Bookshop ramblings, 6B Broadcaster, Eccles cakes and Jack Davenport Beaufighter Leader

The last week or so has been a good one for me, or at least for Jack Davenport Beaufighter Leader. One excellent review in the Canberra Times, one small but positive review in a Geelong paper, Jack Davenport featuring in the Daily Telegraph history page and a mini interview with me for our local paper’s Sunday Relax magazine. Naturally, the little head was very swollen and David had even phoned the carpenters to come and widen the doors. The quote was a bit steep so David thought he would try and deflate my ego. So he took me along to our local mall which has two bookshops. They are well known chains and both have a reasonably good display of military history on their shelves. Well, the big head was deflated mighty quickly when I saw that neither had any copies on their shelves. I initially gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking perhaps they had not unpacked their orders, until I found others from the Allen & Unwin new releases on their shelves. Head and ego well and truly deflated. (My publisher has now spread calming oil on my fevered brow and assured me there was an unfortunate problem with the distributor getting stock into Canberra and all should be displayed in the next day or so.)

Before I wander off with my tail tween my legs, let me just mention to Canberrans that if they happen to have a blank spot in their diary on Saturday 25 July, I will be speaking about Jack Davenport at the Australian War Memorial. Details (straight from the AWM website):

Jack Davenport: Courage, Leadership and Memorial
Saturday, July 25 at 2.00 pm

Kristen Alexander will talk about the subject of her latest biography, Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader. Wing Commander Jack Napier Davenport AC DSO DFC* GM flew two tours with 455 Squadron RAAF, commanding it during his second. Serving in both Bomber and Coastal commands, he flew operations to France, Germany, Holland, Russia and Norway. Flying both Hampdens and Beaufighters, 455 Squadron became known as a ship busting squadron, and Jack was considered an ace ship buster, who following the war also served as a Councillor of the Australian War Memorial.

No bookings required
Location: BAE Systems Theatre (Near Courtyard Gallery, AWM)

I will be talking for about 45 minutes, with time afterwards for questions.

I must admit, my skiting, lineshooting, blowing of own horn and various reviews that have abounded over the last week or so (more skiting than reviews, I will admit) have got just a tad up David’s nose. He is getting mighty upset about all the attention that one author in the family is currently receiving (self generated and from others) so, in a fit of pique, he has decided to publish the collected editorials from the 6B Broadcaster. Yes, class 6B (aged 10-11) of Artarmon Public School. You too, he cries, can relive the issues of import for the kids of the early sixties. Here is a sample from David’s July 1964 editorial, 45 years ago.

A new competition is beginning in the magazine and it is very exciting. There are good prizes to be won and I advise you to enter. More details of the competition are inside. Some of the things being done by people round the school to raise money for the Hall Fund have been really amazing. The boys of 6L, for example, made cane baskets and then sold them through the canteen, and by also buying the baskets themselves.

Somehow, I am trying not to be cruel when I say this, but if I can’t get my little book onto the shelves of the local chain, the Collected Editorials of the 6B Broadcaster might have even less of a chance.

(David has decided to wreak revenge on the person who wrote the above par. He has decided to run another exciting competition: can anyone think up another phrase for outandout skiting. We already have lineshooting, shoot a line, skiting, of course, blowing her own horn, tooting her own trumpet (or vice a versa for the last two). Not good prizes for this one, just the glory of knowing that another pin has been stuck in the balloon of her head).

Great excitement in the cake stakes. Tried my first Eccles cake at the new Portrait Gallery cafe. Not sure whether I liked the cake or the exhibits more! Just remember, I am more known for my sweet tooth than artistic tendencies! My favourite thing in the whole world is afternoon tea: muffins, scones, cake all served on fine china. I have posted a typical afternoon tea photo at Chez Alexander Fax. So well-known is my teatime fetish that friends are now sourcing afternoon tea nicknackery such as the cute little handmade muffins that feature here alongside the real ones!

Winter warming and reading bliss

Canberra in Winter can be glorious or dismal. This last week we encountered more than we needed of its dismalness (a word? Doesn’t look quite right but spellcheck seems to like it. Regardless, you get the general idea). Bitterly cold days, fog that would not lift, washing on the line two days and still not dry. But things are looking up. The Hyatt has introduced a hot chocolate menu to its tea lounge and a curry fiesta for the next two weeks, and we have had our first few nights of wood fires. Winter warming bliss.

One of our local journalists recently asked me a bunch of questions for a future article which may or may not appear. Just one of those brief ‘get to know’ things. One of the questions was what is on your bedside table right now. Well, on the off chance you are interested, I will reveal all. The sort-of antique table with green silk scarf throw is pretty cluttered there at the moment. What with the long sought and finally found Laura Ashley lamp and the ubiquitous clock radio, not to mention the ever present cup of tea, there is hardly room for books, but a pile still manages to teeter on the edge, threatening to fall in a heap on the pile on the floor next to it. I usually have a few on the go at any given time so, depending on my mood, I can have something just right. I am just finishing Julie Summers’ Strangers in the House. Women's stories of men returning from the Second World War and, following the theme back to the end of the First World War, about to start Marina Larsson’s Shattered Anzacs. Living with the Scars of War. I have flipped through and am very looking forward to getting stuck into it. It is on the list today so let me know if you want a copy too. I am well into Catherine Aird’s recently reprinted The Religious Body, the first Inspector Sloan mystery (you will always find a crime novel on my bedside table) and should find out who-dunnit tonight. I am also working my way through Peter Fitzsimon’s Charles Kingsford Smith and those Magnificent Men. A long term commitment at 600+ pages. And for dipping into, Audrey Tennyson’s Vice Regal Days, loaned to me by my friend Jill’s mother who knows I love history, women’s experiences and letters and this has all three. David is less ambitious than I. He just has one on the go at the moment. He is working his way through the recent reprints of the Martin Beck crime books, and is on ‘T’ at the moment. We always have our noses in books in the Alexander Fax household. Except for when we haven’t, that is.

Shoe shopping, lentil soup and new books

Yesterday, we did head out of town again but the main purpose was to find a pair of shoes for David. I know, seems strange that in all of Canberra he could not find a pair of shoes. He is one of those who, when on a good thing tends to stick to it, especially when they are as comfortable as his favourite style of Rivers boots. Our usual outlet had closed down so we went to the new warehouse shop in a huge mall. They had the style but not the size. So we drove to a nearby, undisclosed town and were not disappointed. He came back with two pairs so they should last him a while. Sadly, lunch was not quite as successful. The trendy pizza place was full (I know, we should have booked but we had only been once before and it was half empty and we did not know its name). Everything open in the main street was full (and this only at 5 past noon) so we turned a corner, headed down a lane sort of thing and found a newish little place half empty. No names nor packdrill in case this is your favourite but I made the mistake of assuming in a new place. Thinking the lentil soup was the vegetarian option, I spent the meal fishing out chunks of meat and David has had indigestion ever since from his upmarket stew. His veggies were OK and the bread was lovely. Soft inside, crispy on the outside and perfect for soup. Other than the meat chunks the other thing that got up my nose was that I asked for coffee to start, to have while we were waiting. It was cold and I wanted to warm my little paws and tummy. I had not even finished it before the plates arrived. Oh well. Guess it is not their fault I am so fussy and David’s tum is so delicate but we won’t be visiting again. Shame we didn’t take down the name of the trendy pizza place for next time!

Alexander Fax Booksellers specialise in quality used books but we can link you to a quality new book seller.

We have entered into an arrangement with Seekbooks, a new book supplier, so you can order all sorts of new titles, military as well as fiction, cooking, gardening, history, sporting whatever. It has always bothered us that we are just too small to deal with most of the major military publishers, both here and overseas, so could not supply a great range of new books to you all. So, But now, if we can't get it, Seekbooks can. All your favourite Australian (or at least multi-national with Australian presence) publishers are included such as Harper Collins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan, Random House, Allen & Unwin (that is Australian), New Holland, John Wiley and more!!!! And they don't just have Australian publishers. All your favourite military publishers from OS are listed, such as Osprey, Crecy, Grub Street, Sutton and many many more. Seekbooks was established in 1999 and is one of the first fully owned and operated online booksellers in Australia and is based in Sydney. Seekbooks has a database of over 1.2 million in-print books from all over the world to choose from.

If you know the title, author or ISBN, you can just use the search engine. If Seekbooks has a listing, the book will appear, you can click on more info to see if it is in stock with the publisher and if so, you can place an order.

Once you have ordered, Seekbooks processes the order, sources the books from the publishers and when the books arrive in its warehouse, despatches the order. When we first linked with Seekbooks I did a test order of about 15 books, from Australian, US and UK publishers, with different stock delivery schedules. From that lot, one was a forthcoming release, so it has been backordered, my first parcel had 8 books, the second 2 books and the remainder have been notified as out of stock, awaiting reprint. I was impressed and have been using the system ever since.

There is a flat postage fee and no matter how many books you order, there is just one small amount, even if the books turn up in a number of parcels. Your cc is only debited when books are released by the Seekbooks warehouse, and you receive advice every time something happened, eg order accepted, cc approved, publisher in stock, publisher out of stock. And when the parcel arrives, there is a fully itemised tax invoice.

A small warning: Even though the system is updated weekly by the publishers, it is just the nature of the beast that something may end up being out of stock, even though it is listed. Seekbooks let you know pretty quickly if that is the case. A little annoying but the benefits and convenience far outweigh this little inconvenience. I am really pleased with the system and even better, prices are 10% off RRP and we receive a small commission from all sales. Give it a go:

http://alexanderfaxbooks.seekbooks.com.au

Military Historical Society of Australia

Both Kristen and David have been members of the Military Historical Society of Australia since 2002. Kristen has been Federal Secretary since 2004. The Military Historical Society of Australia was founded in Melbourne in 1957. Its aims are the encouragement and pursuit of study and research in military history, customs, traditions, dress, arms, equipment and kindred matters; the promotion of public interest and knowledge in these subjects, and the preservation of historical military objects with particular reference to the armed forces of Australia. The Society publishes Sabretache, its journal, quarterly.

The Society appeals to anyone who has an interest in military history - army, navy or airforce, collects militaria, or who wants to meet others with similar military interests. Those interested can join via a branch or as a corresponding member and the Society has branches in Canberra, Victoria, Geelong, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Albury-Wodonga. For more information, go to http://mhsa.org.au/

The above photo features members of the ACT Branch at the Australian War Memorial, standing in front of the Memorial's Roll of Honour. It is a great photo, taken Rob Geraghty.

Kristen's Books

And what are the books I have written?

My first book was Clive Caldwell, Air Ace, published by Allen & Unwin in 2006. And who was Clive Caldwell? Well, Clive Caldwell was officially attributed with 27½ victories and became Australia's highest scoring fighter pilot in World War II. In addition, he became an Ace in both the Middle East and Pacific theatres - the only Australian pilot to attain this status. He served with 250 Squadron RAF, 112 Squadron RAF and 1 Fighter Wing RAAF and scored with all of these formations. He commanded 80 Fighter Wing but was not able to increase his score. Originally considered an individualist, Caldwell became a fine fighter pilot and a dedicated leader, much loved by those he commanded. He did not wear the restrictions of the RAAF well and, despite his achievements, endured public inquiry over liquor trading and the so-called Morotai Mutiny. Even so, he continued to be well-regarded and respected by the public.

In writing his biography, I had access to Caldwells personal papers as well as official and privately held records. It is a celebration of his military achievements and details his rise from a green fighter pilot to Wing leader and includes details of his air battles. It also includes unprecedented discussion of the Barry Inquiry and Caldwell's court-martial.

It is still in print and if you would like a signed copy ($A35.00 + p&p) just order via the website http://www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au/ If you have read it and would like to make comments, please do so.


The second is Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader, again published by Allen & Unwin. Jack Davenport AC DSO DFC* GM flew two tours with 455 Squadron RAAF, commanding it during his second. He flew from stations in Scotland and England on operations to France, Germany, Holland and Norway as well as a three month stint in Russia. 455 Squadron became known as a ship busting squadron, and Jack was considered an ace ship buster. From saving the lives of his crew from a near-fatal spin, to rescuing a pilot from a blazing aircraft, pilot Jack Davenport, was an indisputable hero of the Second World War. Post war, Jack went on to become a very successful and well respected businessman. Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader charts Jack Davenport's development from his Depression-era childhood, to the green pilot who had difficulties locating the target on his first Bomber Command operations, through to the superb pilot who led successful strikes against German shipping and the cool and resourceful planner of Coastal Command operations in the latter months of the war.


If your appetite has been whetted, preorder your copy now by emailing us at alexfax@alexanderfaxbooks.com.au Cost for a signed copy is $A35.00 + p&p.
Enough of the commercial!

Just a few random blatherings

Noting our limited shop hours, a number of customers blithely comment that it must be wonderful having so much free time. I wish we did have plenty of free time. Just because we are not at the shop doesn’t mean that we are enjoying ourselves: there always seems to be something to do regarding our little business. For instance, I am writing this on a Sunday so I can send the list out bright and early tomorrow (the 1st). Well, that is work, is it not? And the fact that I have to put the finishing touches to the list and print it out, well, that’s work too, isn’t it? We headed out to the lock-up earlier to get some boxes of books for sorting and, because we have air heads and did not think of it before hand, we have to go out again to post some letters. Again work. And I had better not get too comfortable at my desk as David will be turfing me out soon so he can do some invoices. Tomorrow and Tuesday, technically days off, will pan out about just the same workwise. But we do try and fit in some leisure time and, to be honest, we did try this morning.

It was one of those days, struggling to be fine but drizzle and grey dominating. The perfect sort of day to remind you that tomorrow is the 1st day of winter. We woke up with nothing planned and wondered what we should do to make the most of the day. Our books were looking mighty attractive as we thought of having to rug up and head outside. Then David noted a rerun of Magnum PI (and he was always a bit of a honey wasn’t he. My opinion re Magnum, I mean. Oh yes, and David). But no, we could not loll around all day watching reruns or reading. So we decided to brave the iffy weather and go for a jaunt.

One of our local journalists has been featuring day trips over the last few weeks. I have been saving them and, rather than head out on the same day as the hoards, thought we would be safe if we went a few weeks later. Last week we tried Bowning. The place we thought to have lunch was crowded. It had never occurred to us to book. Today we tried Collector. Again, it did not occur to us to book. And how could you anyway when you have no idea at the beginning of the week if you will actually have time to spare at the weekend. And even if you did have the foresight to plan ahead, what if you did not know the name of the place? So we trundled out. The place we had planned to have lunch was not open. Not sure if it was closed down or just not open. It had been on the market the last time we were there two years ago so perhaps that should have been a hint. So we tried the pub. It was empty, and as we walked in the sole bar staff walked out to her car. We saw the menu and noted it had nothing vegetarian so left. No one noticed. Then we thought to try the popular, trendy venue. Surely it could not be full if the pub was empty. Well, popular and trendy was packed to the rafters and by the looks of things, booked out till next Christmas. So we ambled on home. Hungry and desperately trying to think of something that would be open and half empty as it approached 1.00 on a Sunday. We ended up at the mall with takeaway from the food hall. So, as soon as I finish my bits and bobs, I am heading off to find my book. And when David turfs me out, and finishes his invoices, he will wander off to find his book. Pity we did not think to tape Magnum!

Before I wander off, a couple of little stories for you, gleaned from the latest newsletter from the Battle of Britain Historical Society. I have already shared one of them with a couple of you so bear with me if you have read it before....

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is a husband (very astute, this one!)

And for all the lawyers out there, apparently (and I assume we must trust the BOBHS) these are actual exchanges from American court rooms...

Attorney: The youngest son, the twenty year old, how old is he?
Witness: He’s twenty, much like your IQ

Attorney: Were you present when your picture was taken?
Witness: Are you kidding me?

Attorney: How was your first marriage terminated?
Witness: By death
Attorney: And by whose death was it terminated?
Witness: Guess.

Comments are welcome

We would like to see this site become a discussion forum. Feel free to comment on any of our posts. Let us know if you agree, disagree, want more information, find the post interesting, or not, as the case may be. Be warned you criticise the cat at your own risk. Though she may appear to ignore you, you may be overwhelmed by a wave of disdain heading your way through cyberspace!

Welcome to the Alexander Fax Booksellers Blog

Although Alexander Fax Booksellers specialise is quality second military books (especially those relating to Australian military) our inventory is quite broad. David has a deep interest in all matters fishing, so we have a good fishing book collection; we both would love to travel more so we have a fair few local history books; and Australian and Aboriginal history feature strongly in our inventory. If you are in Canberra, pop into our shop at Southlands Shopping Centre, Mawson (Wednesday-Saturday 10.00-4.00) or if Canberra is a bit too far off your personal beaten track, visit us at http://www.alexanderfaxbooksellers.com.au/. Our inventory is fully searchable and we offer secure ordering.

Alexander Fax Booksellers is really Kristen Alexander (moi) and my husband David Fax. We blended our names because at the time we thought it would be cool to create a sophisticated sounding business persona. If anyone recalls that kitchy show of times gone by Remington Steel, you will get the allusion. Unfortunately it backfired. You would be surprised at how many people ask to speak to Alex! But the name has grown on us and we will stick with it.

Despite the name we are real people, with real interests and a genuine love of books: both those we sell and those we collect and read ourselves. I won't bore you with our life histories but as I update the blog you will get to know stacks about us (probably more than you need!). The core things that you need (or don't need) to know are that we love books, love cats and will bore you to death about the wonders of Misty, and Kristen (moi) is an author who has had one military biography published and eagerly awaits the publication date of her second on 1 July.