Ash Road

(Paperback, 2nd ed.)

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Description

It's hot, dry and sweaty on Ash Road, where Graham, Harry and Wallace are getting their first taste of independence: camping, just the three of them. When they accidentally light a bushfire, no one would have guessed how far it would go. The fathers go off to fight the fires and mothers help in the first aid centres. The children are left alone, presumed safe, until it's the fire itself that reaches them. These children are forced to face a major crisis with only each other and the two old men left in their care. The bestselling Ash Road is action-packed and perfectly realistic.

Reviews

'The description of the fire and the atmosphere of the day are so vividly described...deservedly classic story.' -- ReadPlus 'Ivan Southall's Ash Road was one of the first Australian books to immerse readers in the experience of being caught in a bushfire in all its sensory detail; its publication in 1965 affected readers and fellow authors alike.' AEU Magazine 'The novel is a chronicle of fire and panic, of intense and remarkable perception, and of almost inexhaustibly vivid descriptive language... unforgettable.' Wall Street Journal

Author Bio

Ivan Southall was born in Melbourne in 1921. His father's death forced him to leave school at the age of 14 and begin working full time to support his family. During his spare time he wrote short stories (some of which were published) and completed four books before the age of 20. When the Second World War began he joined the RAAF, trained as a pilot and eventually became the captain of a Sunderland flying boat, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944. After the war, Southall went to London and wrote war history for two years. In 1947 he returned to Australia and became a freelance writer. Southall's first children's book, Meet Simon Black was published by Angus and Robertson in 1950. This was the beginning of the Simon Black adventure series and was followed by eight more titles over the next 10 years, each drawn from his wartime flying experiences. In 1966 Ash Road won the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Award and Southall really came into his own as a children's writer. Numerous editions of his many books have appeared throughout the world in over 20 languages. Over the next 30 years he and his books received multiple honours and awards here in Australia and also in England, Japan, Holland, Austria, the United States, and Spain. Southall has travelled extensively and has lectured about children's books