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1788: The Brutal Truth Of The First Fleet
An extraordinary narrative history of the First Fleet, by the bestselling author of The Forgotten Children.Never before or since has there been an experiment quite as bold as this. Set against the backdrop of Georgian England with its peculiar mix of elegance, prosperity, progress and squalor, the story of the First Fleet is one of courage, of short-sightedness, of tragedy but above all of extraordinary resilience. It is also, of course, the story of the very first European Australians, reluctant pioneers who travelled into the unknown - the vast majority against their will - in order to form a colony by order of the King's government. Separated from loved ones and travelling in cramped conditions for the months-long journey to Botany Bay, they suffered the most unbearable hardship on arrival on Australian land where a near-famine dictated that rations be cut to the bone. But why was the settlement of New South Wales proposed in the first place? Who were the main players in a story that changed the world and ultimately forged the Australian nation? How did the initial skirmishes with the indigenous population break out and how did the relationship turn sour so quickly? Using diaries, letters and official records, David Hill artfully reconstructs the experiences of these famous and infamous men and women of history, combining narrative skill with an eye for detail and an exceptional empathy with the people of the past.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2008
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About the author
David Hill
8 books19 followersDuring his remarkable career, David Hill has been chairman then managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; chairman of the Australian Football Association; chief executive and director of the State Rail Authority; chairman of Sydney Water Corporation; a fellow of the Sydney University Senate; and chairman of CREATE (an organisation representing Australian children in institutional care).
He has held a number of other executive appointments and committee chair positions in the areas of sport, transport, international radio broadcasting, international news providers, politics, fiscal management and city parks.
David came from England to Australia in 1959 under the Fairbridge Farm School Child Migrant scheme. He left school at 15, then returned to complete his Master's degree in economics while working as an economics tutor at Sydney University.
He has held a number of other executive appointments and committee chair positions in the areas of sport, transport, international radio broadcasting, international news providers, politics, fiscal management and city parks.
David came from England to Australia in 1959 under the Fairbridge Farm School Child Migrant scheme. He left school at 15, then returned to complete his Master's degree in economics while working as an economics tutor at Sydney University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
September 16, 2012
I liked this. 1788 by David Hill is a chunky, easy-to-read simple narrative of Australia’s first years of European settlement, but there was detail and gossip I didn’t know about, and it was a forceful reminder of the astonishing courage of those who came here on the First Fleet.
That doesn’t include the convicts – we don’t know enough about their attitudes to know whether they were brave or not since there are no written records, and they had no choice anyway. But officers who came out of retirement to take on this long and perilous voyage, and then deal with the complexities of setting up here where there was nothing familiar and not even shelter or recognisable foodstuffs – they were truly heroic, notwithstanding the complex moral ambiguities of indigenous ownership of the land.
Joseph Banks doesn’t come out of it very well. He enthused about Australia as a verdant land of opportunity when (a) his own notes were less effusive, and (b) he’d seen hardly anything of the place and was only here for a week. How the First Fleet didn’t starve to death is a miracle…
Something else too: Austria has marketed the idea that Mozart was born there and Hitler wasn’t; the US has sold itself as the ‘Land of the Free’ – when in fact it had transportation of British convicts for many years just as Australia did. Many of their pioneers must also have been convicts, but we don’t hear about any so-called ‘convict stain’ – they’ve air-brushed it away as if it never happened. Interesting…
That doesn’t include the convicts – we don’t know enough about their attitudes to know whether they were brave or not since there are no written records, and they had no choice anyway. But officers who came out of retirement to take on this long and perilous voyage, and then deal with the complexities of setting up here where there was nothing familiar and not even shelter or recognisable foodstuffs – they were truly heroic, notwithstanding the complex moral ambiguities of indigenous ownership of the land.
Joseph Banks doesn’t come out of it very well. He enthused about Australia as a verdant land of opportunity when (a) his own notes were less effusive, and (b) he’d seen hardly anything of the place and was only here for a week. How the First Fleet didn’t starve to death is a miracle…
Something else too: Austria has marketed the idea that Mozart was born there and Hitler wasn’t; the US has sold itself as the ‘Land of the Free’ – when in fact it had transportation of British convicts for many years just as Australia did. Many of their pioneers must also have been convicts, but we don’t hear about any so-called ‘convict stain’ – they’ve air-brushed it away as if it never happened. Interesting…
May 18, 2013
A great little history book for that reassured me that Australian history can be interesting despite being the most badly taught subject through the New South Wales public school system.
Hill quoted and referenced a great many primary sources throughout the book, lending to the credibility of the story. Yet it did not go too far into being a series of facts. Hill told a story between all the sources, bringing the main characters and landscape to life. He managed to convey just how hopeless the situation was, and how difficult day to day life was.
The only criticism I have is the latter part of the book. It seems that Hill decided upon the ending to be when Philip left as Governer, but there seemed to be a bit of a rush to get there. The first year or two was covered in great detail, but the next few years were rushed through.
But a good read to spark interest in Australian history.
Hill quoted and referenced a great many primary sources throughout the book, lending to the credibility of the story. Yet it did not go too far into being a series of facts. Hill told a story between all the sources, bringing the main characters and landscape to life. He managed to convey just how hopeless the situation was, and how difficult day to day life was.
The only criticism I have is the latter part of the book. It seems that Hill decided upon the ending to be when Philip left as Governer, but there seemed to be a bit of a rush to get there. The first year or two was covered in great detail, but the next few years were rushed through.
But a good read to spark interest in Australian history.
July 27, 2017
This book was recommended to me by a friend in Australia; I doubt I’d have come across it otherwise.
Full of detail on the personalities involved in setting up and running the first colony in Australia, the book chronicles events leading up to the decision to transport convicts from England, and describes life for those early involuntary pioneers.
What I found most striking about this account was the utter indifference to either justice or humanity displayed by those in authority. The politicians in charge at the time were clearly unconcerned about the causes of crime, preferring to blame poverty on the poor and ensure these victims were severely punished for having the temerity to attempt to survive in an unjust world. Where, I wonder, have I noted such attitudes in today’s world? Ah, that’d be the Tory Government in UK at present, of course.
And that may be one of the points behind this book: the inability of certain authority groups to learn from history.
From the beginning, this enterprise was ill-conceived, poorly planned, underfunded, understaffed, inadequately prepared and generally brought about by a group of wealthy privileged individuals whose only concern was the removal of a problem of their own creating. No compassion, no common sense and no humanity was evident in those making the decisions. They selected unsuitable transport, often inept and/or cruel commanders and a totally unacceptable destination. In spite of the many years of supposed consideration prior to the final departure of the first fleet, the venture was initiated without any care for the unfortunate transportees or their guardians.
As the account unfolds, disaster follows disaster and the reader is left wondering how anyone actually survived this unholy mess. That the vast majority of the convicts who suffered this dreadful journey were guilty only of trying to stay alive in a land where greed ensured the poor remained unfed, unemployed and ignored, seems to have eluded those in authority. Of course, the expedition took place at a time when the religious authorities blamed the poor for their lot; an attitude that seems sadly to continue to this day in certain prejudiced minds.
There are, of course, tales of incredible courage, amazing tenacity, and sheer dogged determination amongst the more frequent accounts of brutality, injustice, indifference and arrogance. The sheer incompetence of so many of those in positions of responsibility is mind-blowing.
I finished this book wondering how Australia ever developed into the modern, outgoing, successful and diverse country it now is. Given this appalling start, it’s no surprise that early mistakes were made by settlers and that many injustices were visited on the indigenous population by the put-upon pioneers.
This book is a superb illustration of the faults and conceit that inevitably accompany the expansion of empire, where individuals cease to have any value unless they are people of ‘consequence’ or wealth. From so far into the future, it’s depressing to note that many of the lessons that should have been learned from this almost catastrophic enterprise have been ignored by those in power today.
A sobering and ultimately disheartening account of man’s inhumanity to man. Well researched and expressed in terms that fully convey the true conditions in place at the time.
Full of detail on the personalities involved in setting up and running the first colony in Australia, the book chronicles events leading up to the decision to transport convicts from England, and describes life for those early involuntary pioneers.
What I found most striking about this account was the utter indifference to either justice or humanity displayed by those in authority. The politicians in charge at the time were clearly unconcerned about the causes of crime, preferring to blame poverty on the poor and ensure these victims were severely punished for having the temerity to attempt to survive in an unjust world. Where, I wonder, have I noted such attitudes in today’s world? Ah, that’d be the Tory Government in UK at present, of course.
And that may be one of the points behind this book: the inability of certain authority groups to learn from history.
From the beginning, this enterprise was ill-conceived, poorly planned, underfunded, understaffed, inadequately prepared and generally brought about by a group of wealthy privileged individuals whose only concern was the removal of a problem of their own creating. No compassion, no common sense and no humanity was evident in those making the decisions. They selected unsuitable transport, often inept and/or cruel commanders and a totally unacceptable destination. In spite of the many years of supposed consideration prior to the final departure of the first fleet, the venture was initiated without any care for the unfortunate transportees or their guardians.
As the account unfolds, disaster follows disaster and the reader is left wondering how anyone actually survived this unholy mess. That the vast majority of the convicts who suffered this dreadful journey were guilty only of trying to stay alive in a land where greed ensured the poor remained unfed, unemployed and ignored, seems to have eluded those in authority. Of course, the expedition took place at a time when the religious authorities blamed the poor for their lot; an attitude that seems sadly to continue to this day in certain prejudiced minds.
There are, of course, tales of incredible courage, amazing tenacity, and sheer dogged determination amongst the more frequent accounts of brutality, injustice, indifference and arrogance. The sheer incompetence of so many of those in positions of responsibility is mind-blowing.
I finished this book wondering how Australia ever developed into the modern, outgoing, successful and diverse country it now is. Given this appalling start, it’s no surprise that early mistakes were made by settlers and that many injustices were visited on the indigenous population by the put-upon pioneers.
This book is a superb illustration of the faults and conceit that inevitably accompany the expansion of empire, where individuals cease to have any value unless they are people of ‘consequence’ or wealth. From so far into the future, it’s depressing to note that many of the lessons that should have been learned from this almost catastrophic enterprise have been ignored by those in power today.
A sobering and ultimately disheartening account of man’s inhumanity to man. Well researched and expressed in terms that fully convey the true conditions in place at the time.
May 17, 2016
I enjoyed this and learnt a lot
April 8, 2019
Low rating for the turgid writing.
March 4, 2012
1788 is the story of the First Fleet, from its origins in the aftermath of the American Revolution, through its planning and the execution of those plans, and finally its outcome - the settlement at Sydney Cove. The book also covers the Second and Third Fleets.
I found the book to be a readable, if slightly detached, account of these events. David Hill knows how to tell a story in simple and direct terms, although throughout the telling the author remains slightly removed from the events, as if determined to retain the journalist's eye even when the events themselves could easily support a more empathetic storyteller.
Perhaps by remaining sufficiently distant Hill is allowing the story to tell itself, and in the end this may be a wise decision. There is no shortage of other tale-tellers to draw upon - Hill uses numerous contemporary sources to flesh out his account - and it is clear that the First Fleet was a venture high in the minds of the public in late 18th century England.
However, towards the end Hill's lack of personal reflection on the events he is describing leads the reader into a long list of "who did what, and when, and when did they die" which becomes tedious. Hill is right to assume that the story of the First Fleet is one which is not well told elsewhere, to my knowledge, and it is clear that the story is full of compelling episodes, fascinating individuals, and portentous events, but he does not take full advantage of these factors to produce a narrative which is equally compelling and fascinating. The sad story of the crew of the Guardian, sent to refurbish the starving settlement, and doomed to strike an iceberg in the Southern Ocean en route to Sydney, is substantial enough to merit a whole book of itself. Hill's account of the Guardian's fate is well-written and perhaps the best section of the book. Similarly, his account of the escape of Mary Bryant is well-researched and written with a keen journalist's nose for the key facts.
Mary Bryant's incredible story has provided plenty of material for later storytellers
Some areas are covered in a threadbare fashion. The settlement at Norfolk Island, for example, was a scene of unspeakable cruelty towards the convicts on the part of the military in charge of them, if Robert Hughes' account in The Fatal Shore is to be believed. Yet little of this tale is told in 1788. Hill seems to be give the impression that Norfolk Island was a relatively peaceful place full of mutton bird-chasing convicts and farmers, even though he acknowledges that Major Robert Ross' first act was to declare martial law as soon as he got there, without saying why Ross might have thought this to be necessary.
Relationships with the local indigenous groups are also covered briefly, although perhaps this was because Hill wanted to retain the focus on the settlement's development, rather than widening the scope to include an analysis of interracial progress. Nevertheless, it does appear that Sydney Cove is developing in a vaccuum, not only divorced (deliberately) from the world of England all those thousands of miles away, but also from the world of the Gadigal and Eora people in whose midst (and plenty) they were starving to death.
Key figures emerge, and Hill incorporates their stories skilfully into the broader picture. Arthur Phillip naturally plays a major role, but appears as a dull career-focussed navy man. The gulf between the Royal Navy figures who were the early Governors of New South Wales (Phillip, Hunter and King), and the military types (the Marines) who enforced the Governor's will (or not), is made clear by Hill in the final sections of the book. Hunter comes through as an ambitious and scheming individual, broken in the end by his own ambition.
The colored photo section is particularly disappointing. Surely Hill or the publishers could have found more interesting photos than those included, which seem to be dry and dull, or just distant pictures of ships under sail.
Hill's book makes easy and interesting reading. It doesn't pretend to be overly academic and this is a good thing in terms of making the story accessible to the reader. Let the academics pick holes in the historical accuracies, as I'm sure they will.
I found the book to be a readable, if slightly detached, account of these events. David Hill knows how to tell a story in simple and direct terms, although throughout the telling the author remains slightly removed from the events, as if determined to retain the journalist's eye even when the events themselves could easily support a more empathetic storyteller.
Perhaps by remaining sufficiently distant Hill is allowing the story to tell itself, and in the end this may be a wise decision. There is no shortage of other tale-tellers to draw upon - Hill uses numerous contemporary sources to flesh out his account - and it is clear that the First Fleet was a venture high in the minds of the public in late 18th century England.
However, towards the end Hill's lack of personal reflection on the events he is describing leads the reader into a long list of "who did what, and when, and when did they die" which becomes tedious. Hill is right to assume that the story of the First Fleet is one which is not well told elsewhere, to my knowledge, and it is clear that the story is full of compelling episodes, fascinating individuals, and portentous events, but he does not take full advantage of these factors to produce a narrative which is equally compelling and fascinating. The sad story of the crew of the Guardian, sent to refurbish the starving settlement, and doomed to strike an iceberg in the Southern Ocean en route to Sydney, is substantial enough to merit a whole book of itself. Hill's account of the Guardian's fate is well-written and perhaps the best section of the book. Similarly, his account of the escape of Mary Bryant is well-researched and written with a keen journalist's nose for the key facts.
Mary Bryant's incredible story has provided plenty of material for later storytellers
Some areas are covered in a threadbare fashion. The settlement at Norfolk Island, for example, was a scene of unspeakable cruelty towards the convicts on the part of the military in charge of them, if Robert Hughes' account in The Fatal Shore is to be believed. Yet little of this tale is told in 1788. Hill seems to be give the impression that Norfolk Island was a relatively peaceful place full of mutton bird-chasing convicts and farmers, even though he acknowledges that Major Robert Ross' first act was to declare martial law as soon as he got there, without saying why Ross might have thought this to be necessary.
Relationships with the local indigenous groups are also covered briefly, although perhaps this was because Hill wanted to retain the focus on the settlement's development, rather than widening the scope to include an analysis of interracial progress. Nevertheless, it does appear that Sydney Cove is developing in a vaccuum, not only divorced (deliberately) from the world of England all those thousands of miles away, but also from the world of the Gadigal and Eora people in whose midst (and plenty) they were starving to death.
Key figures emerge, and Hill incorporates their stories skilfully into the broader picture. Arthur Phillip naturally plays a major role, but appears as a dull career-focussed navy man. The gulf between the Royal Navy figures who were the early Governors of New South Wales (Phillip, Hunter and King), and the military types (the Marines) who enforced the Governor's will (or not), is made clear by Hill in the final sections of the book. Hunter comes through as an ambitious and scheming individual, broken in the end by his own ambition.
The colored photo section is particularly disappointing. Surely Hill or the publishers could have found more interesting photos than those included, which seem to be dry and dull, or just distant pictures of ships under sail.
Hill's book makes easy and interesting reading. It doesn't pretend to be overly academic and this is a good thing in terms of making the story accessible to the reader. Let the academics pick holes in the historical accuracies, as I'm sure they will.
December 19, 2022
Well written and detailed.
There was an element of repetition regarding the lack of sustainable food. This could have been covered easily in one chapter instead of half the book.
More emphasis on the interaction and the ramification of colonial contact with Aboriginals.
Opened itself up to a squeal. Looking forward to 1789.
There was an element of repetition regarding the lack of sustainable food. This could have been covered easily in one chapter instead of half the book.
More emphasis on the interaction and the ramification of colonial contact with Aboriginals.
Opened itself up to a squeal. Looking forward to 1789.
October 7, 2009
I really enjoyed reading this. It's a non-fiction and well-researched account of the voyage of the First Fleet - the eleven small ships that carried a human cargo of almost 1,500 people between them, including two years' supply of food and the equipment needed to build a new settlement when they finally arrived in Australia, following a voyage of over eight months. 'It was the biggest single overseas migration the world had ever seen.'
Roughly half of those who came were convicts, many of whom had been first sentenced to death, then had that commuted to transportation. My ancestor, Francis Garland, was one of these. Almost sixty per cent of the convicts had been sentenced for stealing food or other goods of relatively low value. This at a time when the Industrial Revolution in England had begot an economy in which one in eight people in London were living off crime in the city. Harsh sentences designed to curb the robberies were seemingly ineffective, leading to such overcrowding in the prisons that numerous 'hulks', or de-commissioned ships were anchored up and down the Thames to serve as floating prisons. At first the convicts were shipped to Africa or America, but when that was no longer viable, Botany Bay was chosen to become a penal settlement.
'1788' is stuffed full of facts, but filled out with many of the stories of the individual characters that peopled this momentous undertaking. I found it to be eminently readable - not in the least dry. It was interesting and I was sorry to have its three hundred plus pages end so soon.
Roughly half of those who came were convicts, many of whom had been first sentenced to death, then had that commuted to transportation. My ancestor, Francis Garland, was one of these. Almost sixty per cent of the convicts had been sentenced for stealing food or other goods of relatively low value. This at a time when the Industrial Revolution in England had begot an economy in which one in eight people in London were living off crime in the city. Harsh sentences designed to curb the robberies were seemingly ineffective, leading to such overcrowding in the prisons that numerous 'hulks', or de-commissioned ships were anchored up and down the Thames to serve as floating prisons. At first the convicts were shipped to Africa or America, but when that was no longer viable, Botany Bay was chosen to become a penal settlement.
'1788' is stuffed full of facts, but filled out with many of the stories of the individual characters that peopled this momentous undertaking. I found it to be eminently readable - not in the least dry. It was interesting and I was sorry to have its three hundred plus pages end so soon.
January 6, 2013
This should be a great read aa the subject is fascinating but unfortunately the writing is very mundane and uninspiring.
October 20, 2020
Brutal indeed - especially given that the current British Government (2020) seem intent on repeating history by deporting immigrants to anywhere else other than the UK and even deploying ships off shore as containment vessels. Maybe Patel and Johnson should read how this experiment went.
The decision was taken to dump convicts in Australia with no thought to how that would impact on either them or indeed the Aboriginal natives - let alone the sheer effrontery of landing on foreign soil, planting a flag and declaring it British territory thereafter.
This book describes the horrors and hardships endured by both sailors and convicts. The language is fairly dry and there are a number of repetitions but obviously the subject has been well researched. The overall message is chilling:
As a result (of their having to arrange their own passage) very few of the convicts ever reached home, which is as the government designed it. As Lord Grenville, the home secretary, had made clear to (Arthur) Phillip, as far as Britain was concerned the convicts were beyond correction, and even where they had served a seven- or fourteen-year sentence, they were expected to stay away until they died:
"The return of the [convicts] to this country cannot legally be prevented, provided they can engage the masters or owners of any vessels arriving in New South Wales to transport them from thence. But as there is little reason to hope that any persons of that description will apply themselves here to the habits or pursuits of honest industry, it will be extremely desirable that every reasonable indulgence should be held out to them with a view of inducing them to remain in New South Wales and that it should be distinctly understood that no steps are likely to be taken by Government for facilitating return."
(Letter from Lord Grenville, Home Secretary, to Arthur Phillip, First Governor of New South Wales, dated 19th February 1791
Some of these 'convicts' had death sentences commuted to 7 years imprisonment (i.e. deportation to Australia) just for stealing a loaf of bread.
The decision was taken to dump convicts in Australia with no thought to how that would impact on either them or indeed the Aboriginal natives - let alone the sheer effrontery of landing on foreign soil, planting a flag and declaring it British territory thereafter.
This book describes the horrors and hardships endured by both sailors and convicts. The language is fairly dry and there are a number of repetitions but obviously the subject has been well researched. The overall message is chilling:
As a result (of their having to arrange their own passage) very few of the convicts ever reached home, which is as the government designed it. As Lord Grenville, the home secretary, had made clear to (Arthur) Phillip, as far as Britain was concerned the convicts were beyond correction, and even where they had served a seven- or fourteen-year sentence, they were expected to stay away until they died:
"The return of the [convicts] to this country cannot legally be prevented, provided they can engage the masters or owners of any vessels arriving in New South Wales to transport them from thence. But as there is little reason to hope that any persons of that description will apply themselves here to the habits or pursuits of honest industry, it will be extremely desirable that every reasonable indulgence should be held out to them with a view of inducing them to remain in New South Wales and that it should be distinctly understood that no steps are likely to be taken by Government for facilitating return."
(Letter from Lord Grenville, Home Secretary, to Arthur Phillip, First Governor of New South Wales, dated 19th February 1791
Some of these 'convicts' had death sentences commuted to 7 years imprisonment (i.e. deportation to Australia) just for stealing a loaf of bread.
January 20, 2025
David Hill’s 1788: The Brutal Truth of the First Fleet is a vivid and accessible exploration of the establishment of Australia’s first penal colony. Drawing on diaries, letters, and records, Hill humanises the convicts, officers, and Indigenous Australians affected by colonsation while confronting the harsh realities of convict life and the devastating impact on the Eora Nation. The book balances engaging storytelling with historical depth, situating the First Fleet within the broader context of British imperialism and Enlightenment ideals. Thought-provoking and empathetic, Hill’s work offers a nuanced account of Australia’s complex colonial legacy.
"The story of the First Fleet, however, turned out to be one of success against the odds. In an expedition remarkable for its courage, hardship, famine and misadventure, perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this new colony and its people survived at all".
"The story of the First Fleet, however, turned out to be one of success against the odds. In an expedition remarkable for its courage, hardship, famine and misadventure, perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this new colony and its people survived at all".
January 5, 2021
I enjoyed this book; it is an easy read and is reasonably written. There is a good account of the reasons for sending convicts to Australia; after the American War of Independence England needed some other place to put the ever growing number of convicts. Thanks to Joseph Bank’s embellished memory Botany Bay was eventually selected to effectively exile convicts from England. It is amazing that this seemed at the time to be the best social engineering the Government could come up with, rather than addressing the cause of the poverty that drove people to petty theft. The book details the First Fleet journey, trials of establishment of the colony and some comments on the Second and Third Fleets. Many quotes from letters and journals from Captain Phillip and officers are included and indicate the topic has been covered from primary sources.
February 21, 2018
A solid and well researched look at the colonisation of Australia and the First Fleet sent here. The author uses primary sources well which gives colour and authenticity to the excellent plain description of events. A great introduction to the rather strange start to the nation we now call Australia. It was a bold even fool hardy enterprise in which many people lost their lives. It has all the elements of human endeavour; cruelty, kindness, fear, courage, endurance, stupidity, foresight - I can go on - it is all here. The individual stories enlarged the bureaucratic process, fascinating in itself. This society seems so far from our values and views in many ways and in others intensely human and understandable to us so many years later.
November 9, 2025
As a non-fiction book drawn from historical papers and records, I was concerned it might be dry reading, but definitely not. The first fleet of 9 ships of varying sizes and speeds was sent to Australia in May of 1787, arriving in January of 1788. The 8-month trip was gruelling, and many people died on the way. The route taken, stops they were able to make for new provisions, the bad weather encountered en route, are all fascinating.
Upon arrival at Botany Bay, it was deemed so unfriendly to settlement that the fleet moved on to Port Jackson (now Sydney harbour). This area was not conducive either to settlement.
The first fleet consisted of convicts, soldiers, and sailors.
This book was fascinating from start to finish, and is a very worthwhile read.
Upon arrival at Botany Bay, it was deemed so unfriendly to settlement that the fleet moved on to Port Jackson (now Sydney harbour). This area was not conducive either to settlement.
The first fleet consisted of convicts, soldiers, and sailors.
This book was fascinating from start to finish, and is a very worthwhile read.
June 6, 2020
An excellent book outlining events leading up to and the settlement and early history of the English colonization of Australia. It filled many gaps from my recollections from school history. I gained a greater respect for Captain Arthur Phillip. Especially eye-opening was the difference between the government run First Fleet and commercially commissioned second and third fleet. Overall, the book is very well written and well based on historical journals and other such evidence. Well worth the read.
September 24, 2023
Whilst I found it a very interesting read, you have to be keen and really interested in the establishment of Australia to enjoy this book. Completly accurate and factual, it coudl be seen as a bit dry in parts. Mind you those parts do tell an incredible story of survival and ultimate succces against great, great odds, totally wrong assumptions, and official neglect. finally as a physiologist I had no idea that scurvy was such a serious and terrible problem on long voyages of which that to Australia was the longest.
February 9, 2020
The perceived "year zero" of the southern continent holds an unavoidable attraction to historians; professional and amateur. This is a valid pass at the subject in a limited sense; however it is can only be limited when there is no mention of the first people's.
Amusing to hear the UK home Secretary debating the leg quality if allowing convicts to return to the UK when the invasion of the land to which they were sent was illegal to start with.
Amusing to hear the UK home Secretary debating the leg quality if allowing convicts to return to the UK when the invasion of the land to which they were sent was illegal to start with.
July 14, 2020
I found this book to be a entertaining and informative look at the First Fleet and the early days of settlement. The book draws on a suitable amount of diary and journal entries to support its narrative. Despite the dramatic title 'brutal truth etc' I found the book to be fairly objective and did a good job of capturing the essence of the perilous journey and dangers of early settlement. Worth a read.
September 17, 2022
I read another book
1788 when the first Europeans settled in Australia
Convicts.
Sent to a prison island.
Because the USA didn’t want any more British convicts.
This is such a great read. And helped me understand so much of that social disruption that has never been healed.
Never
Under resourced, convict colony becomes a thriving western nation. That’s kinda cool.
Also, how we treat people who arrive here by boat- I don’t really think we’ve learned much
Hmmmmm 🤨
1788 when the first Europeans settled in Australia
Convicts.
Sent to a prison island.
Because the USA didn’t want any more British convicts.
This is such a great read. And helped me understand so much of that social disruption that has never been healed.
Never
Under resourced, convict colony becomes a thriving western nation. That’s kinda cool.
Also, how we treat people who arrive here by boat- I don’t really think we’ve learned much
Hmmmmm 🤨
January 19, 2025
1788. The prison ships off Plymouth Hoe were becoming a politically awkward, The pilgrims unruly behavior had left America off on their own, What now to do with unsightly floating Hulks?
A journey over the edge of the world, A journey of Expulsion, starvation, Dehydration, That wont stop with the landing of the first fleet. As the Empire will rule by its must successful exports. A social hierarchy, And a rewriting of history.
A journey over the edge of the world, A journey of Expulsion, starvation, Dehydration, That wont stop with the landing of the first fleet. As the Empire will rule by its must successful exports. A social hierarchy, And a rewriting of history.
January 10, 2019
I loved learning about the British colonization of Sydney, Australia. It’s not something we learn in school in the Midwest! All the hardships those people went through - it’s a miracle they ever survived. David Hill did a great job of bringing all the research together in a very readable novel.
August 22, 2021
I had previously read Watkin Tench’s first hand account of the first fleet and David Hill’s research is a terrific accompaniment that fleshes out many of the personalities Tench mentioned.
It gives a glimpse of how devastating this invasion was for First Nations and how arrogance and self promotion accounted for more than the greater good.
It gives a glimpse of how devastating this invasion was for First Nations and how arrogance and self promotion accounted for more than the greater good.
May 30, 2022
David Hill recounts the squalor and brutality of Australia's founding.
The final paragraph of his book describes it best: "In an expedition remarkable for its courage, hardship, famine and misadventure, perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this new colony and its people survived at all."
An absorbing read.
The final paragraph of his book describes it best: "In an expedition remarkable for its courage, hardship, famine and misadventure, perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this new colony and its people survived at all."
An absorbing read.
December 16, 2025
First of all, I love all the four and five star reviews from people who clearly haven't read the book and have no idea who David Hill is. The internet is such a wonderful place these days ...
Possibly the most unnecessary history book of all time. Also, the author is not an historian. Bad writing, amateur research - read The Fatal Shore, or Manning Clarke instead.
Possibly the most unnecessary history book of all time. Also, the author is not an historian. Bad writing, amateur research - read The Fatal Shore, or Manning Clarke instead.
May 5, 2020
Very interesting and engaging book! I didn't really know anything about the English settling in Australia, and found the personal details really fascinating. Not a boring, dry history book, but a well-woven tale.
July 27, 2018
Well compiled and interesting history.
June 22, 2019
Lots of interesting facts, feel much more empathy now for anyone on the early fleets and indigenous peoples. Hill needed more narrative in his writing, towards the end it read a bit like a list.
November 16, 2019
NICE BOOK.
February 11, 2020
Amazing insights to the journey and settlement in Australia..no walk in the park..it's been very well told..
June 14, 2020
Fantastic.............how can this type of book be a PageTurner.....it is.. so well written. Couldn't put it down.
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