit