{"title":"Ryan Butta","description":"\u003cp\u003eRyan Butta's works delve deeply into moments of historical significance and personal bravery, weaving rich narratives that explore the complexities of identity and conflict. Through titles like \u003cem\u003eBlackbirding\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Bravest Scout at Gallipoli\u003c\/em\u003e, readers encounter vivid accounts that bring history and military experience to life with compassion and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a keen eye for biographical detail and an evocative storytelling style, Butta offers compelling portraits of individuals whose lives illuminate broader social and historical themes. His books invite reflection on courage, resilience, and the human stories behind major events.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-bravest-scout-at-gallipoli-by-ryan-butta-9781922992086","title":"The Bravest Scout at Gallipoli","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarry Freame was the first Australian soldier to win the Distinguished Conduct Medal at Gallipoli. He risked his life again and again to scout the battlefield, reporting invaluable intelligence and relieving stranded soldiers. Some say he should have got the VC but didn't because he was half-Japanese, a fact he tried hard to conceal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the war, Harry (real name Wykeham Henry Koba Freame) became a soldier settler and champion apple grower. But in the lead-up to World War II, he was recruited into Australian intelligence. Extraordinarily, this fact was leaked by the Australian press, and the Japanese secret police tried to assassinate Harry not long after his arrival in Tokyo in 1941. He died back in Australia a few weeks later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHarry was the first Australian to die on secret service for Australia, but his sacrifice has never been officially acknowledged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bravest Scout at Gallipoli\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating and immersive investigation into a grievous historical wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46846020026604,"sku":"9781922992086","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18331983482872.jpg?v=1758903097"},{"product_id":"the-ballad-of-abdul-wade-by-ryan-butta-9781922806000","title":"The Ballad of Abdul Wade","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeparating the bulldust from the bush poetry, Ryan Butta reveals a gritty alternative history that defies the standard horse-powered folklore to reveal the untold debt this country owes to the humble camel, its drivers and the Afghans who brought them here.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Afghan entrepreneur Abdul Wade first brought his camel trains to the outback, he was hailed as a hero. Horses couldn't access many remote settlements, especially those stricken by flood or drought, and camel trains rode to the rescue time and time again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut with success came fierce opposition fuelled by prejudice. The camel was not even classed as an animal under Australian law, and, in a climate of colonial misinformation, hyperbole and fear, camel drivers like Wade were shown almost as little respect. Yet all the while, for those in need, the ships of the desert continued to appear on the outback horizon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter his interest was piqued by a nineteenth-century photo of a camel train in a country town, Ryan Butta found himself on the trail of Australia's earliest Afghan camel drivers. Separating the bulldust from the bush poetry, he reveals the breadth and depth of white Australian protectionism and prejudice. Told with flair and authority, this gritty alternative history defies the standard horse-powered folklore to reveal the untold debt this country owes to humble dromedaries, their drivers and those who brought them here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ballad of Abdul Wade\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e offers a compelling narrative that brings to light these overlooked aspects of history with depth and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Alliance Distribution Services Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46849993015532,"sku":"9781922806000","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16471123482872.jpg?v=1759073267"},{"product_id":"blackbirding-by-ryan-butta-9781923135703","title":"Blackbirding","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn important reckoning with Australia’s unspoken history of slavery.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs a nation, we are becoming more accustomed to reckoning with the horrors and trauma of our colonial past, but one area has remained in the shadows: the Australian slave trade of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKnown as ‘blackbirding’, this dark corner of our history has been evaded and elided. It is now confronted head-on by Ryan Butta in this new work of immersive and meticulously researched historical nonfiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBlackbirding\u003c\/em\u003e, Ryan Butta brings all his skills of combining serious historical research with compelling storytelling to the fore, following the success of his bestselling books \u003cem\u003eThe Ballad of Abdul Wade\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Bravest Scout at Gallipoli\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47642071957740,"sku":"9781923135703","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781923135703-blackbirding.jpg?v=1779141870"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/ryan-butta.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}