The Luck of the Irish by Babette Smith


ISBN
9781742378121
Published
Binding
Paperback
Pages
304
Dimensions
153 x 234 x 24mm

The luck of the Irish was chronic bad luck, as their sad history attests. That's how it looked for 250 Irish convicts when their ship, the Hive, sank ignominiously off the NSW coast in 1835. Miraculously all survived, guided to safety by local Aboriginal people.

They landed at a time when the so-called slave colony was at its height, ruled by the lash and the chain gang. Yet as Babette Smith tracked the lives of the people aboard the Hive, she discovered a very different story. Most were assigned to work on farms or in businesses, building a better life than they possibly could have experienced in Ireland. Surprisingly, in the workforce they found power, which gave rise to the characteristic Australian culture later described by DH Lawrence: 'Nobody felt better than anybody else, or higher.'

The Luck of the Irish is a fascinating portrait of colonial life in the mid-19th century, which reveals how the Irish helped lay the foundations of the Australia we know today.

'Deeply researched and vividly written, it's a terrific new and up-to-date account of the convict experience, mainly from the bottom up' - Emeritus Professor Alan Atkinson FAHA, University of Sydney

'Brings the convict era to life through personal stories and insightful analysis.' - Lindsay Tanner
Christmas Catalogue 2024 x BookFrenzy
31.44
RRP: $36.99
15% off RRP


This product is unable to be ordered online. Please check in-store availability.
Instore Price: $36.99
Enter your Postcode or Suburb to view availability and delivery times.

Other Titles by Babette Smith


You might also like

1788
34.99
16.00
54% Off
Sister Viv
35.99
27.99
22% Off
The Legend of Albert Jacka
49.99
39.99
20% Off
Remembering Melbourne 18501960
69.99
35.00
50% Off
Dark Emu
27.99
23.79
15% Off
Australian Slang
22.99
19.54
15% Off
The Last Charge Of The Australian Light Horse
49.99
42.49
15% Off
Burke and Wills
Peter FitzSimons
36.99
31.44
15% Off
Killing for Country
39.99
33.99
15% Off
The Fatal Shore
24.99
21.24
15% Off
Batavia
Peter FitzSimons
34.99
29.74
15% Off
Eureka The Unfinished Revolution
34.99
29.74
15% Off
The Making Of Australia
22.99
19.54
15% Off

RRP refers to the Recommended Retail Price as set out by the original publisher at time of release.
The RRP set by overseas publishers may vary to those set by local publishers due to exchange rates and shipping costs.
Due to our competitive pricing, we may have not sold all products at their original RRP.