A Commonwealth of ThievesIn this spirited history of the remarkable first four years of the convict settlement of Australia, Thomas Keneally offers us a human view of a fascinating piece of history. Combining the authority of a renowned historian with a brilliant narrative flair, Keneally gives us an inside view of this unprecedented experiment from the perspective of the new colony’s governor, Arthur Phillips. Using personal journals and documents, Keneally re-creates the hellish overseas voyage and the challenges Phillips faced upon arrival: unruly convicts, disgruntled officers, bewildered and hostile natives, food shortages, and disease. He also offers captivating portrayals of Aborigines and of convict settlers who were determined to begin their lives anew. A Commonwealth of Thieves immerses us in the fledgling penal colony and conjures up the thrills and hardships of those first four improbable years. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 50
Page
... Woman of the Inner Sea , A River Town , Office of Innocence , and The Tyrant's Novel . His most recent works of nonfiction are The Great Shame and American Scoundrel . He resides in Sydney , Australia . ALSO BY THOMAS KENEALLY A ...
... Woman of the Inner Sea , A River Town , Office of Innocence , and The Tyrant's Novel . His most recent works of nonfiction are The Great Shame and American Scoundrel . He resides in Sydney , Australia . ALSO BY THOMAS KENEALLY A ...
Page
... Woman of the Inner Sea Jacko A River Town Bettany's Book Office of Innocence The Tyrant's Novel Nonfiction Outback The Place Where Souls Are Born : The Journey to the Southwest Now and in Time to Be : Ireland and the Irish Memoirs from ...
... Woman of the Inner Sea Jacko A River Town Bettany's Book Office of Innocence The Tyrant's Novel Nonfiction Outback The Place Where Souls Are Born : The Journey to the Southwest Now and in Time to Be : Ireland and the Irish Memoirs from ...
Page 24
... woman witness had seen John Hudson at a water tub , sitting upon it to wash himself . " I told him that it was water we made use of for drinking and I did not choose he should wash himself there . " Then , ascending the stairs by a ...
... woman witness had seen John Hudson at a water tub , sitting upon it to wash himself . " I told him that it was water we made use of for drinking and I did not choose he should wash himself there . " Then , ascending the stairs by a ...
Page 27
... woman took hold of him and beat him , threw a pail of water over him , and stole whatever else he had . " A gentleman took my part , " said Levi , " and fetched an officer . " The Bow Street Runner claimed to have identified Mary ...
... woman took hold of him and beat him , threw a pail of water over him , and stole whatever else he had . " A gentleman took my part , " said Levi , " and fetched an officer . " The Bow Street Runner claimed to have identified Mary ...
Page 31
... woman with rather birdlike eyes . Whatever Arthur Phillip's sexual ten- dencies , he does not seem to have been a young man aflame with passion . The couple lived in Hampton Court for two years , but then went to rus- ticate at ...
... woman with rather birdlike eyes . Whatever Arthur Phillip's sexual ten- dencies , he does not seem to have been a young man aflame with passion . The couple lived in Hampton Court for two years , but then went to rus- ticate at ...
Contents
Section 16 | 218 |
Section 17 | 230 |
Section 18 | 245 |
Section 19 | 257 |
Section 20 | 270 |
Section 21 | 279 |
Section 22 | 289 |
Section 23 | 295 |
Section 9 | 135 |
Section 10 | 161 |
Section 11 | 171 |
Section 12 | 186 |
Section 13 | 190 |
Section 14 | 197 |
Section 15 | 204 |
Section 24 | 305 |
Section 25 | 320 |
Section 26 | 339 |
Section 27 | 363 |
Section 28 | 369 |
Other editions - View all
A Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia Thomas Keneally No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
aboard Aboriginal alphabetical listing amongst Arabanoo arrived Arthur Phillip ashore Australia Barangaroo Bateson Bennelong boat Botany Bay Bowes Smyth British brought Bryant Cape Town Captain clothing coast Colby colony convict women Cook crew David Collins death England Eora European Evan Nepean fish Flynn Gorgon Government House governor harbour head honour hulks Irish John Johnson journey Kable King Lady Juliana Lady Penrhyn land Lieutenant London Lord Sydney Macarthur Major Ross male convicts marines Mary McEntire Nagle named natives Nepean Neptune Newgate Nicol Norfolk Island officers Parramatta Parramatta River party Pemulwuy penal Pérouse Philip Gidley King Phillip in Hunter Port Jackson Portsmouth pounds prison deck punishment Ralph Clark rations River sail sailors Second Fleet sent sentenced settlement ships Sirius soldiers South Wales Corps spear Supply Surgeon White Sydney Cove told transportation victs voyage Watkin Tench Wentworth wife woman wound wrote young