For about six years now, Bob Ellis's essays have not shown up as often as they used to in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Courier Mail and The Canberra Times. Whatever the reasons, and they are not all sinister -- space is more limited, and funds for freelancers -- he has not ceased to write them, at a rate of about three a fortnight. Here -- along with notes on his most recent books -- are some of his grumblings and perturbations, a suggestion or two for speeches, slogans and war cries on the larger subjects of love and lying, film and theatre, nostalgia, sorrow and war and peace.