Idriess Scrapbook

Cricket Parade

IF that settled portion of your gift problem, then Australian Batsmen, by A. G. Moyes, may be an added aid. It is suitable for boys from eight to 80 —providing they are cricket fans.

As a very temporary fan, who had a youthful passion for Bradman and whose enthusiasm waxed and waned with the Bradman era, I read that chapter with interest, and took a quick read of the rest.

The parade of batsmen begins with C. Bannerman—who appar ently scored Australia’s first Test century—and ends with Neil Harvey.

In all, it is a handy weapon for the enthusiast who wants to slay an opponent with the statistics of cricket: Who dropped Who in slips in 1878; and whether Bradman’s multi-century at some specified place was not scored three seconds faster than some other multi century, by some other cricketer, at some other time and in some other place.

According to Mr. Moyes, Aus tralian cricket has entered into a Period of decline—and he gives several reasons for this. For my P ar *» by what I can judge in the short time it takes me to walk to the radio and turn them off, I think that cricket commentators have de clined even further. And I await with considerable interest a book on how to brighten this aspect of the sport. (In view of the results of the Test just concluded in Brisbane, I ex pect Mr. Moyes to make an addition to subsequent editions of the book on the regeneration of Australian batsmen).

In the meantime, if you have cricket enthusiasts in the family this is the dish—there is sufficient ammunition here to win any argu- T by An eus and Robertson.

Ltd., Sydney. Australian price, 18/6.)

To Sea With His Lordship

AND this one for amateur sailors: Sea Peace, by Lord Stanley, of Alderley.

Apparently saihrig small boats is like childbirth—the pain, discom :omfort and anxiety quickly for gotten m the peace that comes liter. Why else would people take -hese smallcraft to sea, and spum es a good engine, tack about at he mercy of wind, weather and sea -for fun?

Stanley got his first yacht in 1932 it the age of 24; twenty years and i dozen boats after he was still at , Hl l held of activities ranged rom Spam to the most northern lp . out ermost islands of Scot anu. This makes a nice change— or the arm-chair adventurer anv accounts of sailing the Pacific - charts and photo fi/ re Provided, in case some antipodean sailor wants to try him elf out in the North. And pos

sibly with the necessary encourage ment, his lordship might be en couraged to take what is becoming the yachtsmen’s bus-route—across the Atlantic then down the Pacific through the islands of the South (Published by Peter Davies, Ltd Aus tralian price, 15/6.)

When the Land Was Born

AS a companion piece to his Face of Australia, Charles Francis Laseron has now written Ancient Australia.

The former told why Australian scenery is as it is. The new book tells the story of Australia’s chang

th? f^ ra £ h3 £ from the time when la _nd fi rs t until the pre- Dlanf9 l thof t t e cr eatures and period 6to b 6 foUnd at each For all those who like del vine into studv- St 9nn’ thiS is , a fascin ating H- , 200 P a § es of concentrated of a tot-book the tedioUsness Ltd P “ Australian" R ° bertSOn ’

Idriess Scrapbook

T ON IDR IESS calls his latest ± offering a scrap-book; his pub lishers have called it The Nor ’-

Westers.

(Continued Page 91)

But it is as he says, and in it he has written about anything that comes into his head, and enjoyed doing it—as far as he can ever enjoy writing a book.

For, like most of us, he finds writing a book or writing anything else, hard work. Most difficult of all is to sit down, pick up a pen— and begin; or roll the paper into the typewriter—and begin. So easy to follow with absorbed interest the antics of an insect that distracts our eye; to roll a smoke—or two or three—and let the wheels of the brain run free, and the paper re main blank.

He writes (eventually) of Sydney, and the pearling towns of the north-west, of Cape York Peninsula and Marble Bar and the Centre; of birds, insects, snakes and fish. Of men and women of all these places Of gold and pearls.

And in writing to please himself he will, as usual, please his large following of readers. (Published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd. Australian price, 18/-.) ! Two Popular young residents of Lae, New Guinea, Messrs. Jimmy Bretag and Nev Dixon, left the remtory early in November to try heir luck in Fiji. Both worked with ;he Department of Works and both •epresented Lae at Rugby League luring last season.