Bestsellers

Filled with all-new and all-true photos and stories from around the world, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Level Up inspires readers of all ages with stories of people who are pushing boundaries and places out of the norm!

The extraordinary life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the map

In 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by the deprivations of years of imprisonment by the French. Four years later, at the age of just 40, he would be dead - a premature, tragic end to one of the world's greatest maritime adventurers who circumnavigated and mapped the famed Great Southern Land, and whose naming of the vast continent would become its modern title: Australia.

Flinders took to the sea at age 16, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe and the adventures of Captain Cook, swiftly climbing the ranks to fight in a decisive naval battle of the French Revolutionary wars. After sailing to Tahiti with William Bligh, Flinders was drawn to adventure, and by 1801 he was in command of an expedition to uncover the true nature of the great continent of the southern ocean.

This sweeping biography tells the story of the fearless, sharp-eyed, handsome Flinders and how he became one of the world's most intrepid explorers. It's a story of a great love for the sea, for connection and of friendship - accompanied by his Aboriginal interpreter and guide, Kuringgai man Bungaree, and his beloved rescue cat, Trim, Flinders explored the furthest reaches and rugged coastlines of Australia. It's also a story of technical brilliance - Flinders' meticulous charts gave us the first complete maps of our continent, which are so accurate they are still used today.

But rushing home to England to his adored wife, Ann, Flinders was trapped and incarcerated off the coast of Africa as a prisoner of war, ultimately denied celebration of his great achievement. His love for Ann, and his fight to escape his bonds to be with her again was the last great adventure of a fascinating life.

From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of Banks, Banjo, Hudson Fysh and Monash, Flinders is a rollicking tale of a man who loved the sea, and adored his family - and pushed himself to the limits of human endeavour to show it.

When Trent Cotchin was handed the reins of Richmond Football Club's team in 2013, he was a 22-year-old star, skilful and fearlessly hard at the ball. Coming off a Brownlow Medal-winning season, he embraced the captaincy and continued his quest to get the most out of himself for the benefit of the club.

Yet by the end of 2016, Trent was suffering from serious self-doubt. The media and fans were circling, questioning the club's leadership and culture, demanding answers for their poor performance in finals.

With nothing to lose and facing down his own fear of failure, Trent put himself on the line in a new way. He laid himself bare and asked his teammates to do the same. Vulnerability - a foreign word to tough footballers back then - gave the players an incredible connection that resulted in the 2017 premiership, breaking a 37-year drought. Trent went on to lead the team to two more flags in 2019 and 2020, cementing his place in Tiger history.

Trent's personal journey involved doing the hard work to shift his focus from 'me' to 'we', abandoning the hunt for perfection in his own game for a more selfless - and ultimately more fulfilling - role. By leading with love and empathy, he brought out the best in those around him.

With unflinching honesty and generosity, Trent shares the lessons he learnt in the hope that it will help others to live more authentically. This book is his legacy.

Liz Hayes has graced our television screens for more than four decades. Millions of Australians kicked off their weeks with Liz co-hosting Channel 9's Today show, and now for over 25 years have settled into their Sunday nights to watch her investigative journalism on 60 Minutes.

From camping in grizzly bear territory to sipping tea with an Afghani warlord in an active warzone, Liz has almost seen it all. She has shared the stories of celebrities and movie stars, leaders and politicians, heroes and villains across the globe, but - after a lifetime of reporting on others - when tragedy struck her own family, Liz discovered that sometimes the hardest story to tell is your own.

Compelling and elegantly written, Liz's long-awaited memoir takes us behind the cameras and back to when Beth Ryan, the dairy farmer's daughter, became seasoned journalist Liz Hayes, and how life in the country gave way to 'controlled' crash-landings on US aircraft carriers.

Synonymous with her iconic 60 Minutes television introduction, I'm Liz Hayes, is a warm and authentic memoir about what's possible, and what it can cost you, when you choose a life of adventure.

When Donna Hay first launched her visually-stunning hardcover book Basics to Brilliance in 2016, she had no idea its pages would become home to some of her (and the country's!) most cherished cult recipes, including that failproof fall-apart slow-cooked beef brisket and the most addictive molten choc-chunk brownies.

In Even More Basics to Brilliance, you'll find many more of those much-loved foundation recipes everyone needs in their cooking repertoire, with simple flavour switch-ups and shortcuts to take you from basics to brilliance in the kitchen, including simple and nourishing base stock for ramen (hello, bowls of umami), the tastiest oven-roasted tomato sauce (say goodbye to stirring at the stove-top!) and the easiest, serve-with-everything yoghurt flatbreads, not to mention the fluffiest foolproof carrot cake and a show-stopping Basque cheesecake.

Each recipe is followed by clever variations and flavour shortcuts to make them even easier to master, while giving home cooks the confidence to elevate their cooking to delicious new heights. And in true Donna style, there are plenty of clever change-ups along the way!

@dymocksbooks It’s Britney… the book! All aboard the Britney bus in Sydney today for the launch of The Woman In Me. #booktok #britneyspears #dymocks ♬ Gimme more - paul desbois

@dymocksbooks Showing up for a run with #NeddBrockmann at the Dymocks confernce. #booktok #dymocks #dymcon23 ♬ original sound - dymocksbooks

Interested in birds but don’t know where to start? Overwhelmed by the bird guides? Want to know more about the birds you see around you? Then this is the book for you!

Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood is the first complete beginners’ field guide to the birds you are most likely to see in the towns and cities of Australia. Much more than an identification tool, though, it opens the door to understanding the habits and behaviours of your suburb’s feathered locals.

It’s also easy to understand, friendly, and packed full of information about these urban birds; and offers tips and suggestions on how to enjoy, protect and encourage more birds into your area. And one of the best features is that it works just as well in Cairns, Perth and Hobart as it does in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

So come and meet the neighbours.

‘Beware! This book will make you addicted to birding. An absolute ripper.’ — Costa Georgiadis

‘Many people have a ‘spark bird’ that ignites a lifelong love for birds. This could be a book that sparks a love of birds for a new generation.’ — Sean Dooley, BirdLife Australia

It's a tennis story. It's a family story. It's a teamwork story. It's the story of how I got to where and who I am today.

WINNER OF THE ABIA AWARD FOR BEST BIOGRAPHY 2023

I'm only in my mid-twenties, and some might think that's young to write a memoir. Who does that, right? But for me and my team it's always been important to reflect on every part of the journey, especially the end. In that context, the timing is perfect to share my story, from the first time I picked up a racquet as a 5-year-old girl in Ipswich to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open. This book gives me a chance to look back at every moment of the 20 years in between, and to think carefully through the highs and lows, the work and the play, the smiles and the tears.

Telling my story also gives me an opportunity to do more than simply thank those who mean the most to me - it provides a way to honour them as an integral part of that tale, as the very secret behind my success. Some of them you might know - such as my longtime coach, Craig Tyzzer - and some of them you might not - like my first childhood coach, Jim Joyce. There are mates like Casey Dellacqua and Alicia Molik. Mentors such as tennis icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley and mindset coach Ben Crowe. My parents and sisters and my husband have sacrificed as much as I have over the years - this book is also for them.

My Dream Time is about finding the path to being the best I could be, not just as an athlete but as a person, and to consider the way those identities overlap and compete. We all have a professional and a personal self. How do you conquer nerves and anxiety? How do you deal with defeat, or pain? What drives you to succeed - and what happens when you do? The answers tell me so much, about bitter disappointments and also dreams realised - from injuries and obscurity and self-doubt to winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world.

My story is about the power and joy of doing that thing you love and seeing where it can take you, about the importance of purpose - and perspective - in our lives.

Mitch Rapp returns to make a mortal enemy of Russia in this high-octane installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from ‘one of the best thriller writers on the planet’ (The Real Book Spy).

Mitch Rapp hates owing anyone a favor – especially when it’s the world’s most powerful crime lord. But when Damian Losa calls, Mitch is honour-bound to answer. 
 
The Syrian government appears to have created a highly addictive new narcotic that it plans to distribute throughout Europe. It’s a major threat to Losa’s business and he’s determined to send someone to keep him on top by any means necessary. Rapp is the perfect choice for the mission. Not only does he have extensive experience operating in the Middle East, but he’s also entirely expendable. 
 
As he crosses into war-torn Syria, Rapp quickly discovers a shocking truth. The new drug isn’t being produced by Damascus to prop up the government’s collapsing finances. Instead, it was created by Russia’s asymmetrical warfare unit, not for profit but as a weapon against the West. 
 
With far more than Damian Losa’s interests at stake, Rapp devises a desperate plan that forces him and his team onto a battlefield where the United States is virtually powerless and allegiances shift almost hourly. Because if Russia uncovers their plot, it will set off a confrontation between the two countries that could change the course of human history.