The Flight of Steps
Australian History Local History Young Adult Non-Fiction Biography & Autobiography Family History Australian Memoir Autiquarian & Collectible
The Flight of Steps is a scarce, signed first edition of Norman D. Carlyon’s 1986 Australian memoir—an intimate, illustrated hard-cover that young-adult and adult collectors prize for its first-hand window on everyday life in rural Australia between the wars. Carlyon, a respected local historian, blends family anecdote with regional chronicle, so the book doubles as an engaging autobiography and a trustworthy secondary source for schools and genealogists tracking early twentieth-century settlement patterns in Victoria and southern New South Wales. Because the author personally signed this copy, it already sits in the top tier of collectability; add the protected original dust jacket, period photographs and sketches, and you have a volume that is as visually appealing as it is informative.
Inside, readers follow the Carlyon clan through drought, the Great Depression, wartime rationing and post-war renewal, all told with the warmth and humour that characterise Australia’s best bush memoirs. Descriptions of one-room schools, horse-drawn deliveries and “making do” resonate with modern sustainability enthusiasts, while family trees and marginal notes make the book a ready-made springboard for anyone researching Australian ancestry or compiling local-history projects. Teachers value the clean, accessible prose for senior curriculum support; collectors value the untouched, un-ex-library interior that is increasingly hard to find nearly four decades after publication.
Condition notes: the dust jacket shows only light shelf fade, the prelim page carries a neat vintage inscription and date, and an extra handwritten note is tipped onto the rear flyleaf—evidence of the book’s journey through one careful family rather than institutional wear. Pages are crisp, unmarked and free of dog-ears; a tiny edge scuff here or there is commensurate with age and only adds honest character. For bibliophiles seeking a signed, illustrated piece of Australiana that balances readability with investment potential, this vintage 234-page hardcover is a standout addition to any antiquarian, history or biography shelf.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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