Cirrus@Austlit

'How does a man pick up the pieces with only one arm?

'A badly injured Terry Shepherd returns from Vietnam and is spat on by war protestors at the airport. Disabled and still reeling from his harrowing journey in Vietnam as a unit medic, Terry finds himself running afoul with the vicious North Richmond Sharpie gang.

'With his restaurant job up in smoke and his best friend dead, Terry realises that he must kill or be killed – only to find out that someone’s already beaten him to it.'  (Publication summary)

'Living The Dream: Inspirations and Insights is the compelling and poignant memoir of Ken Piesse, Australia’s most published living author with a rare passion for cricket and football.

'Packed with all of his insights and inspirations, Ken tells all – from his battle for recognition against the rebuffs to his now successful and multi-faceted career in sports.

'Despite great personal loss, tragedies and triumphs along the way, Living the Dream: Inspirations and Insights is a tribute to a passionate life for all things sports.' (Publication summary)

'A definitive biography of Angelos Postecoglou, the soccer manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. When Ange Postecoglou became the first Australian to be appointed manager of an English Premier League Club he introduced his attacking style of play that was dubbed “Angeball” to the British football public. Fans of Celtic in Scotland had already seen it. Fans way back in South Melbourne saw its beginning. Fans in Brisbane, Australia, and Tokyo in Japan had seen it develop. ‘Angeball’ is a brand of all-out attacking football where goals are gold. It probably had its beginnings when the young son of a Greek migrant and his father were up in the middle of the night in Australia watching English football on TV. That son was Angelos Postecoglou and his path to the top-flight of football coaching began there and then. This is the story of Postecoglou’s Angeball, from schoolboy glory at Prahran High School in Melbourne to taking charge of one of England’s “Big Six” football clubs.' (Publication summary)

'Actor, comedian, raconteur, writer, poet, painter, songwriter, music lover and one of the most gifted artists of the last century, Barry Humphries was an Australian global superstar. In this affectionate tribute, Rowan Dean, one of the last people to spend time alone with his friend Barry, reminisces the many lives of Barry Humphries with a plethora of Humphries' closest colleagues and associates about their unique and untold personal relationships with the extraordinary creator of Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson. Discover the unbelievable richness and surprises of the many, many lives of Barry Humphries in The Many Lives of Barry Humphries.' (Publication summary)

'If a picture tells a thousand words, Tony Mott ‘s photos tell millions of stories. His photos of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards mid performance, Peter Garrett kneeling on stage eye to eye with the front row, Tex Perkins holding court in front of an army of fans at Sydney’ s Big Day Out in 1994, tell the story not just of the musician, or the photographer, but of the thousands and thousands of fans who loved that song in that moment. Rock N Rock Gallery - A Journey From Sheffield to Sydney 1983 -2023 is Tony Mott’s story in his words, with his photos. It is a unique opportunity for all music lovers to gain an insider’s view into 40 years of rock and roll, from the magic created on stage to the highs and the lows of the backstage bonds.' (Publication summary)

(Publication summary)

'Spider Wars is West Side Story meets Star Wars and has A Bug's Life. The Wolf Spiders and the Peacock Spiders live on different sides of the Paddock. But they all believe the other side is better. Spider gangs are forever fighting over Middle Ground Hill, the only way to the other side. Until... A dazzling Peacock Spider falls for an oh-so-pretty Wolf Spider, but they are banned from seeing each other. And when brave Sparklemuffin risks all to rescue Wolf Mother, the sweethearts discover that life on other side might not be so good after all. This humorous, action-packed tale comes with a twist and includes a fact-filled information section on garden Wolf Spiders and the tiny dancing Peacock Spiders' (Publication summary) 

'No matter how far she roamed, Olivia always called Australia home.

'From the UK to Melbourne and all around the world, Grease superstar Olivia Newton-John is one of the most beloved musical and acting icons in the world.

'The book covers Olivia’s journey as a dedicated woman in music who conquered the international entertainment world as well as being a mother, a wife and a relentless charity advocate who fought against the cancer that sadly took her from the world in August of 2022.

'With over twenty years of music and film research under her belt, author Miranda Young celebrates Olivia’s achievements while also paying tribute to the incredible woman she has become beyond her fame.

'With tributes from famous celebrities and public figures and exclusive insights from some of Australia’s biggest names in music, Olivia: Grace and Gratitude is the perfect tribute to an Australian and world-beloved icon.' (Publication summary) 

''Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece - tomorrow is guaranteed to nobody.' - Gerry Ryan Gerry Ryan shares his life, lessons and humour in Cycling Odyssey - a superb new hardcover coffee table book. Gerry is a Bendigo boy who's now a a very successful Australian businessman, investor, racehorse owner and sports enthusiast with a real passion for cycling. In just over 50 years, Gerry has founded Jayco Australia (one of the largest caravan manufacturers in Australia) and Global Creatures where he invested to create hit shows on Broadway and the West End, has owned Melbourne Cup winning racehorses, alongside owning wineries, resorts and online retailer BikeExchange-Jayco and My Local Group. Cycling Odyssey is an inspiring and entertaining story written by Gerry's long-time friend and cycling champion, John Trevorrow. Published especially for these challenging times, Cycling Odyssey is all about rediscovering one's passion and perseverance while enjoying life's daily climb every day.' (Publication summary)

'Bear loves eating blueberries and reading. But one day he reads something that makes him feel worried…

'This sticky thought follows Bear everywhere but his friend Kookaburra has a plan…

'Join Bear as he encounters the same everyday situations, troubles and emotions children do and learns how to cope with and overcome them.

'With Jennifer Whelan’s whimsical illustrations and Deirdre Brandner’s practical toolkit resource, Do Bears Who Eat Blueberries Go Bananas? is a fun and uniquely engaging adventure.'  (Publication summary)

'Winter is coming and Bear is feeling sad, lonely and scared.

'With the help of a rainbow, Bear discovers he can be the sun and as bright as the daylight sky. But what will Bear do when the rainbow disappears and winter arrives?'  (Publication summary)

'The Boxing Butterfly is a career chronicle of Margaret Cunneen SC—the boxing butterfly who turned the tables on ICAC, amidst prosecuting murderers, pedophiles and rapists—as she launches into her new chapter as a defence barrister. In her rear view mirror, Cunneen sees her trial successes—her convictions—interspersed with the flak from the ground fire of some colleagues who resented her success and were determined to stop her climb to greater heights. She regrets nothing and is totally satisfied with what she does. As Madam Crown, she empathised with the victims and their families. Now, as defence counsel she empathises with the accused she defends.

'And what stories she tells! Some are gruesome and confronting, such as prosecuting the irreverent Skafs for gang rape, Robert ‘Dolly’ Dunn for pedophilia, the Butcher of Bega for unspeakable medical malpractice and the Charbaji Brothers for an ice-fuelled torture session that ended in murder. Others—especially relating to her defence clients, are filled with humanity.'  (Publication summary)

'In 2018 Michelle Lee became the first Australian woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. It took two years of preparation for the 68-day, 5,000km journey—Solo details this extraordinary adventure from her perspective.

'Crossing the Atlantic Ocean is never an easy undertaking, but people have been making the journey for hundreds of years. The very first crossings were made to discover and explore new lands. Today, most crossings are made by huge cargo ships exporting essential commodities across the ocean. But some daring people choose to cross the Atlantic to test the limit of their physical and mental strength—to achieve something unthinkable.

'Each year in December, waiting for an end to the hurricane season, rowers depart from La Gomera, Spain and arrive in Antigua, in the Caribbean. No motor, no sails—a journey powered only by rowing. It was from this port that Michelle sailed into the history books, achieving what few have before her and marking the start of a new chapter in her life encouraging others to live without regret and not die wondering.'  (Publication summary)

'Patty Mills is the first book exploring the Indigenous Australian athlete and trail blazer—the first Indigenous Australian to win an NBA Championship in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs. He continues to break records and inspire with his achievements, all of which are covered in this tribute to the extraordinary sportsman.

'In 2021 he led the Boomers to their first Olympic medal at the Tokyo Olympics, arguably the greatest single game played by anyone wearing the green-and-gold for an Australian men’s basketball team, and in 2022 he was awarded an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) for charitable initiatives in the Indigenous community and his contribution to basketball in the Australia Day honours.

'Award-winning sports writer Boti Nagy celebrates the star athlete’s achievements on the court and gives an overview of Australian basketball history, the Boomers, past Olympic campaigns, and standout players who paved the way for Patty Mills and others of his generation. Beyond basketball the book looks at Mills’ understanding of his identity as an Indigenous Australian through his family history and his off-court leadership efforts in creating pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a spokesman and ambassador.'  (Publication summary)

'The Ultimate Celebration 

'Shane Warne was captivating and outrageous, a once-in-a-lifetime genius.

'The Warnie aura transcended the game. Always the grand master, he bought an unequalled theatre to the game. He was a rock star in creams: captivating, charismatic, and caring. He danced and cavorted, he challenged and flaunted. Australian sport’s ultimate headliner, he made cricket cool. No-one, not even Don Bradman, won more cricket matches for Australia.

'On Ya Warnie celebrates Australia’s ultimate celebrity cricketer, taken from us so cruelly before his time. It features the yarns, the laughs, the flippers, the fancies and much, much more.'  (Publication summary)

'Paper Paradise: Do what you want to do is a roller coaster ride through the sex, drugs and rock and roll of the '60s and '70s to the high-flying business world of the '80s and into the '90s and beyond—with someone who lives it all right up to today.

'It is a book about ambition, hunger, desperation, success and the fruits thereof. Oh yes, it is also about failure and fighting back. Charting the extraordinary life and times of Glenn Wheatley, from working class boy to rock star of the 1960s and 1970s as a member of one of Australia's most successful early bands, the Masters Apprentices, now immortalised in the ARIA Hall of Fame.

'In their heyday, the Masters drew bigger crowds than the Beatles in Australia. In the 1980s he soared from rock star to star manager of the Little River Band and Whispering Jack, John Farnham. He also pioneered the FM Radio industry with the first FM radio station to go to air in Australia, EON FM in Melbourne. He then went on to build the foundation of what is now the Triple M radio network. It is a narrative littered with casualties and is an actual account of a self-protective society that has its own Kings and Queens, its own iconography, its own language.

'After a meteoric rise in the fast lane, and an equally spectacular fall, he is back on top and determined to stay there. Glenn is the ultimate rock and roll survivor.'  (Publication summary)

'No captain of the Australian Test cricket team—and there have now been 47 of them—has ascended to the most revered throne in Australian sport in such excruciatingly sad circumstances than the golden boy Pat Cummins. And few have been immediately confronted with such a weighty first assignment—or so much goodwill. Australian cricket—indeed, the game at large—was being confronted by issues of image and culture in various ways and Cummins' arrival in a position of such power and influence on and off the field of play had a lot going for it.

'Captain Pat: Cometh the Hour, Cummins the Man is the first book to focus on the Australian international cricketer and Captain of the Australian Test team.
From his early life to his arrival as a Test cricketer at a remarkably early age, his frustrations with injury, and his arrival as the 47th Australian Test Captain, he is a player who took Australia and the cricket world by storm the moment he first donned the famous baggy green cap.

'Award-winning sports writer Ron Reed pays tribute to Pat Cummins and examines his scorecard: how has he played, how did he lead, how was he rated by the fans, and what is his future?' (Publication summary)