Ion Idriess - Books

[TenOunce Tone]

Truly great collection there Loamer, if I had the coin, I would be buying this set.

Great Author

Cheers, Tone

 

[calala]

A bit too much dosh for me, I know he is famous but he's no William Shakspeare.

 

[Roscoe]

Great read his books, Loamer and Tenonce any keen prospector would be mad note reading his prospecting books A. I made a "Banjo box" from his book, works like a beauty. Got shone how to use it by an old tin miner. If i had a spare 15,000 i wouldn't hesitate to buy that collection as an investment and at the same time you have fun reading your investment.

 

[loamer]

A bit too much dosh for me, I know he is famous but he's no William Shakspeare.

Thankyou for your literary insight. Yes, after a hard day prospecting we often sit around the fire at night with a few frothies comparing Idriess' works and Shakespeare. Nothing beats sitting with a bunch of grizzled old prospectors comparing Shakespeare's gold references in Timon of Athens, Act IV, scene 3 (and as a Shakespearian classicist there is no need to remind you of this) and Idriess' works on 'dishing, banjoing and cradling'. I mean they are close as far as classics go but I am more of J.R.R Tolkien man myself with regards to his gold (or not as the case may be) reference in 'His Fellowship of the Ring' as compared to Idriess' witty references to new chums gold.

Tolkein: 'All that is gold does not glitter.'
Idriess: 'But if you scratch any dud gold, it won't scratch at all.."

My best Shakespearean line I often use: One may smile, and smile, and be a villain!

 

[Roscoe]

Loamer haven't read Tolkein. Is that the title of his book. If so i will search the qld Library for his book, thanks roscoe

 

[calala]

 

[jethro]

Idriess certainly was a prolific writer, & all before the laptop & word processor. I can't imagine how he came up with enough material to churn out at least one and sometimes three books a year for the best part of thirty years.
I have "Prospecting for Gold" & have read his account of growing up at Broken Hill and opal mining at White cliffs & Lightning Ridge. I would like to get hold of all of his mining related titles, especially "Fortunes in Minerals."
What titles do others here own ? Just out of curiosity. :lol:

 

[Syndyne]

Hi all,

I wonder if the previous set of first editions on eBay had been sold? I think they were going for thirty grand or so.

Not a bad line-up of books in this set though. Quite an extensive collection. Any knowledge that can help benefit you mentally (or possibly even financially in this case) in life is priceless really.
Cheers,
Shauno.

 

[trashmagnet]

hi syndyne
I remember seeing those first editions, from memory most were signed.
still over 30 grand was a bit rich I thought.
regards trashmagnet

 

[Jacko]

Still on EBay by the looks of it, at $30,000 for 55 titles, saying it is every book he ever wrote. They're a great read as is a lot of the history of the outback in Australia. Yep, love the outback.

 

[Kingsolomon]

for $15,000 - yes $15,000. Now that's about 10 ounces I need to find in the next week or two! here is the list of books, I wish!!

A total of fifty-five titles as follows

1. 1927 MADMAN'S ISLAND facsimile dustwrapper

2. 1931 PROSPECTING FOR GOLD facsimile dustwrapper

3. 1931 LASSETER'S LAST RIDE facsimile dustwrapper

4. 1932 MEN OF THE JUNGLE facsimile dustwrapper

5. 1932 FLYNN OF THE INLAND facsimile dustwrapper

6. 1932 THE DESERT COLUMN facsimile dustwrapper

7. 1933 GOLD-DUST AND ASHES facsimile dustwrapper

8. 1934 DRUMS OF MER facsimile dustwrapper

9. 1934 THE YELLOW JOSS facsimile dustwrapper

10. 1935 MAN TRACKS genuine dustwrapper

11. 1936 THE CATTLE KING facsimile dustwrapper

12. 1937 FORTY FATHOMS DEEP facsimile dustwrapper

13. 1937 OVER THE RANGE facsimile dustwrapper

14. 1938 MADMAN'S ISLAND facsimile dustwrapper

15. 1939 CYANIDING FOR GOLD facsimile dustwrapper

16. 1939 MUST AUSTRALIA FIGHT genuine dustwrapper

17. 1940 THE GREAT TREK illustrated boards spine repaired and replaced

18. 1940 HEADHUNTERS OF THE CORAL SEA illustrated boards spine repaired and replaced

19. 1940 LIGHTNING RIDGE genuine dustwrapper, front flap is a facsimile

20. 1941 FORTUNES IN MINERALS genuine dustwrapper

21. 1941 THE GREAT BOOMERANG facsimile dustwrapper

22. 1941 NEMARLUK facsimile dustwrapper

23. 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN GUERRILLA SERIES: LURKING DEATH ex library binding with original front cover laid down on front board

24. 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN GUERRILLA SERIES: THE SCOUT original paperback binding with contact over covers and a few stamps from archive library. A very good copy.

25. 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN GUERRILLA SERIES: TRAPPING THE JAP original paperback binding, a bit rough

26. 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN GUERRILLA SERIES: SNIPING original paperback binding

27. 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN GUERRILLA SERIES: SHOOT TO KILL ex-libary binding with original wrappers bound in at rear

28. 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN GUERRILLA SERIES: GUERRILLA TACTICS original paperback binding

29. 1944 ONWARD AUSTRALIA original paperback binding

30. 1944 THE SILENT SERVICE genuine dustwrapper

31. 1945 HORRIE THE WOG DOG facsimile dustwrapper

32. 1946 IN CROCODILE LAND genuine dustwrapper

33. 1947 ISLES OF DESPAIR genuine dustwrapper

34. 1948 THE OPIUM SMUGGLERS half facsimile and half genuine dustwrapper, a bit rough

35. 1948 STONE OF DESTINY genuine dustwrapper

36. 1949 ONE WET SEASON genuine dustwrapper

37. 1950 THE WILD WHITE MAN OF BADU genuine dustwrapper

38. 1951 ACROSS THE NULLARBOR genuine dustwrapper

39. 1952 OUTLAWS OF THE LEOPOLDS genuine dustwrapper

40. 1953 THE RED CHIEF genuine dustwrapper

41. 1954 THE NOR'-WESTERS genuine dustwrapper

42. 1955 THE VANISHED PEOPLE genuine dustwrapper

43. 1956 THE SILVER CITY genuine dustwrapper

44. 1957 CORAL SEA CALLING genuine dustwrapper

45. 1958 BACK O' CAIRNS genuine dustwrapper

46. 1959 THE TIN SCRATCHERS genuine dustwrapper

47. 1960 THE WILD NORTH genuine dustwrapper

48. 1961 TRACKS OF DESTINY genuine dustwrapper

49. 1962 MY MATE DICK genuine dustwrapper

50. 1963 OUR LIVING STONE AGE genuine dustwrapper

51. 1964 OUR STONE AGE MYSTERY - facsimile

52. 1967 OPALS AND SAPPHIRES genuine dustwrapper

53. 1969 CHALLENGE OF THE NORTH genuine dustwrapper

54. 1969 THE DIAMOND genuine dustwrapper

55. 2008 GOUGER OF THE BULLETIN genuine dustwrapper (we can get this volume inscrube

56. 2013 GOUGER OF THE BULLETIN Part II genuine dustwrapper

Just read " cattle king" and " lasseters last ride" two off the best reads I've ever had.... Oh ... And I think he did one called" gulgong , written in gold" ... That's where I hang out , and going this week . Finaly going to scour the patch !and it's all still there....

 

[Roscoe]

What does he mean by "A light from the shadow shall spring"?

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

 

[loamer]

See link for Idriess interview. National Library of Australia. He was fairly old when this was done but a great listen all the same. You can listen on-line or download the audio files.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.oh-vn2339187

 

[Redfin]

Good find, all 231 minutes in 6 volumes.
Typical Govt sit as well, averaged 3 mb a sec.

Will listen to this next to the fire next weekend [ if we can have one]

 

[GaryO]

Hope its not of topic , has anyone heard of a series called . Gold is where you find it , covers NSW , I have part one which covers central west but have never seen any others available . There was apparently 3 of them.
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/GOLD-IS-WH...OBINSON-C-FROST-fossicking-maps-/151548498855

 

[DrDuck]

I've got that one GaryO, and it is a very useful reference. Book one overs the western and central goldfields, roughly west of a line drawn through Tumbarumba, Grenfell and Peake Hill.

The book appears to have been privately published, and while two ISBN numbers are listed, one for Book 1 and one for set, I'm pretty sure that only book one was ever published. Shame, because all the eastern goldfields would have been in Book 2. I

 

[GaryO]

Yeah its a great book , and the Eastern areas would definitely come in handy . $125. 00 to buy lol more money in books than gold.

 

[DrDuck]

Most of us know about Ion Idriess, author of the iconic Prospecting for Gold, but also author of many wonderful books of Australia and the bush.

Here is an interesting discussion of one of my favorite books by Idriess, the Desert Column, the story of his experiences in WW1 at Gallipoli and the middle east.

"Ion Idriess (always known as Jack to his mates) died in 1979 aged ninety. Although he was a brilliant horseman and marksman, and was wounded three times, he was never decorated for his wartime exploits; nor indeed were many of his Light Horse mates. But he was rewarded in other ways, becoming at one time perhaps the nations most popular writer; in my youth there would hardly have been an Australian home without at least one of his books on the shelf.

I daresay the intelligentsia would regard Idriess (and the Light Horsemen) as politically incorrect these daysbut they would need to be brave to come between my generation and The Desert Column."

Both the book and the article are well worth a read.

http://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2011/09/ion-idriess-and-the-desert-column/

 

[Heatho]

Thanks DrDuck, I had relatives fighting in the Light Horse at Gallipoli and through the Middle East and many other campaigns and battles. The book would certainly be a great read for me.

 

[BJ Bates]

Hi DRDuck,

My great grandfather was buried at Bersheba, The book would interest me too..Cheers

BJ