The story of Richard Morgan. He is living in England during the American Revolution. Wrongly imprisoned he is sent to the new prison colony in Australia. With the American Revolution convicts can no longer be dumped in America, so it comes about the they are being sent to Australia. She shows how horrible the conditions were in the prisons and in the ships. Than those who survive the journey face a very hard life. It is amazing that any make it. This was to be a part of a series. It is a shame she wasn't able to continue the story. ( )

Here's what I wrote in 2008 about this read: "Fictionalized account of the English colonization of Australia. A good read; lusty and heroic characters, adverse conditions that
make one appreciate the raw grite required to colonize the country." ( )

I listened to the abridged version and it was very good for an abridged version. It allowed you to capture the soul of the minor characters, which I find is rare in an abridgement. I don't think I can do a proper eval of the book because I think the whole tone of the book was changed by the shortening.

I learned something that should not have surprised me: The terrible conditions of those transported to Austrailia as convicts. The book gave the idea that those who had the old slave ships wanted to make money with them somehow.

I'm glad I read the book and am going to read more from Colleen McCullough. ( )

In 1787, bound in chains aboard one of the first ships loaded with unwanted rabble, Richard Morgan set sail from England along with several hundred other convicts, bound for the wild and unknown continent of Australia. The journey by sea lasts more than eight months. When finally they arrive and begin to organize an experimental settlement on Australia's southeast coast, realization dawns that the food, tools and other supplies sent by the government are both insufficient and inferior. It's unclear whether this fledgling colony will survive even a year.

This fictionalized tale of the very real historical figure Morgan is engaging from beginning to end, from his normal, humble life prior to running afoul of the law, to the time spend incarcerated in England, to the long, tedious voyage itself, to earning the respect of the overseers and attempting to forge a new life for himself through hard work. McCullough has an amazing talent for description, and I disagree with reviewers who maintain that the book deserved heavier editing — these readers clearly have not read her Masters of Rome series, as she is the Queen of Verbose! I found it engrossing and not at all boring, reveling in the level of meticulous detail. Richard's only real flaw is that he is portrayed as having none. His seeming perfection and uncanny luck, the only exception being the temporary lapse in judgment that got him into this mess, before long begins to seem unrealistic to the discerning eye. Incredibly, he has a talent for just about everything he attempts, and everyone who meets him almost immediately loves and respects him. Because I was thoroughly enjoying the book, I was able to suspend my disbelief despite how unrealistic it seemed. It was fun to "travel along" throughout the book, using provided maps as well as seeking out modern-day maps and encyclopedic data. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that the Mount Pitt bird (providence petrel) became extinct on Norfolk Island as a direct result of overhunting on the part of these early settlers, though populations continue to nest today on neighboring islands. ( )

Reread during Covid -19 lockdown 20/8/20. Still a great read. There is so much historical minutia woven into the tale. It must have taken so long to research it all. Pity she never got to write the sequal. ( )