By Joanna Austen Brown

I spent a morning interviewing Bill Stanford on his release of his first book Skirmish Hill. This is a fascinating history of Skirmish Hill in Western Australia. But it is so much more than that. It has little titbits of history from all parts of Australia and is a unique read.

I was fascinated as I listened to Bill's stories of how he put the history together. The real characters and people he talks about shine out from his words. The story of the man on the cover took my breath away. His love of history is evident as you look through the pages. Photos, documents, and information abound. He also includes quotes from other famous people in an effort to help us remember history and the teaching of it is very important to us.

It is no wonder the renowned professor of history Geoffrey Blainey AC called it an unconventional book on early Australian history. It is available at the Book Connection. I look forward to reading any other books Bill might write.