Olympus and Beyond by Allan Lawrence is the story of sport (running) told against the backdrop of the bigger human story of atmosphere, emotions, and relationships from the beginning, where a young Australian boy watched a newsreel and saw an American Naval Ensign become the first human in history to exceed 15' in the pole vault in Madison Square Garden. He vowed that one day he would compete in Madison Square Garden and break a world record. True to his word, seventeen years later, almost to the day, he succeeds, although in a different event. This is the fascinating tale of a young boy's rise in the athletic field and his coming to the United States, where he won several NCAA titles (both individual and team), and won All-American selection ten times, while winning AAU titles in cross-country, indoor, and track running. He struggled along the way with citizenship and health issues, but his determination and persistence allowed him to overcome these obstacles. Allan Lawrence is a true competitor.

Whether on the ground or in the mind gardens carry meaning. They reflect social and aesthetic values and may express hope, anticipation or grief. Throughout history they have provided a means of physical survival. In creating and maintaining gardens people construe and construct a relationship with their environment. But there is no single meaning carried in the word ‘garden’: as idea and practice it reflects cultural differences in beliefs, values and social organisation. It embodies personal, community even national ways of seeing and being in the world. There are ten essays in Gardens of History and Imagination, each of which examines the role of gardens and gardening in the settlement of New South Wales and in growing a colony and a state. They explore the significance of gardens for the health of the colony, for its economy, for the construction of social order and moral worth. No less do they reveal the significance of forming and reforming personal identities in this process. For the immigrants gardening was an act of settlement; it was also a statement of possession for individuals and for Britain. For a long time it was with memories of ‘home’, often selective and idealised, that settlers made gardens but as the colony developed its own character so did gardening possibilities and practices.

From the Wallabies to England, this is the first biography of the inspiring, infuriating and enigmatic super coach, Eddie Jones. 'Conflict in any organization is important, because from conflict you get creativity. I had to find different ways to generate the right kind of conflict.' From his Sydney school days playing alongside the legendary Ella brothers, to his years as Wallabies' coach -- including the loss of the 2003 World Cup Final by the narrowest of margins -- to his masterminding of Japan's jaw-dropping victory over South Africa in the 2015 World Cup, to his revitalization of English rugby, Eddie Jones has always been a polarizing figure, known for his intelligence, his punishing work ethic, and his verbal skills that can be inspiring and devastating in equal measure. Drawing on over a hundred interviews with former teammates, players and colleagues, veteran rugby writer Mike Colman brings a rare level of insight to this indomitable, driven man whose longevity and success across different teams and different hemispheres mark him as one of the world's coaching greats.