'There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;' Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare. Judy Nunn's ninth novel Floodtide, is a brilliant picture of life in the 'Iron Ore State', Western Australia. It follows a journey from the idyllic, carefree 1950s, through the mineral strikes of the 1970s when vast wealth is acquired and men become powerful beyond their dreams. The avarice of the 1980s sees a new breed arise, and the 90's issues in an age when innocence is lost. The mighty State is brought to its knees by greed, lust, and corruption of such magnitude that it threatens the downfall of the Australian Federal Government. Four young Western Australians travel this journey. Each has their story to tell, and each contributes, for better or for worse, to the changing face of their State. One fights to save the wild and beautiful Pilbara region from the careless ravaging of mining conglomerates, another leads the way in the growth of Perth from a sleepy town on a pretty river, to a glittering citadel of skyscrapers. But each of the four knows one thing - the tides of change are irreversible.