{"product_id":"william-russell-bernard-weekes-9781764514927","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\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Russell was never meant to survive.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSentenced to seven years transportation in 1834. Sentenced 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 release came in colonial Australia, it was not freedom, only distance. His name remained written down, his past never closed, the search 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 \u003cem\u003e\"Captain Bushranger,\"\u003c\/em\u003e 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 1764514920\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781764514927\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 Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.42lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.88d","brand":"Bernard Weekes","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48443143717119,"sku":"9781764514927","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_71a3208f-dc77-46cd-8ad5-66a259040d85.jpg?v=1777202128","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/william-russell-bernard-weekes-9781764514927","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}