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The Fatal Shore [Paperback]

Robert Hughes
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
RRP: £11.99
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Book Description

2 Jan 2003

In 1787, the twenty-eighth year of the reign of King George III, the British Government sent a fleet to colonize Australia.

An epic description of the brutal transportation of men, women and children out of Georgian Britain into a horrific penal system which was to be the precursor to the Gulag and was the origin of Australia. The Fatal Shore is the prize-winning, scholarly, brilliantly entertaining narrative that has given its true history to Australia.

(2002-10-18)

Frequently Bought Together

The Fatal Shore + The Commonwealth of Thieves: The Story of the Founding of Australia + Australia: A Biography of a Nation
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Product details

  • Paperback: 720 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; New Ed edition (2 Jan 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099448548
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099448549
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 4.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 8,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

"A unique phantasmagoria of crime and punishment, which combines the shadowy terrors of Goya with the tumescent life of Dickens" (Peter Ackroyd, The Times 2003-01-16)

"A triumph of research, passion and fine writing. I found it an extraordinary and compelling book to read, one of fantastic scope and imagination; truly a tour de force" (William Shawcross 2003-01-16)

"Riveting" (The Book Magazine)

"With its mood and stature...The Fatal Shore is well on its way to becoming the standard opus on the convict years" (Sydney Sunday Telegraph 2003-01-16)

"An enthralling account of the convict settlement of Australia, thoroughly researched and excellently written, brimming over with rare and pungent characters, and tales of pathos, bravery, and horror" (Peter Matthiessen 2003-01-16)

Book Description

'An extraordinarily vivid yet authentic account of the birthpangs of a nation. A work of real distinction' Philip Ziegler (2002-10-18)

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the read. 21 July 2003
Format:Paperback
This book is an excellent read, both accessible and fluid in its writing as well as detailed and well researched.
I'm sure that this book will be an invaluable resource for those studying or interested in the transportation process and Australian history in general.
While the main focus is on the penal colonies, the book opens with fascinating insights into both the Aboriginal group around Sydney harbour at the time and also the Georgian "Working" and "criminal" class. Both of which give depth and range to the subject at hand.
Being a history teacher myself I can recommend this book for teachers who are looking for something new and interesting to spice up the industrial revolution. And for the general reader I would recommend this book as a fascinating and balanced insight into a very different world. One that is both part of and a world away from the Georgian world we so often hear about.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sets The Standard 5 Aug 2008
By Dave_42
Format:Paperback
"The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes is the one book which is always mentioned when it comes to books about the history of Australia, and for good reason. Hughes' brilliant work covers in great detail the transportation of criminals from England to Australia, and the history of those penal colonies. He also deals with the historical figures and events which impacted those colonies.

Prior to this work, Robert Hughes had authored books on art, and is generally known as an art critic and a documentary maker. This work of history seems to be an unusual diversion from his typical interests, but as he explains in his introduction, it was while doing a series of documentaries on Australian art which took him to Port Arthur that he realized that he knew little of his country's convict past. His documentary work undoubtedly played a key role in his making this one of the more readable histories there is, and led to "The Fatal Shore" becoming an international best-seller.

He starts by discussing the conditions in England which led to the transportation of criminals to the opposite side of the world, the theories about there being a "criminal class", and the loss of the Americas as a dumping ground for British criminals. Another key point is the sentencing which was used at the time which resulted in people with a wide variety of criminal convictions, from petty theft to murder all being selected, without regard to whether or not they would be able to provide any valuable service to the colonies which were to be created.

Next Hughes discusses the first fleet, from the difficult passage, both for prisoners and free people, to the arrival and the dealings with the Aborigines to the difficult first years of the colony; it is an engaging tale which reads like a novel. The more recent "A Commonwealth of Thieves" by Thomas Keneally does a more complete job of telling the story of this period for those who are interested in learning more, but Hughes' work covers more time and is far more complete when looking at the entire period of transportation to Australia.

Hughes then looks at the makeup of the convicts, both men and women and the ratio between the sexes. Who they were, what crimes had they committed, and how they behaved once they were there. The vast majority were sent due to crimes against property, and just a small percentage for crimes against people. There were a few which appear to have been convicted of political crimes as well. The female prisoners were mostly of a marriageable age, and many were encouraged to marry the non-convict men who were there.

Hughes also covers in detail the more severe areas of punishment which were established in places like Norfolk Island and Macquarie Harbor. Though very few prisoners ever were sent to these secondary facilities, their presence and the stories about them helped to keep the prisoners in line. The treatment of the prisoners at these facilities was horrendous, and many preferred death to staying there. Many committed crimes while in the facilities in order to be sent back to Hobart for trial.

The end of the book covers the decline of the transportation system. Prison reform was coming and there were new ideas about how to deal with crime and criminals. The cost of transportation was high, and once space was no longer an issue in England's prisons it was no longer cost effective to transport. In addition, the non-criminal populations of the colonies grew, and they were not as welcoming of additional convicts as they had been earlier. In addition, once gold had been found, the wealth of the colonies made them even less accepting.

"The Fatal Shore" still sets the standard when it comes to Australian history. Hughes covers not only the major sites of Sydney and Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), but also the efforts to create penal systems in Queensland and in Western Australia. In addition to the events covered, there are wonderful biographical descriptions of the major officials and notorious convicts. The one piece that the reader is likely to ask for more is with regards to the Aborigines, as so little is known of the individuals who were involved. The discussion of the native Australians is often told in very general terms, as there simply isn't any detailed written record to draw from.
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating 16 Jan 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I read this during a year working in Sydney and couldn't put it down (which says a great deal for a work of non-fiction!). The descriptions of the hardships faced by convicts were so vivid that I went to see many of the places for myself. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A Rarely told Tale of Political Madness and Human Frailty
Imagine you have stolen a roll of cloth to sell to buy food for the family. You are convicted. There is a new way to deal with you. It's called 'transportation'. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Manfred
5.0 out of 5 stars First class reference book for anyone who has any connection with...
I am researching my 3X great uncle who was transported to Australia in 1836 and have found this book most helpful
Published 14 days ago by Donald Lester Crewe
3.0 out of 5 stars A one sentence book review of The Fatal Shore
A well researched and informative book that is brilliant in places and a slog of facts to get through in others.
Published 14 days ago by Adam
5.0 out of 5 stars Destroying the myths of "Transportation"
I first came across this book in 1989 and thought it was a very well researched account of the formative years of modern Australia. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Geoff Dorrie
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
The depth of research and level of perception in this landmark work is outstanding. Illuminates the period brilliantly.Truly educational in its portrait of humanity.
Published 2 months ago by Ben Traveller
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic
The death of Robert Hughes was a great loss to the art world. But, as this book proves, in addition to being a brilliant and incisive art critic, he was a wonderful historian as... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard Noyce
5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
Great read, not your normal history book. huge amount of research to tell the untold stories of thousands of convicts and their captors from when they first set sail to the end of... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jacksamthompson
5.0 out of 5 stars The Fatal Shore
An excellent, in-depth, well researched book. It presents the reader with a wealth of detailed information about the way in which Australia developed from its initial almost... Read more
Published 7 months ago by John
5.0 out of 5 stars Fatal Shore is an Eye-opener.
The Fatal Shore is a must-read for those who think the English have ever been a civilised nation. Beginning with a survey of life for the Georgian working-class, it's unemployment,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Bari drummer
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought changing read
Took this book on holiday in August 2012 and could not put it down. Shocked at the facts but it certainly puts life in the current day into perspective. Read more
Published 8 months ago by reader52
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