Glamorous American singer Claire Phillips opened a nightclub in manila, using the earnings to secretly feed starving American POWs. She also began working as a spy, chatting up Japanese military men and passing their secrets along to local guerrilla resistance fighters. Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel, stationed in Singapore, then shipwrecked in the the Dutch East Indies, became the sole survivor of a horrible massacre by Japanese soliders. She hid for days, tending to a seriously wounded British soldier while wounded herself. Humanitarian Elizabeth Choy lived the rest of her life hating war, though not her tormentors, after enduring six months of starvation and torture by the Japanese military police. In these pages, readers will meet these and other courageous women and girls who risked their lives through their involvement in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Fifteen suspense-filled stories unfold across China, Japan, Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines, providing an inspiring reminder of womens' and girls' refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history. These women--whose stories span 1932 to 1945, the last year of the war--served in dangerous roles as spies, medics, journalists, resisters, and saboteurs. Seven of them were captured and imprisoned by the Japanese, enduring brutal conditions. Author Kathryn J. Atwood provides appropriate context and framing for teens 14 and up to grapple with these harsh realities of war. Discussion questions and a guide for further study assist readers and educators in learning about this important and often neglected period of history.

In the early stages of the Pacific War, General Douglas MacArthur was expected to prevent the Japanese from taking Australia. With limited forces, MacArthur had to be tactical, and the key to the continent's defense was the island of New Guinea, just above the northeast tip of Australia. In order to defend New Guinea, MacArthur sent a small task force to Milne Bay, where the Coral Sea rounded the southeast tip of the island. His plan: to establish an airfield base for bomber and fighter planes that could attack enemy invasion convoys as they rounded the tip of New Guinea to attack Australia. In the fall of 1941, at the age of twenty-six, Jules Archer joined the US Armed Forces. A few months later, he joined MacArthur as a member of the small task force being sent to New Guinea. With good reason not to expect to return alive, Archer and his troop were plunged into a new kind of war. They fought in a jungle among a primitive Melanesian people, some tribes of which were headhunters. For nearly four years they endured in the distant jungle. This is an inside look at one of the lesser-known stories of one of the worst wars the world has known. It's a story of the absurdities, fears, camaraderie, and even humor of life as a wartime solider.

An utterly compelling account of Burke and Wills' journey into the great unknown. It was the greatest expedition of its time. In 1860 Robert O'Hara Burke, accompanied by William Wills and a party of explorers, set out to cross Australia from south to north. A few months later a tree bore a strange carving: Dig Under 3ft NW. Burke, Wills and five other men were dead. How did a man notorious for getting lost on the way home from the pub come to lead an expedition into the desert's dead heart? What went wrong? Edited for a young adult audience, Dig 3ft NW is an abridged version of Sarah Murgatroyd's acclaimed and bestselling book, The Dig Tree. 'The characters of Burke and Wills, and their accompanying team are well-drawn, with all their fatal flaws and strengths...This is history at its best, well-written and researched and hard to put down...It moves at a cracking pace, certainly faster than the actual expedition!...This is Australian history writing at its best.' Magpies

The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka is the most talked-about work of Australian history in recent years. Now here is Clare Wright's groundbreaking, award-winning study of the women who made the rebellion in an abridged edition for teenage readers. Front and centre are the vibrant, adventurous personalities who were players in the rebellion: Sarah Hanmer, Ellen Young, Clara Seekamp, Anastasia Hayes and Catherine Bentley, among others. But just as important were the thousands of women who lived, worked and traded on the goldfields--women who have been all but invisible until now. Discovering them changes everything. Clare Wright is a historian who has worked as a political speechwriter, university lecturer, historical consultant and radio and television broadcaster. Her first book, Beyond the Ladies Lounge: Australia's Female Publicans, garnered both critical and popular acclaim. Her groundbreaking second book, The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, which took ten years to research and write, won the 2014 Stella Prize. Clare researched, wrote and presented the ABC television documentaries Utopia Girls and The War that Changed Us. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children. 'It's hard not to be inspired by this feminist revisiting of gold rush history.' CBCA Reading Time Praise for The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka 'This is a wonderful book. At last an Australian foundation story where women are not only found, but are found to have played a fundamental role.' Chris Masters 'Brilliantly researched and fun to read. An exhilarating new take on a story we thought we knew.' Brenda Niall 'Fascinating revelations. Beautifully told.' Peter FitzSimons 'This is a fascinating book for teens that captures the essence of the times while never once feeling like a dry history book.' Readings 'The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka offers us a full cast of flesh-and-blood women who belong in any telling of the Eureka story, and in any account of Australian goldfields life.' Robyn Annear, Monthly 'Clare Wright's revisionary history of the Eureka stockade is immediately entrancing. A social history of the Ballarat goldfields in Victoria circa 1854, it recreates the landscape as one of bustling domesticity, commerce, theatre and constantly shifting authority. It is a far cry from the stories and images of my school history books which portrayed a shanty town of tents and men.' Guardian 'Extraordinary...There is so much to be learned from her prodigality of content...not just about the role of women of women in Eureka and on the goldfields...but also about Australian society.' Australian Book Review 'As Wright points out, for too long Eureka has been a masculine myth. Women's presence has never been fully explored. Indeed, their absence has been assumed. Her work fills an enormous gap. Furthermore, The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka supports her claim that women's presence does not just add colour to the picture, it changes the very outline.' Weekend Australian 'Wright's use of source material focusing on people, mostly women, whose stories, diaries and writings can take us through the entire journey from immigration to rebellion allows readers to connect with these characters in a way that isn't often found in history books...Without a doubt the historical legacy of the Eureka Stockade is one which will never be forgotten but thanks in large part to the work of Clare Wright the stories of the women who almost were can stay with us.' Salty Popcorn

Winner of the NZ Post Children's Book Awards, non-fiction category and shortlisted for the CBCA Children's Book Awards, 2011. The First World War was only meant to last six months. When the Australians and New Zealanders arrived at the Western Front in 1916, the fighting had been going for a year and a half and there was no end in sight. The men took their place in a line of trenches that spread from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps. Beyond the trenches was no-man's-land, an eerie wasteland where rats lived in the ribs of the dead and the wounded cried for help. Beyond that was the German Army. The Anzacs had sailed for France to fight a war the whole world was talking about. Few who came home ever spoke about it again. Zero Hour is the third book by Leon Davidson, author of the best-selling and multi-award-winning Scarecrow Army: the Anzacs at Gallipoli and Red Haze: Australians & New Zealanders in Vietnam. 'Written with a simplicity and directness that make it an ideal teaching tool, Zero Hour blends historical overview of the Anzacs' role with ordinary soldiers' experiences and perspectives.' Age

Describes Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, in Australia's Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, its plant and animal life, and the country's Aboriginal people for whom the site is sacred.

The new, revised & redesigned second edition of the 'Visual Geography Series' explains the history & government, economy, people, geography & cultural life of countries around the world.

How did Australia's earliest human inhabitants reach the island continent? Which discovery ushered in a new era of immigration, prosperity, and technological advancement? How did a far-flung colony and military outpost transform into one of the wealthiest and most peaceful nations in the modern world? Dip into the pages to discover these answers and more. This detailed illustrated history of Australia journeys from the formation of the continent to the growth of a modern, thriving nation. Clear, accessible text offers explanations of key events and the people behind them. From the enduring cultures of Australia's Indigenous people, European exploration and colonization, and the tragic impacts of two world wars, The Story of Australia concludes with the exciting fast-paced development of the last decades of the 20th century. The Story of Australia draws on the National Museum of Australia's rich collection of objects, photographs, and artifacts. Entertaining, colorful, and inviting, The Story of Australia is the essential history resource for every home and library.

Taking a largely chronological approach, A Brief History of Australia looks at social, cultural, economic, and political trends in the country's long history, all of which have contributed to its unique and complex identity. Beginning with the peopling of the continent about 60,000 years ago, the volume examines the early history and culture of the Aboriginals, Australia's indigenous population and the oldest continuously surviving culture in the world. The volume continues with the first documented sighting of the landmass by a European in the 17th century and the colonial period in the 18th and 19th centuries. From the Federation of 1901 to the Liberal government of John Howard (1998-2007) and the Labor government of Kevin Rudd (2007-present), this new book explores Australia's relationship to the British Crown, environmental issues that plague the land, the rights of marginalized people, and the role of sports.Basic facts, a chronology, a bibliography, and a list of suggested reading make up the appendixes.

Until the early years of the 20th century, the vast continent of Antarctica was barely discovered. All that changed, when Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen set out to solve the last great unsolved geographical mystery and find the South Pole. This book tells the amazing tale of their expeditions into the unknown. It is high adventure, dramatic and tense, with three contrasting characters - Scott, the traditional British hero, whose lack of preparation had tragic results; Shackleton (born in County Kildare) a more modern leader, refusing to sacrifice his men's lives to the cause; Amundsen, Norwegian and the true professional whose attention to detail saw him through. All the great themes are here - courage, hardship, agonising decisions, leadership, suffering and tragic death. With stunning photographs taken during the expeditions.

Provides information about Australia, with emphasis on its geography, culture, history, economy, and government.

The little-known story of Reg Saunders, the first Indigenous Australian to become an officer in the Army, retold in action-packed graphic format. Reg Saunders MBE (1920-90) not only survived the World War II battlefields in the Middle East, North Africa, Greece, Crete and New Guinea, but excelled as a military leader. He was recommended for officer training and, in 1944, returned to New Guinea as a platoon commander - the first Aboriginal Australian to serve as a commissioned officer. What happened during the war to transform a determined young man from country Victoria into a war hero - one who would go on to serve with distinction in the Korean War, and become a pioneering figure for Indigenous rights? Teachers Guide also available 'Reg Saunders immortalised in comic, An Indigenous War Hero,' featured in The Age Winner of the Educational Publishing Awards, Secondary Student Resource - Junior.

Provides information about New Zealand, with emphasis on its geography, culture, history, economy, and government.

- Information-packed volumes provide comprehensive overviews of each nation's people, geography, history, government, economy, and culture - Abundant full-color illustrations guide the reader on a voyage of discovery - Maps reflect current political boundaries

Discusses the many visits made by explorers, missionaries, businessmen, scientists, and others to Easter Island since the late 1600s and what they revealed about life on this remote Pacific island.

This is a comprehensive guide to Australia, from the time of Aboriginal settlement through to the modern day. It takes a largely chronological approach and looks at social, cultural, economic and political trends in the country's long history.

Grandfather and Grandmother telling lots of stories. They had to live at Yalata. Their home was bombed. That was their home where the bomb went off. They thought it was mamu tjuta, evil spirits, coming. Everyone was frightened, thinking about people back in the bush. Didn't know what bomb was. Later told it was poison. Parents and grandparents really wanted to go home, used to talk all the time to get their land back. Yvonne Edwards was just six years old when the first bombs of the nuclear tests at Maralinga were detonated in 1956. The tests continued until 1963, and their consequences profoundly affected her family and community. This powerful book, by award-winning author Christobel Mattingley, honors Yvonne Edwards' legacy as a highly respected artist and community elder.

Visible on the streets of every American city, the homeless continue to elicit emotional debate. This anthology contains the following chapters: Is Homelessness a Serious Problem? What Are the Causes of Homelessness? What Housing Options Would Benefit the Homeless?

Explains how explores of the Pacific region expanded geographical knowledge and contributed to human understanding by generating maps, charts, paintings, and reports. This book covers such explorers as Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Ferdinand Magellan, Alvaro de Mendana, and James Cook.

Imagine you had to sail 10,000 miles to an island in the South Pacific Ocean in an old wooden boat. In 1788 that happened to over 1400 English convicts, colonists, captains and men of the Marine Corps. Watched by fearful Indigenous Australians, they established a base in a place called New South Wales, Australia. Who were these amazing people? What great stories do they have to tell? How did they survive and build the great and beautiful city that we now call Sydney? A city tour unlike any other, 'Amazing People of Sydney' brings you in touch with real people who have left us a legacy that we can explore. Amazing People Worldwide allows you to travel through time and meet some of the amazing people who helped Sydney develop. Read how Governor Arthur Phillip and Bennelong, the captured Indigenous Australian, tried to build relations between the communities. Explore the inspiring lives of people such as Francis Greenway, Mary Reibey and George Howe. All of them arrived in Sydney as convicts and through their tenacious spirit, grew to become some of the most significant figures in the city. Find out about William Tom's discovery of gold and Captain Thunderbolt's great escape from Cockatoo Island. Be moved by the outstanding work of the tireless humanitarian, Caroline Chisholm and her work with young women. Discover how Banjo Paterson wrote 'Waltzing Matilda' These stories, and many others, come alive through BioViews. A BioView is a short biographical story, similar to an interview. These unique stories provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions and changed our world.