Ethel Livesey was quite a gal. An attractive young woman from a respectable middle-class family in Manchester, she had over 40 aliases, eight official marriages, four children and five divorces. Her story stretches from industrial England to the French Riviera, from Ireland to New York, Shanghai, New Zealand, the Isle of Man and across Australia. Ethel claimed she was a cotton heiress, wartime nurse, casino hostess, stowaway, artist, opera singer, gambler, spy, close friend of the King, air raid warden, charity queen and even wife of Australian test cricketer Jack Fingleton. When her career imploded (with the abandonment of her glittering society marriage in post-war Sydney just two hours before the guests were due to arrive), the story of the Amazing Mrs Livesey was blazoned across newspapers around the world. But what was fact and what was fiction? With a prologue by Ethel Livesey's granddaughter, this extraordinary and constantly surprising story of the woman who was possibly Australia's greatest fraudster is told for the first time in rich and fascinating detail.
Hugh Tindall is an ordinary man who has lived through extraordinary times in outback Queensland. From a poor man's selection on the Diamantina in 1928 to owning six large stations with his family, from shearing his first 100 sheep a day at the age of sixteen to organising sheds in the long running 1956 shearer's strike, Hugh's story is part of a turbulent time in the outback, whose history he is passionate about. Told in his own voice, it is an honest account of life in isolated western and central Queensland, where the tough survived or died.
The true story of an undercover ASIO agent who was hung out to dry in the Cold War. 'I have lost everything in coming here. I have lost my friends... I have probably lost my position; I shall probably have to remove my child from the school and my mother from the house in which she lives. I do not think there is anything else I can possibly lose.' Mercia Masson dressed stylishly and loved to host a party. She was a journalist in an era when there were few female journalists, she always wanted to be in the thick of things, and she knew people in very high places. She also led a dangerous double life. This is the remarkable story of an ASIO agent who was hung out to dry. She was exposed at a royal commission called to investigate the extent of Soviet espionage in Australia, following the defection of Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov. Written in association with Mercia's daughter Cindy, this story brings to life a determined woman at the centre of dramatic events in Australian politics during the Cold War. 'The story of the personal price paid by a woman spying for her country, and the story of a daughter who never knew her mother.' -Sandra Hogan, author of With My Little Eye 'ASIO agent Mercia Masson was let down by the very system she was trying to uphold. This fascinating account takes us into the life and times of "Mrs A", from backroom debriefings to the benches of the Petrov Royal Commission.' -Dr Rhys Crawley, co-author of the Official History of ASIO
Written by Zelie Bullen with her sister Freda Nicholls, Love, Sweat & Tears is the inspiring true story of a young woman who overcame an underprivileged childhood, personal tragedy and depression to work as a stunt woman and then as one of the top animal trainers in the movie industry. Zelie's love of animals and their affection for her has kept her going during even her darkest moments, and ultimately this led her to the man she loves and to the amazing life she now leads. Step inside Zelie's extraordinary world where she has worked with everyone from Princess Zahra, the Aga Khan's daughter, to Antonio Banderas, to the piglets in Babe and the war horse in Stephen Spielberg's epic film, War Horse.
I've realised my dreams, been there for my teams, experienced so many highs and lows. The game of basketball, the game that has given me so much, is almost an analogy for my life. You take the hits, you get the ball, you score the buckets, you just play it to the best of your ability.' Recognised as one of the finest women basketballers of all time, Lauren Jackson has had to overcome many challenges, both professional and personal, with determination and strength. But along the way, she has always been grounded and supported by her family in Australia and her basketball community as she battled anxiety and the demands of sporting fame to find a place in the world where she felt comfortable and secure. Written with great honesty, Lauren details the missteps, set-backs, successes and controversies of a professional career that saw her representing her country and playing in the United States, Russia, Spain, Korea and China. But above all she reveals her compassion and intelligence. This is truly an inspiring story of a great Australian.
Hugh Tindall is an ordinary man who has lived through extraordinary times in outback Queensland. From a poor man's selection on the Diamantina in 1928 to owning six large stations with his family, from shearing his first 100 sheep a day at the age of sixteen to organising sheds in the long running 1956 shearer's strike, Hugh's story is part of a turbulent time in the outback, whose history he is passionate about. Told in his own voice, it is an honest account of life in isolated western and central Queensland, where the tough survived or died.
The true story of an undercover ASIO agent who was hung out to dry in the Cold War. 'I have lost everything in coming here. I have lost my friends... I have probably lost my position; I shall probably have to remove my child from the school and my mother from the house in which she lives. I do not think there is anything else I can possibly lose.' Mercia Masson dressed stylishly and loved to host a party. She was a journalist in an era when there were few female journalists, she always wanted to be in the thick of things, and she knew people in very high places. She also led a dangerous double life. This is the remarkable story of an ASIO agent who was hung out to dry. She was exposed at a royal commission called to investigate the extent of Soviet espionage in Australia, following the defection of Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov. Written in association with Mercia's daughter Cindy, this story brings to life a determined woman at the centre of dramatic events in Australian politics during the Cold War. 'The story of the personal price paid by a woman spying for her country, and the story of a daughter who never knew her mother.' -Sandra Hogan, author of With My Little Eye 'ASIO agent Mercia Masson was let down by the very system she was trying to uphold. This fascinating account takes us into the life and times of "Mrs A", from backroom debriefings to the benches of the Petrov Royal Commission.' -Dr Rhys Crawley, co-author of the Official History of ASIO
Ethel Livesey was quite a gal. An attractive young woman from a respectable middle-class family in Manchester, she had over 40 aliases, eight official marriages, four children and five divorces. Her story stretches from industrial England to the French Riviera, from Ireland to New York, Shanghai, New Zealand, the Isle of Man and across Australia. Ethel claimed she was a cotton heiress, wartime nurse, casino hostess, stowaway, artist, opera singer, gambler, spy, close friend of the King, air raid warden, charity queen and even wife of Australian test cricketer Jack Fingleton. When her career imploded (with the abandonment of her glittering society marriage in post-war Sydney just two hours before the guests were due to arrive), the story of the Amazing Mrs Livesey was blazoned across newspapers around the world. But what was fact and what was fiction? With a prologue by Ethel Livesey's granddaughter, this extraordinary and constantly surprising story of the woman who was possibly Australia's greatest fraudster is told for the first time in rich and fascinating detail.
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