Kindle Price: $3.69

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Frank Prem
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Devil In The Wind: An anthology of voices from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires (Poetry Memoir Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Frank Prem (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
See all formats and editions
Step into the heart of wildfire. Feel the heat, breathe the smoke.

Devil In The Wind is an account of catastrophic fire and its immediate aftermath.

In this 21st century, the whole world seems to be on fire. America burns. Europe burns. Greece is reeling after its own tragedy of fire.

And Australia burns, as it has always done, but now so much more fiercely.

In February 2009, wildfires burnt through entire communities, taking 173 lives and injuring hundreds, while destroying thousands of houses and other buildings. Up to 400 fires destroyed 450,000 hectares of forest, native fauna and habitat, livestock and farmland.

In the aftermath of the fires, the voices of people who had lived through the experience — victims, rescuers, and observers — were spoken and were heard.

Devil In The Wind is Frank Prem’s poetic anthology of the personal, and very human, accounts of those who themselves experienced and survived Black Saturday. Poetry writing that interacts directly with readers emotions.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Language
    English
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publication date
    May 31, 2019
  4. File size
    1694 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

I recieved this book for free as a giveaway. Many thanks to the author. This is an honest review.

This book is absolutely awesome. It's vivid depictions of first-hand wildfire evacuations and fights is unreal. It is as if the reader is experiencing these horrors first hand. A short but gripping read. ( 5 stars) -LibraryThing

Devil In The Wind
(by Frank Prem
Brenda's review Apr 01, 2019
it was amazing

Outstanding! Aussie author Frank Prem's Devil in the Wind is made up of the voices of survivors of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, where 173 people perished, and complete townships were wiped off the map. Heartbreaking - as we know it was - the beautifully constructed verse took me back to those dreadful days where the firestorms were so fierce it seemed there was nothing anyone could do but watch and wait and hope...

I'm not normally a reader of poetry, but Devil in the Wind captured the essence of 7th February 2009 and the days and weeks afterwards, with eloquence and ease. Beautifully written, the author has given a human voice to those who matter. Highly recommended.

With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.Goodreads)

From the Author

Frank Prem hasbeen a storytelling poet for forty years. When not writing or reading hispoetry to an audience, he fills his time by working as a psychiatric nurse.
 
He has been published in magazines,zines and anthologies, in Australia and in a number of other countries, and hasboth performed and recorded his work as 'spoken word'.
He lives withhis wife in the beautiful township of Beechworth in northeast Victoria,Australia.
 
Frank's web page is located at FrankPrem.com

OtherWorks by Frank Prem
 
Small-Town Kid (2018) amazon.com/dp/B07L6114KS

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Q9YLD8V
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wild Arancini Press (May 31, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 31, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1694 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Frank Prem

Frank Prem

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Frank Prem has been a storytelling poet since his teenage years. He has been a psychiatric nurse through all of his professional career, which now exceeds forty years.

He has been published in magazines, online zines and anthologies in Australia, and in a number of other countries, and has both performed and recorded his work as spoken word.

He lives with his wife in the beautiful township of Beechworth in North East Victoria, Australia.

https://FrankPrem.com

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robbie Cheadle
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for poetry lovers and people interested in historical events
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
Devil in the Wind is not an ordinary collection of poems as this book tell the story of the awful fires that ravaged parts of Australia in February 2009, destroying homes, livestock, forests and people. Each poems gives a different and unique insight into the effect of the fires on different people in different roles in society, including the firefighters, as well as description of how they reacted to the fires, with fighting spirit, brazenness, prayer or despair.

I live in a country that is also plagued by raging fires from time to time and I have felt the fear of being undecided as to whether to fight or flee. If you make the wrong decision you can needlessly loose everything or you can end up dead, along with your family. Frank Prem has captured the turbulent emotions, confusion and conflict that people experience during times of crisis. He also captures the spirit of survival and the ability of people to rally and recover.

A few of the stanza's that captured my imagination in this book are as follows:

"a young fella went up
to the hamper
crawled right inside it

buried himself in the clothes
and wouldn't come out

took two and a half hours
to get him to speak"
From ever again

"the sound I heard
was like ten or twelve jumbo jets
down at the airport
all screaming their guts out
at the same time"
From evidence to the commission of enquiry: overview

I would recommend this book to both lovers of poetry and people who are interested in historical events. Frank Prem's poetry is powerful, but easy to read and understand. A most enjoyable book.
Helpful
 Report
Ms_Jade_Li
5.0 out of 5 stars Chronicle of Devastation from 2009 Australian Bush Fires
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2019
“Devil in the Wind: Voices from the 2009 Black Saturday Bush Fires,” is a book of poetry by Australian poet, Frank Prem, about horrific wildfires across the Australian state of Victoria in 2009. The preface includes descriptions of the physical and trauma effects in the victims' own words. As the book moves along, the poems describe in graphic and statistical detail the scope of the damage to people, places, and things during the fires.

Much of the format of Frank's poetry is stream of consciousness, as expressed from various perspectives, including rescue personnel, those manning the fire watch towers, those who outwitted death, the loved ones of those who didn't survive, and witnesses of horrific pain and suffering. Frank effectively captures the angst and dread of being trapped in what amounts to a living hell for every living thing trapped in a million acres burning.

About twenty percent at the end of the book relates the lingering affects of the trauma after the fires were gone. It talks about survivors returning to their properties, cities existing only as coordinates on a map, and children struggling to get beyond what they experienced during the fires. It is difficult to read what the fire investigation reveals.

Although the book is finished, Frank continues to learn of others' stories in connection with the fires. He says, “and perhaps it [capturing the stories] must go on to ensure we remember to ensure survivors can still tell their tales and to ensure there is a place of safekeeping a refuge for these stories forged in hell.” --Frank Prem. Devil in the Wind (Kindle Locations 1677-1683). Wild Arancini Press.

Standout poems for me were, “like a duck on a lake,” “portraits in green and gold,” “the strength of a truckie,” ”kinglake still,” and “old man roo returns.”

Final impressions: While, and after, reading Frank's poems, the many haunting images contained within the poems add up to a profound impact on me as the reader. What Frank says about “ensur[ing] there is a place of safekeeping... for these stories forged in hell” is both noble and vital. The scribes preserve precious realities that link us to what it means to be sentient creatures on planet earth. It's important for humans, now and in the future, to remember these stories.
Helpful
 Report
Mary Dharsi
5.0 out of 5 stars Short Free Verse, Easy to Follow, Gut-Wrenchingly Written
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2019
Devil in the Wind: Voices from the 2009 Black Saturday Bush Fires, is not to be missed. Prem's choice of poetic delivery reminded me of a children's picture book I'd once read that had done the same thing. I'd loved it, and I was curious to see if Devil in the Wind could stay with me, too.

The prologue quickly brought me into the victims' and survivors' thoughts and feelings, and I couldn't help but relate the author's swift speed in this to how fast a fire spreads. And, the way the words themselves were organized on the paper visually captured the essence of fire burning for me.

It was this surprisingly intense moment once I saw the words "aflame." The realization brought me that much closer to the terrible level of magnified fear, that tug-of-war struggle within about what you want to do versus what you should, and that overwhelming feeling of heartache that was felt like waves in the water. There was no putting Devil in the Wind down after that introduction, and I was not disappointed in a single line afterwards.

This is my honest review of a book won in a giveaway on LibraryThing.
Helpful
 Report
ACFlory
5.0 out of 5 stars Capturing the essence of memory
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2019
I'm not a poetry person, at least not normally, but I cried when I read 'Devil in the Wind' by Frank Prem. It's about the Black Saturday fires that claimed 173 lives here in Victoria. 
I was at home in Warrandyte that day. I'd sent the Offspring away, but I was at home with Dad and the animals because Dad had mild dementia and...I don't think any of us really believed. I listened to 774 radio all day and some horrific reports were being phoned in, but we had the best roof sprinklers money could buy, and fire-resistant shutters. I was sure we'd be fine. And we didn't really believe. 
The next day, the reports started coming in and finally, we believed.
It was 'all in together' for a while after Black Saturday. We grieved, and donated food, and money, and hay because the animals were starving, and because we were alive and so many were not.
The togetherness has disappeared now, but we had it for a while, and I thank Frank Prem for helping me remember.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced review copy of Devil in the Wind.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Christine Goodnough
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb writing, compelling reading.
Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
I intended to read a few poems at a time about this tragic event, but once I started, I couldn't stop until I had read every last one. Through the first-hand accounts the reader finds himself right there in the midst of the inferno!
The author has skillfully meshed the various voices into a gripping account of the catastrophe, and manages to end on a note of resilience and hope in spite of the destruction.
Report
Hibiscus
5.0 out of 5 stars 2009 Australian Bushfires
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Thoroughly recommend these personal experiences, loss and bewilderment expressed through poetry. You will be shocked.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report