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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXAUS54. Buy these 5 items as a set for $73 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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The Fatal Shore

The Fatal Shore

by Robert Hughes

  • HISTORY
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 752 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

In this celebrated social history, both scholarly and entertaining, Hughes traces the fate of those who were transported to the penal colonies of Australia between 1787 and 1868. It's an engaging popular account, drawn from the experiences of the colonists themselves. (AUS04, $19.95)

Aboriginal Art

Aboriginal Art

by Wally Caruana

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 239 PAGES

This well illustrated survey focuses on the spiritual and geographic sources of art and ritual traditions in Australia. With 187 well produced black-and-white and color illustrations. (AUS14, $14.95)

The Songlines

The Songlines

by Bruce Chatwin

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 294 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Chatwin transforms a journey through the Outback into an exhilarating, semi-fictional meditation on our place in the world. (AUS01, $16.00)

Australia, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Australia, A Traveler's Literary Companion

by Robert Ross

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Arranged geographically, this collection of works by mostly local writers, including Patrick White, Peter Carey and other luminaries introduces the cultures, geography and mindset of Australia. (AUS38, $13.95)

Australia Map

Australia Map

by ITMB

  • 2010
  • MAP

A handy, folded map at a scale of 1:3,500,000. (AUS23, $12.95)

 
Claiming a Continent: A New History of Australia

Claiming a Continent: A New History of Australia


by David Day

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

Written for a popular audience, this is an outstanding revisionist history of the country. Day tackles Australia's racial divisions, and the recent embrace of Aboriginal culture by white Australians. (AUS18, $17.95)

The Birth of Sydney

The Birth of Sydney


by Tim F. Flannery

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Flannery's engaging portrait of Sydney from its initial settlement to the present day, incorporating observations by early visitors including Mark Twain, Charles Darwin and Captain Cook. (AUS100, $14.00)

Cold Beer and Crocodiles, A Bicycle Journey into Australia

Cold Beer and Crocodiles, A Bicycle Journey into Australia


by Roff Smith

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 284 PAGES

A rousing tale of misadventures across Australia by bicycle by Time correspondent Smith; derived from his three-part National Geographic article, we follow the intrepid traveler through rainforests, deserts and highways. (AUS106, $14.00)

In a Sunburned Country

In a Sunburned Country


by Bill Bryson

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 335 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

The intrepid, ever-resourceful Bryson revels in Australia's eccentric characters, dangerous flora and fauna, and other oddities in this wildly funny, effortlessly informative travelogue. (AUS83, $15.99)

My Place

My Place


by Sally Morgan

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1987
  • PAPER
  • 440 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

A deeply moving autobiography of three generations in Australia, which artfully evokes aboriginal culture. Morgan, who spent her childhood in Perth, didn't discover her Aboriginal background until she was in her teens. (AUS19, $19.95)

One For the Road, An Outback Adventure

One For the Road, An Outback Adventure


by Tony Horwitz

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 211 PAGES

A classic travel adventure by favorite author Tony Horwitz. This time he's set loose among the Aborigines, exiled desert rats and other odd characters in the outback. (AUS79, $14.00)

The Road from Coorain

The Road from Coorain


by Jill Ker Conway

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 238 PAGES

An absorbing account of a young rural girl's coming of age in post-war Sydney. Conway paints a vivid picture of isolation and beauty -- and of the challenges of a bright, ambitious woman growing up Australian. (AUS03, $13.95)

Tracks, A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback

Tracks, A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback


by Robyn Davidson

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

The true-life story of a woman's trek across the Australian outback -- an adventurous tale shot through with a feel for the landscape and empathy for the Aborigines she meets along the way. (AUS15, $15.95)

The Explorers

The Explorers


by Tim F. Flannery

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 385 PAGES

Through 67 personal accounts selected and introduced by Tim Flannery, this collection reveals the human experience of exploring and settling Australia. (AUS89, $14.00)

The Nutmeg of Consolation

The Nutmeg of Consolation


by Patrick O'Brian

  • LITERATURE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 315 PAGES

This 14th installment in the Aubrey/Maturin series finds Captain Aubrey and his crew shipwrecked and making their way to the penal colony at Botany Bay, the notorious first European settlement in Australia. (AUS17, $15.95)

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia's Tropical Paradise

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia's Tropical Paradise


by Alison Cates

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1998
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A handsomely illustrated overview of the nature and attractions of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. Divided geographically, it includes chapters on the Far North, Cairns, Townsville, Central and South regions. (AUS71, $49.95)

The Snorkeller's Guide to the Coral Reef, From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean

The Snorkeller's Guide to the Coral Reef, From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean


by Paddy Ryan

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 184 PAGES

The best-selling, take-along guide to coral reefs, coral-reef fishes, invertebrates and plants of the Indo-Pacific. With 200 color photographs. (DIV18, $21.99)

Australian Wildlife

Australian Wildlife


by Raymond Leung | James Kavanaugh

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PLASTIC CARD

This handy fold-out guide features illustrations of almost 150 species of Australian animals. Laminated and pocket-sized, it easily slips into your daypack. (AUS111, $5.95)

Birds of Australia, Photographic Field Guide

Birds of Australia, Photographic Field Guide


by Jim Flegg

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

This pocket guide features large color photographs and brief description of commonly encountered and spectacular birds. (AUS12, $25.00)

Field Guide to the Birds of Australia

Field Guide to the Birds of Australia


by Ken Simpson | Nicholas Day

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 440 PAGES

A handbook and field guide to Australia's birds with 2,000 vivid color illustrations, each accompanied by a brief description and revised range map. (AUS06, $39.50)

Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia

Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia


by Peter Menkhorst | Frank Knight

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A comprehensive guide to 376 species (kangaroos, bandicoots, koalas, wombats, and more), featuring 376 full color illustrations. (AUS117, $50.00)

Fishwatcher's Field Guide, Great Barrier Reef

Fishwatcher's Field Guide, Great Barrier Reef


by Idaz Greenberg

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • PLASTIC CARD

A double-sided, laminated card. (DIV41, $7.50)

Marine Life of the Pacific and Indian Oceans

Marine Life of the Pacific and Indian Oceans


by Gerald Allen

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2000
  • HARD COVER
  • 96 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A handy, beautifully illustrated reference to 350 marine species found in the Indo-Pacific. (AUS28, $16.95)

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia


by Graham Pizzey | Frank Knight | Peter Menkhorst

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • FLEXI-BOUND
  • 576 PAGES

The authoritative, classic field guide. Range maps, illustrations, and concise descriptions are integrated on facing pages for ease of use. (AUS65, $34.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.