THE REAL AUSTRALIA
"Romance of the Swag" and "Send Round the Hat," by Henry Lawson; "Piebald, King of Bronchos," by Clarence Hawkes; "Three Elephant Power," by A. B. Patterson. Sydney : Angus and Robertson.
These are the latest of the reprints of essentially Australian books appearing in the excellent Platypus Series. They are certainly "racy of the soil" for the most part, and depict life in the back blocks for .the most part as it is. Some critics are.' how', having the' boldness to say that Lawson really-, did Australia a 'disservice by his intensely .realistic descriptions of men and mariners and hard natural conditions. • The point is arguable ; but no one., conversant with Australia will deny the truthfulness of Lawson or the sincerity of purpose in writing as he felt. He saw things from one angle—and that not of "the boss"; but lie told the truth as he believed it.
"Piebald" is the life, story of a wild horse, born in the Great American Desert,'which takes in half of Western Utah, and. portions of Nevada and Arizona. His history is carefully recorded from birth to what was likely to be his end in a Mexican bull ring. Here he is rescued in ■ circumstances that look like ending in a tragedy, for the United States Colonel who leaped in among the toreadors, •' matadors, and picadors "just to save a horse," as the furious Mexican audience^ regarded the case. However, infuriated as they were at the interrup tion to ;their-sport, they changed their cries of "kill"him" to- cheers. Finally, the piebald; goes back to the wilds among the Indians, whence he originally came. "Banjo" Patterson's verse is well known, loved,' and oft quoted in Australia. In this 'little book, "Three Elephant Power," there is no verse, but some admirable prose on men, dogs, •horses, cats, and motor-cars.- Australia's passionate love' of horseracing is shown in several well-told stories of the Turf, which will appeal to readers of pronounced equine tastes in fiction.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1924, Page 17
Word Count
330THE REAL AUSTRALIA Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1924, Page 17
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