What do you think?
Rate this book
Venom: The Heroic Search for Australia's Deadliest Snake
In the early years of the twentieth century an awareness was growing among European Australians of an unexpected threat, one that seemed the very embodiment of the dark, ominous power of the Australian bush.
To the Indigenous people of the Guugu Yimithirr nation, it was 'nguman'; to the whites it was the taipan, an eight foot, lightning fast venomous snake whose bite meant certain death.
Venom is an examination of European settlers’ troubled and often antagonistic relationship with the land, seen through the lens of the desperate scramble for an antivenom, and highlighted by the story of George Rosendale, a taipan bite victim of the Guugu Yimithirr nation.
By one of Australia’s best and brightest young authors, this is a gripping tale of heroism and tragedy, offering the glimmering possibility of reconciliation
To the Indigenous people of the Guugu Yimithirr nation, it was 'nguman'; to the whites it was the taipan, an eight foot, lightning fast venomous snake whose bite meant certain death.
Venom is an examination of European settlers’ troubled and often antagonistic relationship with the land, seen through the lens of the desperate scramble for an antivenom, and highlighted by the story of George Rosendale, a taipan bite victim of the Guugu Yimithirr nation.
By one of Australia’s best and brightest young authors, this is a gripping tale of heroism and tragedy, offering the glimmering possibility of reconciliation
400 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2017
6 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 22, 2018
A fascinating social history disguised as a book about snakes. Venom has plenty of heart-in-mouth moments, thanks to the deadly Australian taipans at its centre. But the story goes much deeper, with characters to cheer (and weep) for, and bigger questions about living on (and with) this island continent.
October 5, 2021
The taipan is everybody's worst nightmare.
Encounters with snakes happen commonly in Australia. I've had quite a few close encounters myself (and that's no Himalaya of horseshit). Snake stories are like fishing stories in Australia..."That snake was THIS BIG." *Holds hands 30' apart.* Luckily, the snakes are more interested in getting away from you than biting you. What happened before we had antivenom? Well if it was a taipan...you went straight to Heaven/Hell and didn't pass Go and didn't collect your $200. How did we develop antivenoms? This book tells you about the heroes that made that happen. The story is centered on the Coastal Taipan - the snake with the world's second most toxic venom. (The Inland Taipan is the most toxic). One drop of venom kills 5 billion otherwise healthy mice. (Okay...that IS horseshit, but it would be enough to kill 12 humans.) Thankfully, it's an uncommon reptile, but it does have a bad temper, and you don't want it mad at you. It can slither, and strike lightning fast when facing any threat. You may be bitten several times before you even see the snake - if you see it at all. Death is certain without fast treatment. Dogs and other small animals don't stand a chance. It was, and still is, extremely difficult to capture and the first man to do it died from the event. Not a pleasant death either. His best mates managed to do it eventually, by showing the snake a photo of a lady snake with prodigious boody...then throwing said photo into a cheap sugar bag. (Yes, I might be telling a fib.) Seriously, this IS a big (over 8 feet) and powerful snake with very long fangs. It injects a large amount of venom and even though we have very effective anti-venoms for it these days, you still stand a good chance of dying.
BJ Murray knows how to write a great story. And he does his research too since there is a lot of myth surrounding snakes - the taipan in particular. This historical fiction is done with oodles of tension. You just want to keep on going to find out what happens next. Somewhat incongruously, he peppers the story with the terrible treatment the Aboriginal people of the time received at the hands of the White population. It was shameful. Pity the white fellas didn't learn from the Aborigines...they had a lot to teach us. Anyway, I did find the inclusion of this a bit weird.
I loved this book and it taught me a lot of new things. It made me aware of the latest methods of snake-bite treatment; I even went out and bought a snake-bite kit. The quality of the writing is so good, I would recommend this to anybody. If you're into reptiles, you'll like it even more.
Encounters with snakes happen commonly in Australia. I've had quite a few close encounters myself (and that's no Himalaya of horseshit). Snake stories are like fishing stories in Australia..."That snake was THIS BIG." *Holds hands 30' apart.* Luckily, the snakes are more interested in getting away from you than biting you. What happened before we had antivenom? Well if it was a taipan...you went straight to Heaven/Hell and didn't pass Go and didn't collect your $200. How did we develop antivenoms? This book tells you about the heroes that made that happen. The story is centered on the Coastal Taipan - the snake with the world's second most toxic venom. (The Inland Taipan is the most toxic). One drop of venom kills 5 billion otherwise healthy mice. (Okay...that IS horseshit, but it would be enough to kill 12 humans.) Thankfully, it's an uncommon reptile, but it does have a bad temper, and you don't want it mad at you. It can slither, and strike lightning fast when facing any threat. You may be bitten several times before you even see the snake - if you see it at all. Death is certain without fast treatment. Dogs and other small animals don't stand a chance. It was, and still is, extremely difficult to capture and the first man to do it died from the event. Not a pleasant death either. His best mates managed to do it eventually, by showing the snake a photo of a lady snake with prodigious boody...then throwing said photo into a cheap sugar bag. (Yes, I might be telling a fib.) Seriously, this IS a big (over 8 feet) and powerful snake with very long fangs. It injects a large amount of venom and even though we have very effective anti-venoms for it these days, you still stand a good chance of dying.
BJ Murray knows how to write a great story. And he does his research too since there is a lot of myth surrounding snakes - the taipan in particular. This historical fiction is done with oodles of tension. You just want to keep on going to find out what happens next. Somewhat incongruously, he peppers the story with the terrible treatment the Aboriginal people of the time received at the hands of the White population. It was shameful. Pity the white fellas didn't learn from the Aborigines...they had a lot to teach us. Anyway, I did find the inclusion of this a bit weird.
I loved this book and it taught me a lot of new things. It made me aware of the latest methods of snake-bite treatment; I even went out and bought a snake-bite kit. The quality of the writing is so good, I would recommend this to anybody. If you're into reptiles, you'll like it even more.
December 22, 2020
I heard about this book during a broadcast of a conversation between an ABC Radio Presenter and her guest, author Brendan James Murray, back in December 2018, and I was completely captivated. Having a keen interest and respect for snakes from an early age, this conversation’s content was right up my alley.
The author relates several human encounters, chiefly in the far north of Queensland, Australia, with the coastal taipan throughout the book, some of which had me on the edge of my seat, reading like a thriller, and others that left me feeling totally devastated at the cruelty mankind is capable of.
By 1942 the taipan was quickly establishing itself as an animal whose bite had a one hundred per cent fatality rate.
The venom of a Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) contains a cocktail of poisons. The most powerful ingredient is a neurotoxin which paralyses the nerves of the heart, lungs and diaphragm, suffocating the victim. It also contains a powerful myotoxin, which destroys muscle tissue, and a procoagulant which causes abnormal clotting leading to internal bleeding.
Coastal Taipans have the longest fangs of all Australian snakes- up to 13 mm, or half an inch long. They are also the longest venomous snake in Australia. They strike extremely quickly, and can inflict multiple bites and inject large amounts of venom – up to 60 mg.
By 1954, there was still no antivenom for the fatal bite of a taipan. Tiger snake antivenom was used to treat all venomous snake bites in Australia, with varying levels of success. The venom from the taipan was in a class of its own. Tragically, children suffered a disproportionate number of snake bites in the 1930s and 1940s, largely due to the time they spent playing in the bush.
Taipan antivenom was first developed in 1955 and has saved many lives in both Australia and Papua New Guinea since that time. 20-year-old Kevin Budden was the first to capture a live coastal taipan for milking and sacrificed his life for science. The chapter relating to his search and discovery of this snake’s location and its capture near Cairns, Queensland, made for a very exciting read. I felt a great admiration and empathy for this brave young man who had grown up in Randwick, NSW. The captured snake contributed to the antivenom effort for only a short time. It reportedly died as a result of the cruelty and incompetence of museum employees.
Probably not widely known, is how snake antivenom is produced. Miniscule quantities of the venom are injected into mammals like sheep or horses, primarily horses, and those animals then develop an immunity. The antibodies can then be isolated, purified and injected directly into anybody unfortunate enough to run afoul of a venomous snake.
The coastal taipan is a very elusive snake, its habitat ranging, in Australia, in the extreme northeast of New South Wales; Northern Territory (Top End); Queensland (Cape York & eastern coast); Western Australia (extreme east). The extensive clearing of jungle/rainforests in far north Queensland to make way for sugar cane plantations, also known as the ‘cancer of the north’ predating 1950, meant that not only had the taipan lost much of its habitat, but that the rat population living amongst the sugar cane was an attraction for the taipans, bringing them into closer contact with humans.
A snake handler, George Cann (Senior), who was a common sight with his live snake show in La Perouse near Sydney, in the early 1900s, would tell his captivated audience “There are far more dangerous living things than snakes, and humans are the worst of all.”
‘Snake’ a poem by D.H.Lawrence, referenced in the book, brings awareness to the fact how easily we humans kill these magnificent animals, just because our education has dictated this. The sentiment of that poem – that those who willingly harm nature in a context when it poses no threat to them should feel great shame. If you like poetry, as I do, I recommend reading it.
All Australian hospitals and medical clinics carry antivenenes specific to each species of snake, as well as kits that enable the staff to identify the type of snake by taking a swab of the bite site. It is not necessary to kill or capture the snake in order to identify it. You are just putting yourself at added risk of being bitten. By far the most bites occur when people try to kill or to catch snakes. Taipans are extremely efficient hunters, beautifully adapted to their niche in the Australian bush. They deserve our healthy respect.
Of note, this book is not solely about the taipan. The author has also provided an insightful account of the violence and terror inflicted on the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, the first nation’s people of Australia following the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales. Most of us have heard about the ‘Stolen Generation’, but a story rarely told in Australia, is that of the relocation and numerous massacres of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which occurred for a great many years following British colonisation.
I really enjoyed the Epilogue. It describes, in such a beautiful way, the process of a coastal taipan shedding its skin.
The author, Brendan James Murray has done an excellent job of providing notations on the sourcing of information cited in this amazing book. Totally deserving of my 5 star rating, so much research has gone into compiling this book.
A very informative read, with photos scattered throughout, and definitely one that addresses the ramifications on Australia’s first nation people and the environment from Australia’s colonial days, racism and the human perception of snakes.
https://www.billabongsanctuary.com.au...
https://www.billabongsanctuary.com.au/
‘Snake’ poem analysis by Andrew Spacey
The author relates several human encounters, chiefly in the far north of Queensland, Australia, with the coastal taipan throughout the book, some of which had me on the edge of my seat, reading like a thriller, and others that left me feeling totally devastated at the cruelty mankind is capable of.
By 1942 the taipan was quickly establishing itself as an animal whose bite had a one hundred per cent fatality rate.
The venom of a Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) contains a cocktail of poisons. The most powerful ingredient is a neurotoxin which paralyses the nerves of the heart, lungs and diaphragm, suffocating the victim. It also contains a powerful myotoxin, which destroys muscle tissue, and a procoagulant which causes abnormal clotting leading to internal bleeding.
Coastal Taipans have the longest fangs of all Australian snakes- up to 13 mm, or half an inch long. They are also the longest venomous snake in Australia. They strike extremely quickly, and can inflict multiple bites and inject large amounts of venom – up to 60 mg.
By 1954, there was still no antivenom for the fatal bite of a taipan. Tiger snake antivenom was used to treat all venomous snake bites in Australia, with varying levels of success. The venom from the taipan was in a class of its own. Tragically, children suffered a disproportionate number of snake bites in the 1930s and 1940s, largely due to the time they spent playing in the bush.
Taipan antivenom was first developed in 1955 and has saved many lives in both Australia and Papua New Guinea since that time. 20-year-old Kevin Budden was the first to capture a live coastal taipan for milking and sacrificed his life for science. The chapter relating to his search and discovery of this snake’s location and its capture near Cairns, Queensland, made for a very exciting read. I felt a great admiration and empathy for this brave young man who had grown up in Randwick, NSW. The captured snake contributed to the antivenom effort for only a short time. It reportedly died as a result of the cruelty and incompetence of museum employees.
Probably not widely known, is how snake antivenom is produced. Miniscule quantities of the venom are injected into mammals like sheep or horses, primarily horses, and those animals then develop an immunity. The antibodies can then be isolated, purified and injected directly into anybody unfortunate enough to run afoul of a venomous snake.
The coastal taipan is a very elusive snake, its habitat ranging, in Australia, in the extreme northeast of New South Wales; Northern Territory (Top End); Queensland (Cape York & eastern coast); Western Australia (extreme east). The extensive clearing of jungle/rainforests in far north Queensland to make way for sugar cane plantations, also known as the ‘cancer of the north’ predating 1950, meant that not only had the taipan lost much of its habitat, but that the rat population living amongst the sugar cane was an attraction for the taipans, bringing them into closer contact with humans.
A snake handler, George Cann (Senior), who was a common sight with his live snake show in La Perouse near Sydney, in the early 1900s, would tell his captivated audience “There are far more dangerous living things than snakes, and humans are the worst of all.”
‘Snake’ a poem by D.H.Lawrence, referenced in the book, brings awareness to the fact how easily we humans kill these magnificent animals, just because our education has dictated this. The sentiment of that poem – that those who willingly harm nature in a context when it poses no threat to them should feel great shame. If you like poetry, as I do, I recommend reading it.
All Australian hospitals and medical clinics carry antivenenes specific to each species of snake, as well as kits that enable the staff to identify the type of snake by taking a swab of the bite site. It is not necessary to kill or capture the snake in order to identify it. You are just putting yourself at added risk of being bitten. By far the most bites occur when people try to kill or to catch snakes. Taipans are extremely efficient hunters, beautifully adapted to their niche in the Australian bush. They deserve our healthy respect.
Of note, this book is not solely about the taipan. The author has also provided an insightful account of the violence and terror inflicted on the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, the first nation’s people of Australia following the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales. Most of us have heard about the ‘Stolen Generation’, but a story rarely told in Australia, is that of the relocation and numerous massacres of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which occurred for a great many years following British colonisation.
I really enjoyed the Epilogue. It describes, in such a beautiful way, the process of a coastal taipan shedding its skin.
The author, Brendan James Murray has done an excellent job of providing notations on the sourcing of information cited in this amazing book. Totally deserving of my 5 star rating, so much research has gone into compiling this book.
A very informative read, with photos scattered throughout, and definitely one that addresses the ramifications on Australia’s first nation people and the environment from Australia’s colonial days, racism and the human perception of snakes.
https://www.billabongsanctuary.com.au...
https://www.billabongsanctuary.com.au/
‘Snake’ poem analysis by Andrew Spacey
January 13, 2018
A nonfiction book about the taipan, the most venomous snake in the world (well, depending on how one measures such things), and the effort to capture a living snake for study and to enable the production of an antivenom. Murray is far more interested in the story of the people involved in this search than he is in the snake or its biology, which ends up producing a book that reads a lot like an action movie. Which is not a criticism! I loved how much this felt like a suspenseful thriller. There were a few scenes that were so unbelievably wild I had to read them out loud to my partner.
Murray focuses on four people in particular: George Rosendale, a young Aboriginal man (only 19 when he was bitten in 1949) who is the only person ever known to have survived a taipan bite without being treated with antivenom; Bruce Stringer, a ten-year-old who was bitten in 1955 and became the first human to receive the then brand-new antivenom; Kevin Budden, an amateaur herpetologist who in 1950 captured the first living taipan but who died in the process; and John Dwyer, a friend of Budden's who in his memory captures the second living taipan, said snake becoming both the most significant contributor to antivenom production and the first taipan to be exhibited in a zoo. Between these men and others featured more briefly, Venom is packed full of exciting stories of hunting snakes through jungles and sugarcane fields, and medical dramas in which lives are saved or lost as doctors and amateurs struggle to find the best treatments. It's not all page-turning adventures though; I appreciate how much attention Murray gave to the role of colonialism and anti-Aboriginal racism, both in Rosendale's personal life and the larger scope of Australian history.
I do have a few criticisms. Murray jumps back and forth between so many characters (are they still called characters if they're real people? whatever) and between so many time periods that I was often confused and had trouble remembering who was who. Less significantly, I longed for a epilogue or short final chapter that would have covered what we now know about taipan. A great deal of Venom is taken up with scientists arguing over what were unknowns in the 1940s and 50s – is the taipan a separate species from the Eastern Brown Snake? Is it venomous? If so, how much? how big does it get? where can it be found? how far south does its range extend? – that by the time I reached the end of the book, I was desperate for answers! Don't make me do my own research, Murray, especially since I'm too lazy to go past Wikipedia.
Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys creepy biology or exciting history.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
Murray focuses on four people in particular: George Rosendale, a young Aboriginal man (only 19 when he was bitten in 1949) who is the only person ever known to have survived a taipan bite without being treated with antivenom; Bruce Stringer, a ten-year-old who was bitten in 1955 and became the first human to receive the then brand-new antivenom; Kevin Budden, an amateaur herpetologist who in 1950 captured the first living taipan but who died in the process; and John Dwyer, a friend of Budden's who in his memory captures the second living taipan, said snake becoming both the most significant contributor to antivenom production and the first taipan to be exhibited in a zoo. Between these men and others featured more briefly, Venom is packed full of exciting stories of hunting snakes through jungles and sugarcane fields, and medical dramas in which lives are saved or lost as doctors and amateurs struggle to find the best treatments. It's not all page-turning adventures though; I appreciate how much attention Murray gave to the role of colonialism and anti-Aboriginal racism, both in Rosendale's personal life and the larger scope of Australian history.
I do have a few criticisms. Murray jumps back and forth between so many characters (are they still called characters if they're real people? whatever) and between so many time periods that I was often confused and had trouble remembering who was who. Less significantly, I longed for a epilogue or short final chapter that would have covered what we now know about taipan. A great deal of Venom is taken up with scientists arguing over what were unknowns in the 1940s and 50s – is the taipan a separate species from the Eastern Brown Snake? Is it venomous? If so, how much? how big does it get? where can it be found? how far south does its range extend? – that by the time I reached the end of the book, I was desperate for answers! Don't make me do my own research, Murray, especially since I'm too lazy to go past Wikipedia.
Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys creepy biology or exciting history.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
November 3, 2017
Venom is a brilliant read! It's a fascinating, tense, gut wrenching and profound tale of adventure, discovery, colonisation, and faith. This is a book that tells the utterly compelling true story of the search for Taipan antivenom, yet I found myself constantly surprised by how much more complex this narrative was than that deceptively simple premise gave away. This is a gripping read featuring an incredible cast of characters- an exciting account of history as it happened that remains firmly grounded, largely by virtue of the author's amazingly well referenced collection of sources and his elegant writing style. This is history at it's best; approachable, powerful, unflinchingly honest, devastating and uplifting- often simultaneously!
April 7, 2025
This is an excellent book that discusses the relationships between European settlers, indigenous Australians, and the landscape of Australia through the lens of conflicts between humans and taipans (a large Austalian venomous snake) and the search for the snakes in order to produce an anitvenom. I felt the book was very well written and covered multiple subjects within the realms of history and science with an above-average amount of grace.
October 4, 2017
Absolutely first class book; so readable, exciting, relevant. If you think this book is just about snakes, you've another thing coming. I couldn't put it down - even reading on screen - and that was only a draft copy! It should be required reading for everyone in this country - and then some.
Yes, same surname; we are related but to me, that makes little difference. I don't care who writes a book, I won't read it all unless it gets me in. I also hate reading books on screen but this one (even if only a draft) outwilled me.
Yes, same surname; we are related but to me, that makes little difference. I don't care who writes a book, I won't read it all unless it gets me in. I also hate reading books on screen but this one (even if only a draft) outwilled me.
November 11, 2020
I loved this book. Even though it was based on fact, it reads like a novel.
I can't recommend Venom enough.
I can't recommend Venom enough.
December 1, 2020
Fantastic narrative history of the hunt for an anti venom for the bite of a Taipan and of the people who made it possible. This book tells the story of people who died from the Taipan's bite as well as the stories of those who worked to catch and milk this snake. It is also the story of the Indigenous people of Australia, which is neatly interwoven into the overall narrative. This was an informative book on a fascinating Reptile and makes you thankful for the sacrifices made so that no one has to die from a snake bite anymore. Read in conjunction with Nancy Cushing and Kevin Markwell's 'Snake Bitten: Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park' to gain a fuller picture of the history of the development of anti venoms.
April 22, 2019
A fantastic true story of the heroic account of the collection and manufacturing of antivenom for the world's most dangerous snake the taipan. An engaging writer, Brendan Murray has told an enthralling tale that seems almost too good to be true and some forgotten hero's of the mid 20th century. Easily 5 stars!!!!
October 22, 2019
My favourite book of the year.
Wonderfully written and paced with a fascinating narrative. The suspense and the characters - all real - make this a personal book that you can relate to in your own way. All the stories that link back to the Taipan - from ambition, survival, desperation and faith are told wonderfully in a thoroughly excellent book.
Highly Recommended.
Wonderfully written and paced with a fascinating narrative. The suspense and the characters - all real - make this a personal book that you can relate to in your own way. All the stories that link back to the Taipan - from ambition, survival, desperation and faith are told wonderfully in a thoroughly excellent book.
Highly Recommended.
October 12, 2019
Fascinating read. Brilliant combination of science, story telling and a little known piece of Australian natural history. Thought provoking about our relationship with flora, fauna and the environment.
June 17, 2021
Serpent - Foe or Ecological Player - Oh, and the Life-taker Poison
Brendan James Murray writes with cinematic power - about this brilliant yet deadly reptile, those who unwittingly disturb it and the hunt for the antivenin or the anti-venom - by those who both love these creatures and who want to ensure no one needs to die. The story pays tribute to Indigenous people - especially the Gugu Yimithirr of Cape York - dreadfully treated by the ignorant and venomous racists of the WWII era. I see similar racist poison and ugliness as I write this in the actions and Pentecultist heartless abuse of asylum-seekers from the current Federal Parliament in Australia. And then there is the redemptive selflessness of the array of characters Murray has focussed on - for me - Rosedale and his marrying of religious/spiritual philosophy -Chritian and Firt Nations - of Edward Ramsamy (Ram Chandra) and of the little boy who was saved by the taipan antivenin! I am in awe of Murray’s vision and writing…
Brendan James Murray writes with cinematic power - about this brilliant yet deadly reptile, those who unwittingly disturb it and the hunt for the antivenin or the anti-venom - by those who both love these creatures and who want to ensure no one needs to die. The story pays tribute to Indigenous people - especially the Gugu Yimithirr of Cape York - dreadfully treated by the ignorant and venomous racists of the WWII era. I see similar racist poison and ugliness as I write this in the actions and Pentecultist heartless abuse of asylum-seekers from the current Federal Parliament in Australia. And then there is the redemptive selflessness of the array of characters Murray has focussed on - for me - Rosedale and his marrying of religious/spiritual philosophy -Chritian and Firt Nations - of Edward Ramsamy (Ram Chandra) and of the little boy who was saved by the taipan antivenin! I am in awe of Murray’s vision and writing…
November 12, 2023
Snakes eh?
When I was in the Australian army we headed up to North Queensland on Exercise Kangeroo 2 in the mid 1970s. They had a bloke come and talk to us about snakes. Taipans were a popular subject and one of the diggers asked what do we do if bitten by one out in the boonies. The snake bloke suggested we enjoy a last smoke because that’s all you’ll have the time to do.
I saw one on our first week, or a glimpse of one it was that fast. After reading this great book I’m grateful it did not hang about.
Brilliant, scary, written with grace and empathy for both animal and people, almost every page is a ripper. The only thing scarier than knowing this snake is out there is that there’s an even deadlier one a thousand klicks further inland.
When I was in the Australian army we headed up to North Queensland on Exercise Kangeroo 2 in the mid 1970s. They had a bloke come and talk to us about snakes. Taipans were a popular subject and one of the diggers asked what do we do if bitten by one out in the boonies. The snake bloke suggested we enjoy a last smoke because that’s all you’ll have the time to do.
I saw one on our first week, or a glimpse of one it was that fast. After reading this great book I’m grateful it did not hang about.
Brilliant, scary, written with grace and empathy for both animal and people, almost every page is a ripper. The only thing scarier than knowing this snake is out there is that there’s an even deadlier one a thousand klicks further inland.
September 22, 2023
i almost didn’t finished this book. the only part of it that really captivated me was the 150-200 pages in the middle. otherwise it was a little hard to get through.
there was a lot of information in this book not even relating to the snake and wasn’t really relevant. the author also jumps around A LOT and it was a little hard to keep up at times.
there was definitely some interesting information in here but you have to get into the thick of the book (and past all of the irrelevant information and stories) to get to it.
i’m glad i read this, but i won’t be upset to never read it again honestly
there was a lot of information in this book not even relating to the snake and wasn’t really relevant. the author also jumps around A LOT and it was a little hard to keep up at times.
there was definitely some interesting information in here but you have to get into the thick of the book (and past all of the irrelevant information and stories) to get to it.
i’m glad i read this, but i won’t be upset to never read it again honestly
September 13, 2019
Australia
This story is as exciting and action packed as any fiction written today. I didn't expect the story to be quite as in-depth as it turned out. I am amazed by all things Australian, the people, the animals and the country itself. It is unbelievable that the anti venom was not developed until the late mid 20th century. The best part of this book is the in-depth look at the characters' lives.
This story is as exciting and action packed as any fiction written today. I didn't expect the story to be quite as in-depth as it turned out. I am amazed by all things Australian, the people, the animals and the country itself. It is unbelievable that the anti venom was not developed until the late mid 20th century. The best part of this book is the in-depth look at the characters' lives.
January 12, 2023
A banger book, draws you into a story that you have no business or interest in knowing about - snakes? Venom? Who cares, right?! You - you will, trust me. And then you find yourself rooting for people who are almost constantly getting lit up by snakes and dying off, until you work out the pattern, and who the heroes are - but then heaps of them also die. Then you learn about Australia, then the ending slaps you in the chops, then you rest.
February 4, 2019
This book is so intresting
April 7, 2019
Beautifully written book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Brendan's writing style is fantastic.
April 7, 2019
Excellent
May 20, 2019
Excellent book - nice story about Australian life in FNQ post WW2
February 15, 2021
Well-researched collation of herpetological history. Insightful reflection on indigenous social issues of the mid 20th century.
February 1, 2023
A really interesting look at home Australian's developed Taipan antivenom.
March 13, 2024
Good idea, fairly decent execution.
Love the take on Venom, excited to see where this story heads.
Love the take on Venom, excited to see where this story heads.
July 3, 2023
Venom by Brendan James Murray effortlessly moves between harrowing and inspiring, detailing the story of taipans and the people who either lived with them or tried to catch them during the mid-century in Queensland.
I loved this book, I read a lot of dry non fiction and this was not that, keeping me on edge till the triumphant end.
I also greatly appreciated learning about the Guugu Yimithirr people and the tragedies they have experienced since colonisation, this part of my countries history was unknown to me, and although it is tragic, it is important to know.
I loved this book, I read a lot of dry non fiction and this was not that, keeping me on edge till the triumphant end.
I also greatly appreciated learning about the Guugu Yimithirr people and the tragedies they have experienced since colonisation, this part of my countries history was unknown to me, and although it is tragic, it is important to know.
Read
April 7, 2019A really engaging fascinating account. Written in a storytelling fashion that gets you involved with the characters from start to finish. A fantastic read
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews