Australian Public Intellectual [API] Network

Network Scholars

Classical Heroism and Modern Life: Bodybuilding and Masculinity in the Early Twentieth Century

Ana Carden-Coyne
The modern condition is portrayed by Marshall Berman as a life of paradox, a contradiction between a ‘will to change’ and the ‘dread of a world in which “all that is solid melts into air”’.1 In the early twentieth century, this paradox of modern living was inculcated as an experience of human flesh. As part of the physical culture movement, the effort of bodybuilding to shape corporeal borders acted paradoxically as a buttress against the sense of decay and uncertainty which permeated the ‘air’ of modernity, and yet was inherently defined by the ...
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Network Review of Books

Under the Wintamarra Tree (2002)

Reviewed by Gillian Dooley in the May 2003 issue.
Under the Wintamarra Tree is the sequel to Doris Pilkington's Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, which has of course achieved celebrity with Phillip Noyce's film. Under the Wintamarra Tree takes up the story of the author, daughter of Molly whose heroic trek was the subject of the earlier book. Once again, it illustrates vividly the damage which can be done by well-meaning interference and should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone who has kind intentions of improving the lives of those they believe are worse off in some way. This is especially true when cultural barriers prevent them from ... read more.

The Dig Tree: The Story of Bourke and Wills (2002)

Reviewed by Jonathan Richards in the June 2003 issue.
Another book on Burke and Wills? Haven't there been enough discussions of these two tragic figures in colonial Australian exploration? Radio journalist Sarah Murgatroyd brings a fresh approach to this almost perennial Australian topic, by combining previous published work with new research. This is a useful analysis of the expedition's progress, and of its place in Australian history. Small details that eluded previous writers take their rightful place in this book; such as Robert O'Hara Burke's obsession with young actress Julia Mathews and the eccentricities of Burke's life as a rural ... read more.

Third Take: Australian Film-Makers Talk (2002)

Reviewed by Rick Rutjens in the December 2002 issue.
Third Take is the second collection of writings and memoirs on the Australian film industry edited by Raffaele Caputo and Geoff Burton. Like Second Take before it, Third Take is based on John Boorman and Walter Donahue's Projections anthologies; both are collections of writings on (and often by) filmmakers and their work. With some most notable names in the list of contributors -- De Heer, Noyce, O'Rourke, Ellis, Hunter, Dominik, Weir, and Minghella, amongst others -- this book is something of a must for Australian film buffs and filmgoers. The musings of the various filmmakers are ... read more.

The Boyds (2002)

Reviewed by Rick Rutjens in the December 2002 issue.
From the outset let it be said that The Boyds is extraordinary. This book is the culmination of years of research into the family that has become Australia's most remarkable artistic dynasty. Niall's work is as accomplished in its writing and structure as it is in scope. Tackling a subject this broad, the most difficult issue would no doubt have been limiting it to a reasonable size and discovering some way to contain the sprawling stories within a cohesive narrative. Niall has accomplished both admirably. Niall picks up the story of the Boyd family as the various forebears arrive in ... read more.

The Brisbane Broncos: The Team to Beat (2002)

Reviewed by Jim Chalmers in the June 2003 issue.
Jack Gallaway's The Brisbane Broncos is a narrative of sporting and business success. It deals with the politics of sport and finance; the history of the 'greatest game'; innovation; and the battle for the hearts and minds of the Australian sporting public. Unashamedly a fan, the author takes us on tour of rugby league in Queensland, the political argy-bargy leading to the birth of the Broncos, and 14 seasons marked by achievement after achievement and, of course, the odd disappointment. He speaks as an ardent follower of the team and, he confesses, as a supplier to the coaching staff of ... read more.

Pacific Prospects: Australia, New Zealand and Future Conflicts (2002)

Reviewed by Eliza Matthews in the January 2003 issue.
'Military leaders are trained to expect the unexpected' (p i). Thus begins the Preface of Pacific Prospects: Australia, New Zealand and Future Conflicts, a very useful read for anyone from lay historians to academics who are interested in how Australia, New Zealand and their militaries fit into the broader scheme of world conflict and peacekeeping. The book is a compilation of some of the speeches made by high ranking defence diplomats from the United Kingdom (Jonathan S Day), Australia (Gary Waters, Philip Flood, Hugh White), New Zealand (Gerald Hensley) and the United States (James A. ... read more.

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