Disasters That Shocked Australia

by Ferguson Ian

Spanning the decades from the First World War to the mining tragedy of 2007, this book will remind you of the turbulent and terrifying times that Australia has survived. From the natural - earthquakes, bushfires and storms - to social and economic and even sport, Ian Ferguson has compiled one of the most thorough books on Australia's disasters.

307 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in parts, not so much in others. I'm always up for learning new aspects of Australian History, as well as brushing up on stories I may have read about before but can't fully recall. This book provides a look at some aspects of Australian History that I didn't necessarily expect, such as social and political 'disasters'. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy these things, but I thought it was more about specific events. I can understand why Cancer is a disaster I suppose, but I was thinking of fires, floods etc. Anyway, I digress from the main point that this book covers a broad range of subjects and is a quick, enjoyable read.

[David Vernon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing read. It had all the hallmarks of being written quickly so as to get into print shortly after the 2009 bushfires. It states that all royalties will be paid to bushfire charities and for that the reader should be pleased. Because of the speed of production it contained a range of factual errors and seemed to be a potpourri of the author's favourite incidents rather than a chronological or categorical list of disasters that "shocked Australia'. For example he tells the tale of Simpson and his Donkey without acknowledging that a) that Simpson's legend is mostly just that - a legend b) that his death was not a disaster that 'shocked anyone' (other than his surviving Mum) c) that nobody in Australia knew of his death until years later etc. He discusses the David Hicks case. How that is a disaster in the same league as bushfires, floods, war etc is unclear. It's a mishmash of historical incidents told in varying detail. There are many other books about disasters which are much more illuminating than this tome.

[John Kidman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real gem of a book. Well worth picking up often and rereading its individual chapters.

[gemsbooknook Geramie Kate Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘From the bestselling author of Murders that Shocked Australia comes a new title in this exciting series. Spanning the decades from the First World War to the mining tragedy of 2007, Disasters that Shocked Australia will remind you of the turbulent and terrifying times that Australia has survived.
Covering disasters from the natural – earthquakes, bushfires, and storms – to social and economic and even sport, Ian Ferguson has compiled one of the most thorough books on Australia’s disasters to this day.
With a story and disaster to engage every age, this is a great book to learn from, share, and to have on your shelf for years to come.’
This book was great.
This was one of those books that I went into knowing what to expect yet I was surprised by how much of the information in this book was new to me. While I was familiar with a lot of the events in this book; there were still a few that I didn’t know about, I didn’t realise how little I actually knew about the Australian Disasters that I was familiar with.
One of the things I found most interesting was reading about how Australians came together when these disasters happened. This book was a constant reminder of the Aussie Spirit of Mate ship and how people can work together to overcome tragedy and move forward as a community.
Ian Ferguson has done a wonderful job with this book. The information he provided was detailed yet still emotional; focusing on people and communities rather than data and historical facts. Adding to the information was an array of photographs and other visual elements that allow the reader to comprehend the size and scale of the disasters that they are reading about.
I will definitely be re-reading this book again in the near future.
Disasters That Shocked Australia by Ian Ferguson is a must-read for all Australians.

Geramie Kate Barker
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