My paternal grandfather was an Australian soldier injured during the First World War. He met my grandmother whilst convalescing in Leicester, they married and had two children. Unfortunately, my grandfather found it difficult to settle in England and after ten years returned to Australia taking his three year old son with him. My grandmother would not go with him and remained in Leicester, pregnant with my father. She never saw her husband or eldest child again. This was all I knew about my grandfather, apart from his name, Thomas Johnstone and his son was named Archie. On the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War, I determined to track him down, to find out who he was and whether the family story of him was true or not. This is the story of my search and the amazing discoveries I made, which would give me a greater insight into my ancestor’s past and the repercussions the First World War had on them. It would take me half way around the world and bring heartache and joy. It is a story that will inspire you to look into your own pasts because the First World War touched everybody’s life and the lives of their future generations. It is only now that people feel they can ask how the war affected their ancestors and to discover the truth that the people, who experienced it, were unable to talk about it.

The most comprehensive book on this subject ever published. With 3,638 references,

#1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn series Brandon Sanderson continues the epic adventure he began in Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians So now you’ve read all about me, Alcatraz Smedry, and how I was swept out of my life in your normal world and into the fight against the Librarians (jerks!). After being all heroic and stuff in that tale, I didn’t expect to charge headlong into enemy territory: the Library of Alexandria, where I—and my grandpa and my grouchy bodyguard Bastille and her even grouchier mother and some weirdly gifted cousins—would face the Curators (ghosts who will gladly help you check out a book as long as you don’t mind giving up your mortal soul) and some new nasty Librarians who hate our guts...and would be happy to rip them out for us. But none of that comes close to the horror we would have to face if we succeeded in finding what we were searching for... MY DAD! (DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!) The Scrivener's Bones is the second book in this action-packed fantasy series for young readers. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A sharp, funny, heartfelt memoir by a career-driven baby boomer who enters semi-retirement and explores the joys, challenges, and never-ending surprises of being a "young" granddad. One summer, shortly after taking a step back from an illustrious journalism career, Ian Haysom found himself in charge of his first grandchild, Mayana, who was three at the time. As a healthy, energetic member of the baby-boom generation, Haysom did not consider himself a typical granddad. He was too young, too active, too cool for a role more often associated with denture adhesive commercials and afternoon naps. But as he soon discovered, grandparenthood is more rewarding, entertaining, and exhausting than he ever could have imagined. Grandfathered chronicles Haysom's adventures with his grandkids Mayana, Emma, and Linden; explores the delightful and unexpected lessons they have taught him (and those he has attempted to teach them); and investigates the rapidly changing role of the grandparent in the twenty-first century. Through keen observations, hilarious anecdotes, and fascinating insights reminiscent of Bill Bryson (or "Bill Bryson with a touch of arthritis," as Haysom quips), this charming memoir will resonate with boomer grandparents everywhere.

From Cairo to Canberra -- the irresistible story of an irrepressible woman 'Anne Aly's ... influence will be felt for years to come ... It sinks in how significant she may be to public life.' -- The Good Weekend In 2016, Anne Aly was the first Australian Muslim woman, the first Egyptian-born woman and the first counter-terrorism expert to be elected to federal parliament. She was also most probably the first parliamentarian to have seen Zoolander 23 times. 'What am I doing here?' she asked herself as she was sworn in with her hand on her English translation of the Quran. It's a question the former professor has raised more than once since she arrived in Australia aged two bearing the name Azza Mahmoud Fawzi Hosseini Ali el Serougi. The answer is a fascinating and moving story of a Muslim girl growing up in suburban Australia in the seventies, a girl who danced the divide between the expectations and values of their parents' culture and that of their adopted land, and whose yardstick for 'a normal' Australian family was The Brady Bunch. Told with warmth, humour and insight, Finding My Place is an irresistible story by an irrepressible Australian woman who has truly found where she belongs, and who continues to make her mark internationally and in public life.

For years Pia Miranda has been stopped in the street by calls of, 'Found you!', forever linked to that character we all loved: Josie from Looking for Alibrandi. But playing Josie is only one small part of everything that has shaped the woman Pia has become. As a child, her Nonna would tell her stories of the small volcanic island off Sicily she called home. Cannoli, curses and lighting a candle at church were as much a part of Pia's childhood as mouse plagues, her Aussie Nanna's lemon slice and cheering on South Melbourne at the footy with her Grandfather. After chasing a childhood dream to become a ballet dancer (with a back-up plan of becoming a nun) she was cruelly shamed out of her leotard and into a new dream: acting. The rollercoaster ride of fame would see her travel the world and narrowly avoid a sky-high #MeToo moment. But after fame comes real life - work stress, career questions, money worries, relationships and heartbreak, love and marriage, illness and grief. Having grown up pinballing between her very Italian side and her very Australian side while trying to carve out a space all her own, Pia didn't realise how the push and pull of tradition had made her world all the richer. Finally, setting foot on Vulcano to reconnect with her roots, Pia understands how all the parts of herself have made her the true survivor she is. Like her Nonna told her, every day on top of the earth is a good day. Finding My Bella Vita is a charming, honest and uplifting memoir full of heart and humour that reminds us all of the two things that matter most - love and family. (A good cannoli and some Vegemite toast also rate pretty highly!)