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Arthur Upfield

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Writers and critics

   Arthur William Upfield ( 1 September 1890 - 13 February 1964 ) was an
   Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction
   featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ('Bony') of the
   Queensland Police Force.

Biography

   Upfield was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England on 1 September 1890.
   His father was a draper. In 1910, after doing poorly in examinations
   towards becoming a real estate agent, Upfield was sent to Australia by
   his father.

   For most of the next twenty years he travelled throughout the outback
   working at a number of jobs. He learnt much of Aboriginal culture,
   later to be used in his books.

   With the outbreak of World War I, he joined the First Australian
   Imperial Force on 23 August 1914. Upfield sailed from Brisbane on the
   HMAT Anglo Egyptian on 24 September 1914 to Melbourne. At the time of
   sailing he had the rank of Driver and was with the 1st Light horse
   Brigade Train (5 Company ASC [Army Service Corps]). In Melbourne he was
   at a camp for several weeks before sailing to Egypt. He fought at
   Gallipoli and in France, and married an Australian nurse, Ann Douglass,
   in Egypt in 1915. He was discharged in England on 15 October 1919. He
   worked as a private secretary to an army officer. In 1921 he returned
   to Australia with his wife and their son.

   Upfield created the character of Detective Inspector Napoleon
   Bonaparte, based on a man known as 'Tracker Leon' whom he had met in
   his travels. Leon Wood was a half-caste Aborigine who was employed as a
   tracker by the Queensland Police.The novels featuring 'Bony', as the
   character was also known, were far more successful than other Upfield
   writings.
   3 Jasmine Street, Bowral, the house where Upfield spent his last years
   and died Enlarge
   3 Jasmine Street, Bowral, the house where Upfield spent his last years
   and died
   Snowy Rowles, convicted for The Murchison Murders, standing beside the
   car of James Ryan, photographed by Arthur Upfield. Ryan was one of the
   victims.
   Enlarge
   Snowy Rowles, convicted for The Murchison Murders, standing beside the
   car of James Ryan, photographed by Arthur Upfield. Ryan was one of the
   victims.

   Late in life Upfield became a prominent member of the Australian
   Geological Society, involved in scientific expeditions. In particular
   he led a major expedition in 1948 to northern and western parts of
   Australia in 1948, including the Wolfe Creek crater. The Wolfe Creek
   crater was a setting for his novel The Will of the Tribe published in
   1962.

   After living at Bermagui, New South Wales, Upfield moved to Jasmine
   Street, Bowral, New South Wales. Upfield died at Bowral on 13 February,
   1964. His last work, The Lake Frome Monster, published in 1966, was
   completed by J.L. Price and Dorothy Stange.

   In 1957, his lifelong companion, Jessica Hawke, published a biography
   of the author entitled Follow My Dust!. It is generally held however,
   that this was written by Upfield himself.

Works

   Upfield's novels were held in high regard by some fellow writers. In
   1987, H.R.F. Keating included The Sands of Windee (1931) in his list of
   the 100 best crime and mystery books ever published. J.B. Priestley
   wrote of Upfield: "If you like detective stories that are something
   more than puzzles, that have solid characters and backgrounds, that
   avoid familiar patterns of crime and detection, then Mr Upfield is your
   man." Others have found Upfield's prose stilted. Much of the appeal of
   Arthur Upfield's stories lies in the depiction of outback Australian
   life in the 1930s through into the 1950s.

   In The Sands of Windee, a story about a "perfect murder", Upfield
   invented a method to destroy carefully all evidence of the crime.
   Upfield's "Windee method" was used in a true-life crime, The Murchison
   Murders.

   Upfield's novels were very popular in America (originally because so
   many American servicemen stationed out there during WW2 read them and
   brought copies back), England and translated into German.

   From 1972 - 1973 a 26-episode television series was produced by Fauna
   Productions (the folks who brought you "Skippy The Bush Kangaroo").
   After a long search for a half-white, half-Aborigine actor, the
   producers chose English actor Jon Finch for the role of Detective
   Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. When he suddenly became unavailable,
   Fauna's John McCallum flew to London in panic, and was lucky enough to
   audition New Zealand actor James Laurenson on his last day there.
   Offered the lead role, Laurenson hurriedly flew to Australia, reading
   "Bony" books all the way over. The series was called Boney, partly to
   make the pronunciation of the name more obvious, and partly because
   that had been Upfield's original intention - a publisher's misprint on
   the first novel had renamed the character! Most of the episodes were
   based directly on one of the novels, but there were some adaptations.
   Two original scripts were not directly based on any novel; five novels
   were not adapted for television, effectively ‘reserving’ them in case a
   third series eventuated. At the time, many of the books were reprinted
   with the spelling altered to ‘Boney’ on the covers (although retaining
   the original in the text), and featuring a photo from the relevant
   episode.

Table of books

   Name of book Setting English language publication Title of German
   translation and date of publication
   The House of Cain Hutchinson, London, n.d. [1928];

   1st U.S. Edition: Dorrance, Philadelphia, 1929; 2nd US Edition:
   (pirated) Dennis McMillan, San Francisco, 1983.
   The Barrakee Mystery Near Wilcannia, New South Wales Hutchinson,
   London, n.d. [1929];

   2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1965; 1st US Edition:
   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1965 - as The Lure of the Bush.
   Bony und der Bumerang, 1966
   The Beach of Atonement Dongara, Western Australia Hutchinson, London,
   n.d. [1930].
   The Sands of Windee 'Windee' is a fictional sheep station near
   Milparinka _, a hundred and fifty miles (240 km) north of Broken Hill.
   Windee covered 1 300 000 acres (5,300 km²) of land and ran 70 000
   sheep. Hutchinson, London, n.d. [1931];

   1st Australian Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1958; 2nd UK
   Edition: Angus & Robertson, London, 1959.
   Ein glücklicher Zufall, 1961
   A Royal Abduction Hutchinson, London, [1932];

   1st US Edition: (pirated) Dennis McMillan, Miami Beach, 1984.
   Gripped by Drought Hutchinson, London, n.d. [1932]
   The Murchison Murders Upfield's own account of the murders in the
   Murchison region of Western Australia Midget Masterpiece Publishing,
   Sydney, n.d. [1934];

   1st US Edition: (pirated) Dennis McMillan, Miami Beach, 1987.
   Wings Above the Diamantia Lake Eyre region Angus & Robertson, Sydney,
   1936; 2nd Australian Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1940

   1st UK Edition: Hamilton, London, n.d. [1937] - as Winged Mystery 1st
   US Edition: Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1943 - as Wings Above the
   Claypan
   Das rote Flugzeug, 1991
   Mr. Jelly's Business Takes place at Burracoppin and Merredin east of
   Perth in the Wheat Belt of Western Australia along the Rabbit-proof
   fence. The railway station in the story map and the water pipe have
   changed little since Upfield's day (he worked clearing brush in
   Burracoppin). Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1937; 2nd Australian Edition:
   Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1964

   1st UK Edition: Hamilton, London, 1938 1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime
   Club, New York, 1943 - as Murder Down Under
   Mr. Jellys Geheimnis, 1965
   Winds of Evil Silverton, New South Wales and the nearby Barrier Range
   which is north and east of Broken Hill Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1937;
   2nd Australian Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1961

   1st UK Edition Hutchinson, London, n.d. [1939] 1st US Edition:
   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1944
   Bony stellt eine Falle, 1962
   The Bone is Pointed "Opal Town" or Opalton, Queensland in the Channel
   Country of the Diamantina River Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1938; 2nd
   Australian Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1966

   1st UK Edition: Hamilton, London, 1939 1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime
   Club, New York, 1947; US Book Club Edition: Unicorn Mystery Book Club,
   New York, 1946
   Todeszauber, 1965
   The Mystery of Swordfish Reef Takes place from Bermagui, New South
   Wales; the reef extends from Montague Island. The plot is based on the
   1880 disappearance of the geologist Lamont Young near Mystery Bay, New
   South Wales. Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1939; Aust. Book Club
   Edition:Readers Book Club, Melbourne, 1963

   1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1960; UK Book Club Edition: The
   Companion Book Club, London, 1963; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London,
   1971 1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1943
   Der Kopf im Netz, 1959
   Bushranger of the Skies Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1940; 2nd Australian
   Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1963

   1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime Book Club, New York, 1944 - as No
   Footprints in the Bush
   Bony und die Todesotter, 1965
   Death of a Swagman Lake Mungo in south-western New South Wales 1st
   Australian Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1947; 2nd Australian
   Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1962

   1st UK Edition: Aldor, London, 1946 Doubleday/Crime Book Club, New
   York, 1945; US Book Club Edition: Unicorn Mystery Book Club, New York,
   1946
   Bony wird verhaftet, 1964
   The Devil's Steps 1st Australian Edition: Invincible Press, Sydney,
   n.d. [1950-1953]; 2nd Australian Edition: Angus & Robertson, Sydney,
   1965

   1st UK Edition: Aldor, London, 1948 Doubleday/Crime Club, New York,
   1946; US Book Club Edition: Unicorn Mystery Book Club, New York, 1946
   Der Pfad des Teufels, 1992
   An Author Bites the Dust Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1948

   1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1948; US Book Club
   Edition: Unicorn Mystery Book Club, New York, 1948
   Die Leute von nebenan, 1959
   The Mountains Have a Secret Set mostly in the Grampians mountain range
   in western Victoria. 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1952; 2nd UK
   Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1948; US Book Club Edition: Unicorn
   Mystery Book Club, New York, 1948
   Tödlicher Kult, 1990
   The Widows of Broome Set in Broome, Western Australia 1st UK Edition:
   Heinemann, London, 1951; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1967

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1950; US Book Club Edition: Dollar
   Mystery Guild, New York, 1950
   Die Witwen von Broome, 1958
   The Bachelors of Broken Hill Broken Hill, New South Wales 1st
   Australian Edition: Invincible Press, Sydney, between 1950 and 1953

   1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1958; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann,
   London, (date not identified); Large Print Edition: Ulverscroft,
   Leicester, 1974 Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1950; US Book Club
   Edition: Detective Book Club, New York, 1951
   Die Junggesellen von Broken Hill, 1960
   The New Shoe Aireys Inlet; The Split Point Lighthouse and Broken Rock
   1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1952; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann,
   London, 1968

   Doubleday/Crime Book Club, New York, 1951
   Der neue Schuh, 1960
   Venom House 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1953; 2nd UK Edition:
   Heinemann, London, 1970

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1952; US Book Club Edition: Unicorn
   Mystery Club, New York, 1952
   Die Giftvilla, 1959
   Murder Must Wait 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1953; 2nd UK
   Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1953; US Book Club Edition: Detective
   Book Club, New York, 1953
   Viermal bei Neumond, 1960
   Death of a Lake Heinemann, London, 1954

   1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1954
   Der sterbende See, 1959
   Sinister Stones Kimberley region of Western Australia 1st UK Edition:
   Heinemann, London, 1955 - as Cake in the Hat Box; 2nd UK Edition:
   Heinemann, London, (date not identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1954
   Der schwarze Brunnen, 1960
   The Battling Prophet The Murray River Heinemann, London, 1956; 2nd UK
   Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not identified) Der streitbare
   Prophet, 1960
   The Man of Two Tribes 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1956 - as Man
   of Two Tribes; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1956
   Höhle des Schweigens, 1961
   The Bushman Who Came Back 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1957 - as
   Bony Buys a Woman

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1957
   Bony kauft eine Frau, 1960
   Follow My Dust! Heinemann, London, 1957
   Bony and the Black Virgin; also published as The Torn Branch "Lake
   Jane", a fictional lake in the Murray-Darling Basin 1st UK Edition:
   Heinemann, London, 1959; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not
   identified) Bony und die schwarze Jungfrau, 1962
   Journey to the Hangman "Daybreak", a fictional mining town 150 miles
   from Laverton, Western Australia 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London,
   1959 - as Bony and the Mouse; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, (date
   not identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York. 1959
   Bony und die Maus, 1961
   Valley of Smugglers Possibly set in a town and valley similar to
   Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales not far from Bowral where Upfield
   lived for the last years of his life. However, Robertson on the top of
   the escarpment, which is known for its potatoes, is also possible.

   The waterfall may be Fitzroy Falls in Morton National Park.

   Narrates some episodes of the Ned Kelly true history.
   1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1960 - as Bony and the Kelly Gang;
   2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1960; US Book Club Edition: Detective
   Book Club, New York, n.d. [1960]
   Fremde sind unerwünscht, 1963
   The White Savage 1st UK Edition: Heinemann, London, 1961 - as Bony and
   the White Savage; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not
   identified)

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1961
   Bony und die weiße Wilde, 1962
   The Will of the Tribe Wolfe Creek crater First UK Edition: Heinemann,
   London, 1962

   Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1962
   Wer war der zweite Mann?, 1963
   Madman's Bend Heinemann, London, 1963

   1st US Edition: Doubleday/Crime Club, New York, 1963 - as The Body at
   Madman's Bend
   Bony übernimmt den Fall, 1964
   The Lake Frome Monster

   [Note: This posthumously published work was based on an unfinished
   manuscript and detailed notes left by Upfield. It was completed by J L
   Price and Mrs Dorothy Strange.]
   Heinemann, London, 1966; 2nd UK Edition: Heinemann, London, (date not
   identified) Gefahr für Bony, 1967
   Breakaway House Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1987
   The Great Melbourne Cup Mystery ETT Imprint, Watson's Bay, Sydney, 1996
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