Book On The Bedside Table

[ledge]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

The prehistory of Australia? how can you have a prehistory?
I remember being in high school and having to read walkabout, most boring book a 14 year old could read.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Ned Kelly A Short Life by Ian Jones

[1eyedog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

The prehistory of Australia? how can you have a prehistory?
I remember being in high school and having to read walkabout, most boring book a 14 year old could read.

Is this a serious question? I'll take the time to answer then. Your book "Walkabout" was written by James Vance Marshall, a western slightly Euro-centric author who missed the dynamic relationship between hunter-gatherer people in this country and the environment. However, Walkabout was considered a classic at the time, it was made into a movie starring a young David Gulpilil and as you say was integrated into English classes at a low secondary level. I wouldn't have expected many 14 year olds would understand the physical, spiritual or emotional journey the book goes through. Now I'm no hippy, but Aboriginal people co-existed with this environment for 40,000+ years prior to European invasion. We have been here technically since 1788 and the land is f*&^$#. Salinity is a huge rural problem, it doesn't rain anymore (although this may be a natural climatic shift) and we have lost over 200 native animals in that time.

A prehistory is simply the reconstruction of what transpired before the written word, so all of what we know about prehistory (in any country) is through archaeology and associated disciplines. The Prehistory of Australia is a wonderful insight into the marvelous culture of the first Australians whose land use strategies so complimented the Australian environment that they are being adopted today to combat climate change and environmental degradation.

[1eyedog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

The past is overrated too

Care to elaborate? Which parts? I agree that large chunks of historical knowledge, like warfare for instance, is heavily over-blown and over-rated but much of it remains a mystery. I'd love to go back and form my own view.

[ledge]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Is this a serious question? I'll take the time to answer then. Your book "Walkabout" was written by James Vance Marshall, a western slightly Euro-centric author who missed the dynamic relationship between hunter-gatherer people in this country and the environment. However, Walkabout was considered a classic at the time, it was made into a movie starring a young David Gulpilil and as you say was integrated into English classes at a low secondary level. I wouldn't have expected many 14 year olds would understand the physical, spiritual or emotional journey the book goes through. Now I'm no hippy, but Aboriginal people co-existed with this environment for 40,000+ years prior to European invasion. We have been here technically since 1788 and the land is f*&^$#. Salinity is a huge rural problem, it doesn't rain anymore (although this may be a natural climatic shift) and we have lost over 200 native animals in that time.

A prehistory is simply the reconstruction of what transpired before the written word, so all of what we know about prehistory (in any country) is through archaeology and associated disciplines. The Prehistory of Australia is a wonderful insight into the marvelous culture of the first Australians whose land use strategies so complimented the Australian environment that they are being adopted today to combat climate change and environmental degradation.

Was just having a giggle actually, not at your expense but the actual word pre history.
Keeping it basic whatever has happened is history, but i do get what you mean.

Your completely right about walkabout we had to watch the movie too.
I tend to have a different view on teaching english or reading because of Walkabout, not that i grew up struggling to read, but i know a few kids who are just not interested in reading what is thrown at them.

Personally i would like kids to choose what they want to read, as the subject will at least interest them and they will read.
I did try this on a child a few years ago and it worked wonders.

No i am not a teacher, just a problem i saw with a child that i thought i could help with a simple read what interests you theory.

Some of the studying of books and meaning is maybe a little too deep at times for the age its taught, saying this though that is from my experience in the 70s.

[comrade]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Note to self: Never try and take on 1eyedog in matters historical. Very impressive.

As for the book/s on my bedside table, I currently have Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, The Last Quarter by Martin Flanagan and a reference book on social media marketing.

[The Underdog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Care to elaborate? Which parts? I agree that large chunks of historical knowledge, like warfare for instance, is heavily over-blown and over-rated but much of it remains a mystery. I'd love to go back and form my own view.

Was just being glib really. If you're over the present and have no hope for the future don't expect the past to hold anything different. Going back would obviously be interesting especially having the choice to be in certain places at certain times, but most of the past is dominated by the actions of murderers and thieves whose decisions and greed decided the fate of those who were unfortunate to live under their rule. In other words the more things change, the more they stay the same...

[1eyedog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Was just having a giggle actually, not at your expense but the actual word pre history.
Keeping it basic whatever has happened is history, but i do get what you mean.

Your completely right about walkabout we had to watch the movie too.
I tend to have a different view on teaching english or reading because of Walkabout, not that i grew up struggling to read, but i know a few kids who are just not interested in reading what is thrown at them.

Personally i would like kids to choose what they want to read, as the subject will at least interest them and they will read.
I did try this on a child a few years ago and it worked wonders.

No i am not a teacher, just a problem i saw with a child that i thought i could help with a simple read what interests you theory.

Some of the studying of books and meaning is maybe a little too deep at times for the age its taught, saying this though that is from my experience in the 70s.

Agreed. Nowadays this is what happens and class consensus usually wins out. They read stuff like Harry Potter now, far more relevant to the kids of today and an interesting subject for them. If a good teacher can implement the right curricula to correspond with these types of novels they are on to a winning formula. I was also made to read all sorts of crap at both primary and secondary school.

[1eyedog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Note to self: Never try and take on 1eyedog in matters historical. Very impressive.

As for the book/s on my bedside table, I currently have Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, The Last Quarter by Martin Flanagan and a reference book on social media marketing.

I always welcome healthy debate on historical and pre-historical issues. It's great fun.

[ledge]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

1eye obviously your a big reader and being on history, i have a healthy discussion for you.
I have had a peruse over the Darwin Theory.....huge and interesting.

[Twodogs]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

The prehistory of Australia? how can you have a prehistory?
I remember being in high school and having to read walkabout, most boring book a 14 year old could read.

I remember being entranced with Jennifer Agutter in the film though...

[hujsh]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

The prehistory of Australia? how can you have a prehistory?
I remember being in high school and having to read walkabout, most boring book a 14 year old could read.

Pride and Prejudice must win out here

[1eyedog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

1eye obviously your a big reader and being on history, i have a healthy discussion for you.
I have had a peruse over the Darwin Theory.....huge and interesting.

Oh dear! I think this one is a discussion over a beer or seven. If I spy you in the Victory room we'll start with his Origin of Species chapter one, "Variation under Domestication". and get stuck into TwoDogs about how over-rated Henry V was. He's the real WOOF historian.

[ledge]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Oh dear! I think this one is a discussion over a beer or seven. If I spy you in the Victory room we'll start with his Origin of Species chapter one, "Variation under Domestication". and get stuck into TwoDogs about how over-rated Henry V was. He's the real WOOF historian.

Funny you mention that, i was watching a story on him on History channel yesterday, he defeated an army of 30,000 with just 5000, the bloke wa a tactical genius, apart from the opposition being dumb as dogs poo.

[1eyedog]

Re: Book On The Bedside Table

Funny you mention that, i was watching a story on him on History channel yesterday, he defeated an army of 30,000 with just 5000, the bloke wa a tactical genius, apart from the opposition being dumb as dogs poo.

Yep and he had the longbow and waited till it rained and rained and rained as he had very few heavy horse and the French has heaps o' em'. He was quite brilliant, right up there with Hannibal for tactical nous IMO.