One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.

From Berlin and Tokyo and Rome, we have been described as a nation of weaklings- playboys- who would hire British soldiers or Russian soldiers or Chinese soldiers to do our fighting for us. Let them repeat that now. Let them tell that to General McArthur and his men. Let them tell that to the sailors who today are hitting hard in the far waters of the Pacific. Let them tell that to the boys in the Flying Fortresses. Let them tell that to the Marines.

When he′d grown tall and lanky, he bushwalked on Magnetic Island, with its secluded bays and hiking trails to Mt. Cook through groves of coconut palms and tamarinds and mangoes.

Henrietta's feelings for Delbert run hot and cold—one minute she's hopelessly in love with him, and the next she can't stand the sight of him.