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Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady
He was the gentleman bushranger ... she was the woman who rode with him. This is the true story of Captain Thunderbolt and his lady.
'Bail up!' demanded Captain Thunderbolt before he shouted the bar with the inn keeper's own profits. Driven into banditry by injustice, this colonial Robin Hood, magnificent horseman and skilled bushman was celebrated by his victims as vigorously as he was hunted by the law.
She was his chief lieutenant, his eyes and his ears. Intelligent and beautiful, Mary Ann Bugg dressed as a man, rode like a man, and helped keep Thunderbolt ahead of the troopers and trackers intent on pursuing him to his end. Until one day...
'Bail up!' demanded Captain Thunderbolt before he shouted the bar with the inn keeper's own profits. Driven into banditry by injustice, this colonial Robin Hood, magnificent horseman and skilled bushman was celebrated by his victims as vigorously as he was hunted by the law.
She was his chief lieutenant, his eyes and his ears. Intelligent and beautiful, Mary Ann Bugg dressed as a man, rode like a man, and helped keep Thunderbolt ahead of the troopers and trackers intent on pursuing him to his end. Until one day...
364 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Carol Baxter
25 books14 followersCarol Baxter is the prize-winning author of three popular histories with a criminal bent – 'An Irresistible Temptation', 'Breaking the Bank' and 'Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady' – all of which have been published to critical acclaim in her native Australia. Previously, she was General Editor of the Biographical Database of Australia and, before that, Project Officer of the Australian Biographical and Genealogical Record, in which roles she edited many records relating to convicts transported to Australia to serve out their sentences. These helped her to discover the subjects for her tales of true crime. She is a Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists and an adjunct lecturer at the University of New England (NSW). A full-time writer and speaker, she lives in Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 21, 2018
This biography of the bushranger Frederick Ward, or Captain Thunderbolt, and his companion Mary Ann Bugg was meticulously researched and well-written. Unlike some other biographies I've read recently, it avoided fictionalisation and creative license, and was clearly solidly grounded in a thorough review of the available primary literature.
I found the sections dealing with Mary Ann Bugg fascinating. She was clearly a remarkable woman who led an unusual life. However, the greater part of the book deals with Frederick Ward, understandably given that there would be much more on record about his life. Much of his story was also interesting, though at times I felt that the author might have included too much of her detailed research. In particular, I found the accounts of Captain Thunderbolt's hold-ups repetitive, and thought that the content in this part of the book could have been summarised or condensed. It took me longer than it usually would to finish the book because it wasn't holding my interest. Towards the end, though, the pace picked up, and the book finished strongly.
Overall, this was a well-written and thoroughly researched biography, which provided interesting context on colonial politics, Indigenous issues and the lives of colonial women.
I found the sections dealing with Mary Ann Bugg fascinating. She was clearly a remarkable woman who led an unusual life. However, the greater part of the book deals with Frederick Ward, understandably given that there would be much more on record about his life. Much of his story was also interesting, though at times I felt that the author might have included too much of her detailed research. In particular, I found the accounts of Captain Thunderbolt's hold-ups repetitive, and thought that the content in this part of the book could have been summarised or condensed. It took me longer than it usually would to finish the book because it wasn't holding my interest. Towards the end, though, the pace picked up, and the book finished strongly.
Overall, this was a well-written and thoroughly researched biography, which provided interesting context on colonial politics, Indigenous issues and the lives of colonial women.
April 28, 2017
Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady was a book that definitely appealed to me. I’m always interested in reading about the bushrangers in Australian history and women’s history, and here was a book that was about a part-Aboriginal woman, Mary Ann Bugg, who was the wife and "chief lieutenant" of the bushranger, Frederick Ward alias Captain Thunderbolt.
Personally, I found the blurb overstated her role in his bushranging gang. No doubt she was important, but from what I understand, she was mostly uninvolved in his criminal acts, and from the blurb, I expected to hear about them bailing up a mail coach together or something similar. Still, that’s not the fault of the book or history, but the publishers.
Baxter’s account makes more of a popular history approach to her subjects, where she creates a narrative that reconstructs their lives. This isn’t an approach I particularly like as it often fictionalises elements of the story: perhaps she felt this, no doubt she thought about this, he shivered in the cold night, and so on. However, Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady is tremendously well written and exceedingly readable, even if I took a while to warm up to the narrative. Four stars.
Personally, I found the blurb overstated her role in his bushranging gang. No doubt she was important, but from what I understand, she was mostly uninvolved in his criminal acts, and from the blurb, I expected to hear about them bailing up a mail coach together or something similar. Still, that’s not the fault of the book or history, but the publishers.
Baxter’s account makes more of a popular history approach to her subjects, where she creates a narrative that reconstructs their lives. This isn’t an approach I particularly like as it often fictionalises elements of the story: perhaps she felt this, no doubt she thought about this, he shivered in the cold night, and so on. However, Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady is tremendously well written and exceedingly readable, even if I took a while to warm up to the narrative. Four stars.
April 24, 2017
A wonderfully researched book. For me however a bit tedious and elongated and a long winding start up. I would have liked to give it 2.5 stars but 3 will suffice. Mark Twain once said: “Don't use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.” A lesson for us all including the author of this book. Great research. Well done.
February 6, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, historical non-fiction that reads like fiction, with a strong linear narrative constantly driving the story forward while remaining firmly grounded in its primary sources.
Carol Baxter brings to life the people and the landscape of the NSW bush in the 1800s. She also made me understand something of what it was like to be a prisoner on Cockatoo Island, as well as what it was like to live the life of a bushranger. And she presents a clear-headed view of Aboriginal/European relations of the time.
I see this book as an important historical document, as well as a damned fine read. It’s meticulously researched, well edited, and very well written. It’s the best reading experience I’ve had for a long while.
Carol Baxter brings to life the people and the landscape of the NSW bush in the 1800s. She also made me understand something of what it was like to be a prisoner on Cockatoo Island, as well as what it was like to live the life of a bushranger. And she presents a clear-headed view of Aboriginal/European relations of the time.
I see this book as an important historical document, as well as a damned fine read. It’s meticulously researched, well edited, and very well written. It’s the best reading experience I’ve had for a long while.
December 26, 2024
Extensively researched history of rural poverty and related criminal activity such as theft and bushranging in northern New South Wales in the 1850s-60s, telling the story of Frederick Ward - Captain Thunderbolt - and his part-aboriginal wife, Mary Ann Bugg. The part- is important, because her white father insisted on her learning to read and write and she had skills that her illiterate husband did not.
With her active support, and his bush skills, he was able to avoid capture for several years before his career ended dramatically.
Even though the system of convict transport to Australia had ended by the mid nineteenth century when the gold rushes hit, the residual effects of its ticket-of-leave system and institutionalised brutality were still strong in patterns of landholding, employment opportunity, class divisions, criminal justice and prisons.
Carol Baxter brings all of these influences to bear on her story, whose interest for me was dulled by so much detail that the narrative sometimes disappeared. So much detail from her extensive research that I felt it could provide a jumping off point for academic theses. I did wonder whether this book had emerged from a PhD project.
With her active support, and his bush skills, he was able to avoid capture for several years before his career ended dramatically.
Even though the system of convict transport to Australia had ended by the mid nineteenth century when the gold rushes hit, the residual effects of its ticket-of-leave system and institutionalised brutality were still strong in patterns of landholding, employment opportunity, class divisions, criminal justice and prisons.
Carol Baxter brings all of these influences to bear on her story, whose interest for me was dulled by so much detail that the narrative sometimes disappeared. So much detail from her extensive research that I felt it could provide a jumping off point for academic theses. I did wonder whether this book had emerged from a PhD project.
February 20, 2024
admittedly wasn’t feeling the more creative-history approach at first but i got really into it !
Baxter does more than just tell the story of Frederick Ward and Mary Ann Bugg, she provided a contextual understanding for the notoriety and what they represented in (just barley) post-colonial Australian history, whilst also providing a great and riveting read !
Baxter does more than just tell the story of Frederick Ward and Mary Ann Bugg, she provided a contextual understanding for the notoriety and what they represented in (just barley) post-colonial Australian history, whilst also providing a great and riveting read !
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March 21, 2017Very easy to read,comprehensive,both on the main characters and the context of Australia's development,perhaps a little too long,quite exciting and well paced.It needs maps to fully understand the story,at least for me,as I kept racing to the atlas to see where exactly places were.Well worth a read for anyone interested in Australia's development and bushrangers.Interesting too on how myths were demolished.
July 24, 2019
I found this book slow to begin with a lot of social commentary---but once the narrative of the two main characters started, it was very interesting---more so because of the maps provided, which I constantly referred to, and my knowledge of many of the places where the bushranger roamed.
November 26, 2022
Great historical book. At times felt like drawn out but ending was amazing and see all sites mentioned in book and grew up in the region so can’t picture all places mentioned. Great book with the read.
December 28, 2011
I read it because I was curious about the role of women in bush ranging in early settlement. Disappointing. Conservative. Twee. Irritating.
July 13, 2012
A historical novel that doesn't rely on elaborate fiction. I really enjoyed it
January 31, 2016
The inspiring story of a funny man, the family he came from and
the challenges they faced.
the challenges they faced.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews