Great Convict Stories: Dramatic and Moving Tales from Australia's Brutal Early Years (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781760527488)

'Graham Seal has the knack of the storyteller.'
Warren Fahey AM

Graham Seal takes us back to Australia's ignominious beginnings, when a hungry child could be transported to the other side of the globe for the theft of a handkerchief.

It was a time when men were flogged till they bled for a minor misdemeanour, or forced to walk the treadmill for hours. Teams in iron chains carved roads through sandstone cliffs with hand picks, and men could select wives from a line up at the female factory. From the notorious prison regimes at Norfolk Island, Port Arthur and Macquarie Harbour came chilling accounts of cruelty, murder and even cannibalism.

Despite the often harsh conditions, many convicts served their prison terms and built successful lives for themselves and their families. With a cast of colourful characters from around the country -- the real Artful Dodger, intrepid bushrangers like Martin Cash and Moondyne Joe, and the legendary nurse Margaret Catchpole -- Great Convict Stories offers a fascinating insight into life in Australia's first decades.

Author: Graham Seal
ISBN-10: 1760527483
ISBN-13: 9781760527488
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Language: English
Published: 01/07/2019
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 7.70h x 5.00w x 1.00d