The Commonwealth Of Thieves
A brilliant recreation of the first four years of white settlement in Australia by acclaimed author Tom Keneally.
Available Formats
-
The Commonwealth Of Thieves Paperback ISBN: 9781741666137 Published: 03/12/2007 Imprint: Vintage Australia Extent: 524 pages Subject: History $19.95 RRP
-
The Commonwealth Of Thieves EBook ISBN: 9781742742663 Published: 04/01/2011 Imprint: RHA eBooks Adult Extent: 524 pages Subject: History $19.95 RRP Buy Now
Synopsis
In 1787, Britain banished its unwanted citizens - uneducated petty thieves, streetwalkers, orphan chimneysweeps and dashing highwaymen - to the fringes of the known world. So remote was Botany Bay - the destination to which the overcrowded, disease-ridden convict ships were bound - that only one European expedition had ever before anchored there. Yet the rejects of Britain, accompanied only by a flimsy complement of soldiers, marines and officers, were expected to start a settlement and flourish. It was an audacious social experiment, unparalleled before or since.To the indigenous inhabitants, the white men came as ghosts through cracks in the cosmos, rudely seizing the bounty of land and sea. On the swampy shores of Botany Bay, and by the sandstone coves of Sydney Harbour, the clash of civilisations was ineviteable, intense and often tragic.From this improbable beginning, through famine, drought, escapes and floggings, the glory of modern Sydney was born. Britain's penal experiment succeeded against all odds. Impeccably researched and told in the inimitable Keneally style, The Commonwealth Of Thieves is the compelling tale of a nation's beginning, its unforgettable people and their quest for identity.
News & Blog
More News & Blog
I thought it would be a breeze to write about ten of my favourite Australian books for Australia Day, but each time I have thought about bringing my fingers to the keyboard, I change the books I want to include. One solution is to restrict myself to fiction only. Of course this means I won’t be able to mention Recollections of a Bleeding Heart by Don Watson (but this would be perfect to get...
Your Reviews
Tom Keneally Books
More
The Daughters Of Mars
by Tom KeneallyEscaping the pain and guilt of their mother’s death, and the future they inherited, the Durance...
The People's Train
by Tom Keneally'Thomas Keneally is one of the historical novel's most expert practitioners, and his new book...
Others Also Viewed
Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain
by Marc MorrisFrom the acclaimed author of A Great and Terrible King and The Norman Conquest,...
Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens
by Andrea WulfThe fascinating story of the world’s first international scientific collaboration.
