Brown Men and Red Sand: Journeyings in Wild Australia by Charles Pearcy Mountford (1981, Hardcover, Illustrated)

This is a very well-written account of an expedition by camel train into Australia’s remote interior in the post-WWII years. Although the author is a well-known anthropologist, he states that the book “…is not an anthropological treatise; it is the story of my journey among the desert aborigines of Central Australia…” and it is just that. Acutely perspective and with a deep respect for the culture which surrounds him, Mountford recounts this remarkable story with wit and humanity. The book is well illustrated with the author’s own black and white plates and there is a full index and maps on the endpapers showing the route taken. One wonders indeed if such a journey would be thinkable today, even given the technology of four-wheel drive vehicles.

This book is thoroughly worth finding and is a must for anyone wanting to learn more about Central Australian exploration and the aboriginal culture which still persists today, partly thanks to the work of people like Mountford, who came and visited and understood a great deal about this widely misunderstood and extraordinary people.