This Limited Edition (86 copies) hardcover book was published last year (2023) by ETT Imprint, Exile Bay, NSW. It is a small (116 pages), but beautiful book, abounding in photos (14 - plus the cover as per image on the left) and information. There are still some HC copies available online for $50, and it is also now out in PB for about $29.99. But as a collector, I would much rather have a HC Ltd Ed, signed and numbered by Tom Thompson - designer and I presume publisher (Note: I have no connection with ETT Imprints!), as this book is a collector's item in its own right.

The main focus of this book is letters from Idriess in the years 1933 to 1935, all introduced, collated and annotated by Dr David A. Paterson. The notes accompanying the letters are particularly informative and well-researched about such things as the people and Idriess books mentioned in the letters (even prior to publication and only have working titles and nicknames by Idriess such as Mounted); where Idriess is when writing and what he is contemplating doing - like trips; photos and ideas that may or may not appear in publication; and much more that gives us general and helpful background information. Paterson for instance notes that Idriess doesn't follow his own advice about using reputable publishers - refusing requests for translation as well as inexplicably passing up movie rights and serialisations of his works!

This book has a useful Contents page, an Introduction and an About the Transcription (which includes Names in the Letters - well some of them, anyway - and corresponding Idriess Book Titles). There is a map with Places Mentioned in Idriess Letters (the letters in this book, that is!) and a quite detailed Index at the back of the book (good, but not exhaustive). In the first section of the book is an image of a typed letter with additional hand-written notes by Idriess (in pencil: he invariably used a pencil when writing his books and letters!). All this is good and a welcome addition to the Ion Idriess corpus. So I thank Dr Paterson for his informative work and ETT Imprints for publishing. But I do have a few quibbles.

[On the left is the Verso Title page - signed and numbered - and the next page of the book with Idriess photo]

The first is this: the book has no information about Dr David A. Paterson. He is obviously a knowledgeable bloke about Idriess, but some background info on him would have been good.

Second, as the book only covers letters from 1933 - 1935, it might have been good to have this up-front, perhaps as a sub-title on the cover/ title page.

Third, if they are still extant, it would have been nice to have a few letters TO Idriess. I have several myself from 1936 to 1937, but such letters would have given a broader perspective. I realize you have to deal with what you have, but I know Idriess kept all, or most of his correspondence and much of these came up at recent auctions of his estate. Perhaps another book?

Fourth, this brings us to the question of provenance and how these letters were obtained: it would have been good to have had this explained somewhere in this book.

Fifth, some colloquialisms are noted in the Index (under colloquialisms), but it would be good to have some explanation of their meanings (which Paterson does for some in his About the Transcription, p9).

Sixth, some abbreviations are used for which an explanation might have been handy, such as M.S. - p75, 79 - which is clearly manuscript, but not the usual abbreviation (MS or ms) and ILI - Idriess' initials, p35, 83,104 - which perhaps not everyone knows stands for Ion llewellyn Idriess - but, ok, those buying this book being collectors and afficionados of Idriess probably would know!

Finally, a few more minor quibbles: on p80 reference is made to Gouger of the Bulletin as "his [Idriess'] book." But that might be stretching it as Gouger is a compilation by Jim Bradly of Idriess' Bulletin articles. And note should have been made as to whether Gouger of the Bulletin 2008 or Gouger of the Bulletin Part II 2013 was meant. Gouger is mentioned here in connection with Idriess using the (coined?) word Whaffor in a letter. Gouger Part II p9 seems to use Whaffor in relation to Chinese diggers in the sense of them asking What for? or perhaps Why for? do we have to show miners rights. Paterson says, p8, misspellings are always deliberate, but is humourous, p77, deliberate - or a typo? It's humorous though in the letter p11,13. There is a typo in the notes p34 - then for when.

Overall, a good book and good addition to my Idriess library.