Peter Rees – författare

From one of Australia's leading military historians and biographers, Peter Rees, comes Guts and Glory, an enthralling history of the way in which sport is ever present in the wars fought by, or involving, our Australian defence forces.The spirit of Australia can be seen so clearly in how we play and how we fight. From the famous cricket match played on the beach at Gallipoli as a decoy for the evacuation of Australian troops; to the hero of Tobruk, Changi and the Thai Burma railway, Colonel Sir Ernest Edward 'Weary' Dunlop AC, who so respected his hard-won Wallaby jersey, he insisted on being buried in it; to legendary Test cricketer Keith Miller, fighter pilot in WWII, who famously said 'Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not' - sport has always been part of our wars. A collection of vivid, moving, funny, powerful and poignant sporting stories from the wars fought by the Australian Defence Force ranging from WWI right through to the present day, Guts and Glory is a book about the way that sport is so often an intrinsic part of war; how sport provides a means for the diggers to cope with the pressures of the battlefield; how the lessons that we learn playing sport can be applied to the art of leadership and warfare; and how mateship and the Australian character and spirit can be seen in the way we fight and the way we play.'This is ultimately an uplifting book, which celebrates the bonding and healing power of sport, in times of war and after it. For history buffs who can't miss Friday night footy or the Boxing Day Test, this is a book they'll devour.' Readings

'My name is Tim, and that is what I want you to call me, except if another officer is present and especially if it is the CO, Lt Col Bennett, then I am Sir. At all other times I am Tim.'When Tim Fischer's elder son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, it triggered Tim's resignation as federal National Party leader and deputy prime minister of Australia. An outpouring of emotion across the political divide greeted his decision, a rarity in a political environment where few leaders choose to give up power and prominence. In I am Tim, Peter Rees uncovers the influences that shaped a key figure of twentieth-century Australian political life, from a Jesuit boarding school to the rigours of officer training and the battlefields of Vietnam, time in state and federal politics, marriage to Judy Brewer and life at home. Fischer's interests and activities after politics were many and varied, spanning a diplomatic posting to the Holy See, new historical studies, and chairing the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway. Tim Fischer emerges as a man of energy and ambition but also of humanity, courage and love.

The award-winning, definitive account of Australia's most notorious cold case, now fully updated with new informationWinner of the Ned Kelly Award for True CrimeOn 4 July 1975, Juanita Nielsen set out on foot through the wintry streets of Sydney's red-light district. The chic heiress and newspaper publisher had a business meeting with a man called Eddie Trigg, a manager at the seedy Carousel Cabaret nightclub in Kings Cross.The following day, Juanita was reported missing. She has not been seen since and her body has never been found.Despite two police investigations, a coronial inquest and a federal parliament inquiry, the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen remains one of Australia's great unsolved murder mysteries. The most pressing question now is why?Killing Juanita is an unflinching examination of this cold case and its chief protagonists, not least Juanita Nielsen. An ardent campaigner fighting the proposed demolition of historic houses in the Cross, she was a thorn in the side of a powerful property developer with links to notorious crime bosses.Winner of the 2004 Ned Kelly Award for True Crime and now fully updated with new information, Killing Juanita is a compelling story of greed, corruption, dirty politics and cover-ups. It finally puts to rest decades of speculation, providing the definitive answer that authorities never could - or would.