{"product_id":"william-russell-bernard-weekes-9781764514903","title":"William Russell: Captain Bushranger","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Russell - Captain Bushranger\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA documented true story from Ireland to colonial Australia and Norfolk Island, reconstructed from court records, newspapers, and archival sources.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt just 17 years old, William Russell was sentenced to seven years transportation and sent in chains from Ireland to Australia in 1834.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Russell was never meant to survive.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSentenced again in 1841 to life on Norfolk Island, in a penal system designed to break men, he endured punishment, exile, and years without hope. When Norfolk Island was finally behind him, it was not freedom, only distance. His name remained written down, his past never closed, and the search for him was never abandoned.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book traces William Russell's life from convict to husband and father as he and Sarah build a life lived carefully and always under threat. Troopers, records, and old accusations follow him across rivers, goldfields, and growing Australian towns. Survival depends not on heroics, but on restraint, patience, and knowing when to move on.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRemembered by some as \"Captain Bushranger,\" Russell never claimed the name. It was applied by others, a label that survived where much of the man's own voice did not. This work returns to the records to examine the life behind the name.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten by a sixth-generation descendant of William Russell, the book brings together history and family memory to illuminate the life of a man who lived in the shadows of Australia's frontier era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on historical records, with interpretation where the record falls silent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Bernard Weekes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1764514904\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781764514903\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Back Creek Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/29\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 270\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.08lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.73d","brand":"Bernard Weekes","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49097248309503,"sku":"9781764514903","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/william-russell-bernard-weekes-9781764514903","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}