BY THE BOOK
Bees and Their Keepers, Lotte Moller, Maclehose Press, $39.99
BEES have been around for millions of years on this planet, and over that time many creatures, including humans, have discovered the joys of eating the honey that they produce. But did you know that up until the 19th century many bee keepers destroyed the hive and the colony to get to the honey? That was despite the fact that people such as Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus had invented artificial hives that allowed the honey to be taken without killing the bees. Also the African “killer bees” that the
Americans fear so much are actually considered a much hardier and more productive kind of bee by South African apiarists and could be the saviour of the American honey farm. This quirky, fascinating little gem of a book takes a look at bee keeping and its history. It is filled with fascinating facts and anecdotes about how people used to farm honey and how it is done today, also about the things we have learnt from bees and the things we are still learning about them.
TROY LENNON
THE name Dr George Morrison is not as well known in this country as it should be. Unconventional and driven, to say the least, he was known for walking long distances on a whim, exploring the remote reaches of New Guinea, but he also ended up right in the thick of international politics, war and intrigue at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. One could even argue that the part he played in both the Boxer Rebellion and the RussoJapanese War had a profound influence on world events in the 20th century. His is one of the many stories of interesting and influential people in this entertaining book. Haynes also looks into what made the “eccentric” composer Percy Grainger tick, what motivated Matthew Flinders to chart most of Australia’s coastline and the tragedies that shaped the life of feminist Edith Cowan. He writes vividly about some lesser-known tales of great Australians, or people with connections to this country who have made some kind of mark on the world.
TROY LENNON