Franklin News and Views

The King's Speech by Mark Logue My rating: 3 of 5 stars After seeing the film I thought it would be interesting to read about Lionel Logue. The book is not the story of the film, but a biography on his life, although of course it covers the episodes that are the film. It is quite an easy book to read and I did not find it became tedious at all. It is just about the right length for such a book View all my reviews

Into the Unknown - The Tormented Life and Expeditions of by John Bailey My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book gives a good insight into the character of Ludwig Leichhardt and his eventual explorations in Australia. It is a well written and informative book and easy to read. In his formative years Ludwig Leichhardt decided he would like to explore and find new areas, but he spent this time studying range of subjects, including medicine. However he did not sit for exams and although very knowledgeable, never gained formal qualifications. When first coming to Australia Leichhardt wandered about the bush, marvelling at a land so different from Europe. He would study the plants, animals and geology of areas and make copious notes. It is from his notes and diaries that John Bailey has tapped into, to tell the story. The expedition Leichhardt arranged to cross from Brisbane to Port Essington, on the Northern Territory coast not that far from the current Darwin, took an great deal l