3.5 stars Drat! I wanted more from this. In my younger days I was not only a huge Elton John fan, but also a huge fan of Bernie Taupin’s lyrics. To me t3.5 stars Drat! I wanted more from this. In my younger days I was not only a huge Elton John fan, but also a huge fan of Bernie Taupin’s lyrics. To me they were poetry, especially all the gems from the first few albums. He hasn’t lost anything with this autobiography. His writing remains impressive and intelligent, and I didn’t mind that it jumped around, but I need to name up my shallowness and admit I was hanging out for more dirt and hype....more
So… after all the multi-hyphenated surnames and weekend shoots that filled the first third of this memoir, I settled in.
My mother-in-law gushed over aSo… after all the multi-hyphenated surnames and weekend shoots that filled the first third of this memoir, I settled in.
My mother-in-law gushed over and recommended this to me. I did not gush (not sure how to break this to the MIL), but did appreciate the historical content and disclosures of family misfortunes.
I found the writing a little on the ‘cool’ side, hence a telling sentence by the author: ‘I was from a generation that didn’t have endless heart-to-hearts, we didn’t share our emotions.’
This the third in a trilogy of studies on the post-British settler invasion of Tasmania and its impact on the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, those who sThis the third in a trilogy of studies on the post-British settler invasion of Tasmania and its impact on the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, those who survived and those who did not. Included in this trilogy were ‘Truganini: Journey through the apocalypse’, by Cassandra Pybus and ‘Tasmanian Aborigines: A History Since 1803’, by Lyndall Ryan.
These were planned reads to expand my knowledge (in many instances scant) on this history. Learning more about the Tasmanian Aboriginal long, ongoing and rich culture was a privilege. The connection and respect for their environment, their country, rang out loud and clear in all three texts. It is by far not the end of my learning and I will look out for other reliable texts.
The three authors delivered unique perspectives with Patsy Cameron offering insights into the development of island communities in the Bass Strait off the Northeast coast of Tasmania. She takes us into the world of European ‘Straitsmen’ and their aboriginal wives, described here as the ‘clanswomen’ or ‘tyereelore’.
Cameron is one of many descendants of this community who thrive today. She drew on resources from people who visited and recorded details of these island communities. As in the case of the other authors, she also references the journals of George Augustus Robinson, a British-born colonial official and self-trained missionary of sorts who travelled around Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen’s Land, attempting to negotiate a peace deal between European settlers and Aboriginal Tasmanians prior to the outbreak of the ‘Black War’. His ‘negotiations’ extended to the Straitsmen and the tyereelore.
Patsy Cameron makes it clear that many historians and commentators have appraised Robinson’s journals and other primary sources ‘…without, however, listening to the voices of the people who played significant roles throughout this period.’ She remedies that, to a large degree, in this book.
There is a sketch at the end: ‘The Natives of Tasmania bewailing the loss of their Country’. My heart skipped a beat. Cameron writes that it was a ‘…design for a medallion, probably prepared by Thomas Bock, which Robinson intended to use at the end of his book dealing with his experiences in Tasmania. Department of Ethnology, British Museum, London.’ If this sketch is not currently on public display, I believe it should be. It would give museum visitors the opportunity to stop and reflect on what this statement actually means, and maybe encourage them to research the basis behind it....more
Impressively researched and referenced. An extensive linear report that outlines an essential context to this history. There was so much that elicited Impressively researched and referenced. An extensive linear report that outlines an essential context to this history. There was so much that elicited a gut response from me: rage, delight, surprise, empathy, sorrow, discomfort, hope. I could write volumes about my thoughts on so many injustices. But it’s not about me. It’s about them....more
An unembellished anti-war novel told from the German perspective. No clear heroes in this one. The text and dialogue are matter of fact, impassive andAn unembellished anti-war novel told from the German perspective. No clear heroes in this one. The text and dialogue are matter of fact, impassive and detached, which, for me, added some authenticity because there was nothing easy or poetic about the last days of WWII. It was difficult to fully connect with the characters, just as these damaged people tried to connect with each other through the generations. War - don’t get me started! A dismal tale, yet a satisfactory read. ...more
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