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Heart of Stone by Michael Chamberlain

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After 30 years of silence, and on the eve of the verdict of a Fourth Inquest, Michael Chamberlain writes his own account of the death of his baby daughter Azaria Chamberlain in a heart-wrenching and compelling book. Never before has Michael Chamberlain spoken about this tragic event and the release comprises a number of picture sections with exclusive unreleased family images. The story of the Chamberlains has been the one subject that has divided many a dinner party throughout Australia and the world. They were a young family who loved the outdoors. When they took their two young children and baby to Ayers Rock they never knew their lives would be forever changed. Tragedy struck when a dingo forced its way into the tent and dragged their daughter Azaria to its lair. 'That dingo's got my baby!'. That 'cry in the dark' on 17 August, 1980 of her mother Lindy Chamberlain remains imprinted in the world's mind. In Heart of Stone Michael takes the reader back to the place where it all began - Ayers Rock (before it was also named Uluru) . In a detailed, methodical and emotional account he writes of all tragic moment when Lindy heard the 'cry in the dark' and the discovery of the empty baby's bed. Michael describes that long night - with Aboriginal trackers springing to their aid to search, and the head ranger who had agonized for three months previous about the troublesome dingoes in the camping areas. He describes in detail the heartache of the first inquest at Ayers Rock - the first to be broadcast live - which declared that the dingo had taken the baby, and then the turnaround, when he and his wife were charged with suspected murder. Michael describes his life in the painful and horrendous lead up to the arrest and persecution of his wife Lindy and her wrongful imprisonment for the murder of her own child in the 'trial of the century'. He takes the reader through their ordeal of the following inquests, the tragic breakup of their marriage. When an English tourist fell off the rock the search led to the discovery of the 'matinee jacket' in a dingo lair. The news led to Lindy's release 'on compassionate grounds' and yet another inquiry. All of these events are described, as Michael lived in the unrelenting glare of the media, whose opinion and fostering of rumours added to the impression of the public of Michael and his family. There were unfounded rumours, for example, that Azaria meant 'sacrifice in the desert' when it actually means 'blessed'. Questions over Michael's reluctance to cry in public, or his reserved nature were taken to mean he was hiding the truth. Michael's own determination for justice has led to a fourth inquest in the Northern Territory of Australian into the death of Azaria. This book is about getting justice for a family, full circle. It is about the impossible mission driven this time by me, against all odds; to open the fourth inquest and the truth, backed by the law, declaring that a dingo killed Azaria. While Lindy has published her own book, with a TV mini series based on that, John Bryson has written Evil Angels and Meryl Streep starred in Cry in the Dark, this book is a missing link in the story of Azaria, written in his own hand by her father. THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS Azaria Chantelle Loren Chamberlain born, Mount Isa Public Hospital: 11 June 1980 Taken by a dingo at Ayers Rock: ? 17 August, 1980 First inquiry into the death: Dec-Feb 1980/81 Raid at Cooranbong home by NT police: ? 19 September 1981 Second inquiry: Dec-Feb 1981/82 Trial of Lindy Chamberlain commences: 13 September 1982 Lindy sentenced to life imprisonment: 19 October 1982 Daughter Kahlia born in prison: 17 November 1982 Lindy released on bail: 19 November 1982 Appeal (Lindy back to gaol): 30 April 1983 High Court Appeal: 22 February 1984 Matinee jacket found at Ayers Rock: 4 February 1986 Lindy released from prison: 7 February 1986 Report to Brian Martin for Royal Commission: 11 February 1985 Royal Commission ordered: April 1986 Royal commission: March-May 1986 Finding delivered: 2 June 1987 but cause of death left open Court of Appeal: 15 September 1988 Compensation for wrongful imprisonment: 1991 3rd inquest: 16 December 1995 delivers an 'open finding' 4th inquest: Northern Territory: commences 24 February 2012 ? ? CONCEPT COVER ? ? ? ? ? ?
Publication Details

Title: Heart of Stone

Author(s):

  • Michael Chamberlain

Illustrator:

Binding: Hardcover

Published by: New Holland: , 2012

Edition:

ISBN: 9781742572895 | 1742572898

444 pages. 163 x 244 x 42mm

  • ENG- English
Book Condition: Very Good
299ad

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Product information

What does the Book Condition Very Good mean? Good? Fair?
See our descriptions of book descriptions here: book's conditions.
What does ffep stand for?
Front-facing endpaper - the first page of a book inside the cover. This page is typically blank. Often people will write their name on this page at the top, or a gift message - which is why you will see ‘owner’s name on ffep’ in some of our book descriptions.
What does dj stand for?
Dust Jacket - the outer paper wrapping on a hardback book. If we mention a book is ’No dj’ this means it should have a dust jacket but it is missing.
What is foxing?
Foxing is an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on old books. The causes of foxing are not well understood, but high humidity may contribute to to foxing. 
Foxing - Wikipedia
What is tanning?
Age tanning, or browning, occurs over time on the pages of books. This process can show up on just the edges of pages, when this occurs it is sometimes referred to as "edge tanning." This kind of deterioration is commonly seen in books printed before the advent of acid-free paper in the 1980s.
r/BookCollecting - Is this mold or normal aging for a well used book?
 
Where do you get your books from?
We buy books from the public and also take donations. We travel regularly around the Wellington/Manawatu region, and will go further afield to collect larger quantities in our big van. We also like to go to book fairs and other charity events and buy books that catch our eye.
Are your photos of the actual books being sold?
It depends - we have sometimes used stock images for very common books but are in the process of photographing our entire inventory. This will take awhile to finish! If we have 10 copies of the Da Vinci code all in Very Good condition, we will just photograph one and use that to represent all 10 in stock. However if the next copy of worn and only in Fair condition, we will photograph that separately and create a new listing for it.
What is the most expensive book you have sold?
To date it was a first edition first printing copy of JRR Tolkien’s The Two Towers. It was in very poor condition but still was worth over NZ$1000.
What is your favourite book to sell?
I love seeing anything written by Stephen King - they just do not stay in our inventory for very long before someone spots it and buys it. And Alison Holst’s book on muffins will not stay in inventory very long either - too cheap at $7 maybe?
Why do you also sell mailing supplies?
We had a lot of trouble sourcing the right sort of bubble mailer to send our books out in, and eventually found a supplier of high quality mailers in China to import them from. We figured other sellers of small items in New Zealand might like to also use them.
Are you open to the public?
Unfortunately our books are all stored in a large warehouse in boxes so they are not easily browsable. The SKU number for a book tells us where to find it in the warehouse, but there is absolutely no order to where things are stored! We do allow pickups so if you find what you like online you can order it and drop in to pick up p, saving on shipping.

 

New Zealand Delivery

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We endeavour to ship the following day after your order is made and to have pick up orders available the same day. We ship Monday-Friday. Any orders made on a Friday afternoon will be sent the following Monday. We are unable to deliver on Saturday and Sunday.

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Warehouse Pick Up Hours

  • Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm
  • 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon NZ

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Rates

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Please allow up to 5 working days for your order to arrive within New Zealand before contacting us about a late delivery. We use NZ Post and the tracking details will be emailed to you as soon as they become available. There may be some courier delays that are out of our control. 

International Delivery

We currently ship to Australia and a range of international locations including: Belgium, Canada, China, Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand,  Philippines, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden & Singapore. If your country is not listed, we may not be able to ship to you, or may only offer a quoting shipping option, please contact us if you are unsure.

International orders normally arrive within 2-4 weeks of shipping. Please note that these orders need to pass through the customs office in your country before it will be released for final delivery, which can occasionally cause additional delays. Once an order leaves our warehouse, carrier shipping delays may occur due to factors outside our control. We, unfortunately, can’t control how quickly an order arrives once it has left our warehouse. Contacting the carrier is the best way to get more insight into your package’s location and estimated delivery date.

  • Global Standard 1 Book Rate: $37 + $10 for every extra book up to 20kg
  • Australia Standard 1 Book Rate: $14 + $4 for every extra book

Any parcels with a combined weight of over 20kg will not process automatically on the website and you will need to contact us for a quote.

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Contact Details

  • Trade Name: Book Express Ltd
  • Phone Number: (+64) 22 852 6879
  • Email: sales@bookexpress.co.nz
  • Address: 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon, 4821, New Zealand.
  • GST Number: 103320957 - We are registered for GST in New Zealand
  • NZBN: 9429031911290

       

      We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.

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