Australia: The Land of Lies

Hutchinson of Australia, 1977. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 1977 Stated [Australian] First Edition hardcover with dust jacket. UNREAD COPY with unmarked, well-bound pages. Jacket is shelf-rubbed, and shows some scratching and edge wear, but remains intact. This is NOT an ex-library book and not a remainder. A very good, sturdy, useful copy. 144 pages, profusely photo-illustrated. "The Australian desert lies. It lured the early white explorers with visions of inland seas, rich pastures, and communication links, but many of these men of daring, courage and endurance were repulsed or perished in the harsh desert, their dreams unfulfilled. Attila Kiraly has ventured into this land, travelling through the country where these men died. He made a solo crossing of both the Gibson and Simpson deserts, a feat never before achieved. He has discovered that the desert lies continuously and yet, too, he has discovered some of the truths of this land. His magnificent photographic landscapes, collected in this book, depict the country which is changing constantly and where season belies season. Here is the parched country of the drought which becomes, after rain, a verdant land; here are rivers which are transformed from barren beds of rocks and dust into swirling torrents; and here are havens for wildlife even during the severest drought. His photographs show the changing colours of the desert: summer is golden; autumn, following 'the wet', is green; winter is a beautiful blue; and spring brings a carpet of wildflowers in myriad colours. THE LAND OF LIES is a unique album which explores the truths of the Australian desert -- the beauty and splendour of the interior of a mighty continent.