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The Australians #4
The explorers
They were born of rogues and adventurers, brigands and thieves--brave men and women determined to wrest a life from a land still echoing with the violent cry of revolution, the dark song of untamed desire. — Into this vast, roiling landscape came beautiful Jessica maclaine, whose invincible spirit plunged her into the dark, sensual heart of New South Wales where scandal and intrigue were the stronghold of glory, where the condemned found freedom in the deadly peril of an unruly frontier...For, at the birth of a new century, they were all part of one glorious dream--the legacy of lovely Jenny Taggart, who saw in a renegade nation the bold promise of tomorrow, the splendid, treacherous destiny of...The Explorers.
490 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
3 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
William Stuart Long
39 books37 followersViolet Vivian Finlay was born on 2 January 1914 in Berkshire, England, UK, the daughter of Alice Kathleen (née Norton) and Sir Campbell Kirkman Finlay. Her father was the owner and director of Burmah Oil Company Ltd., whose Scottish family also owned James Finlay and Company Ltd. The majority of her childhood and youth was spent in Rangoon, Burma (now also known as Myanmar), where her father worked. During her life, she frequently journeyed between India, Singapore, Java and Sumatra.
Although Vivian is well-known by the surname of Stuart, she married four times during her lifetime, and had five children: Gillian Rushton (née Porch), Kim Santow, Jennifer Gooch (née Stuart), and twins Vary and Valerie Stuart.
Following the dissolution of her first marriage, she studied for a time Law in London in the mid 1930s, before decided studied Medicine at the University of London. Later she spent time in Hungary in the capacity of private tutor in English, while she obtained a pathologist qualification at the University of Budapest in 1938. In 1939, she emigrated to Australia with her second husband, a Hungarian Doctor Geza Santow with whom she worked. In 1942, she obtained a diploma in industrial chemistry and laboratory technique at Technical Institute of Newcastle. Having earned an ambulance driver's certificate, she joined the Australian Forces at the Women's Auxiliary Service during World War II. She was attached to the IVth Army, and raised to the rank of sergeant, she was posted to British XIV Army in Rangoon, Burma in October 1945, and was then transferred to Sumatra in December. After the WWII, she returned to England. On 24 October 1958, she married her fourth and last husband, Cyril William Mann, a bank manager.
She was a prolific writer from 1953 to 1986 under diferent pseudonyms: Vivian Stuart, Alex Stuart, Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, V. A. Stuart, William Stuart Long and Robyn Stuart. Many of her novels were protagonized by doctors or nurses, and set in Asia, Australia or other places she had visited. Her romance novel, Gay Cavalier published in 1955 as Alex Stuart got her into trouble with her Mills & Boon editors when she featured a secondary story line featuring a Catholic male and Protestant female who chose to marry. This so-called "mixed marriage" touched nerves in the United Kingdom.
In 1960, she was a founder of the Romantic Novelists' Association, along with Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, and others; she was elected the first Chairman (1961-1963). In 1970, she became the first woman to chair Swanwick Writers' Summer School.
Violet Vivian Finlay Porch Santow Stuart Mann passed away on August 1986 in Yorkshire, at age 72. She continued writing until her death.
Although Vivian is well-known by the surname of Stuart, she married four times during her lifetime, and had five children: Gillian Rushton (née Porch), Kim Santow, Jennifer Gooch (née Stuart), and twins Vary and Valerie Stuart.
Following the dissolution of her first marriage, she studied for a time Law in London in the mid 1930s, before decided studied Medicine at the University of London. Later she spent time in Hungary in the capacity of private tutor in English, while she obtained a pathologist qualification at the University of Budapest in 1938. In 1939, she emigrated to Australia with her second husband, a Hungarian Doctor Geza Santow with whom she worked. In 1942, she obtained a diploma in industrial chemistry and laboratory technique at Technical Institute of Newcastle. Having earned an ambulance driver's certificate, she joined the Australian Forces at the Women's Auxiliary Service during World War II. She was attached to the IVth Army, and raised to the rank of sergeant, she was posted to British XIV Army in Rangoon, Burma in October 1945, and was then transferred to Sumatra in December. After the WWII, she returned to England. On 24 October 1958, she married her fourth and last husband, Cyril William Mann, a bank manager.
She was a prolific writer from 1953 to 1986 under diferent pseudonyms: Vivian Stuart, Alex Stuart, Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, V. A. Stuart, William Stuart Long and Robyn Stuart. Many of her novels were protagonized by doctors or nurses, and set in Asia, Australia or other places she had visited. Her romance novel, Gay Cavalier published in 1955 as Alex Stuart got her into trouble with her Mills & Boon editors when she featured a secondary story line featuring a Catholic male and Protestant female who chose to marry. This so-called "mixed marriage" touched nerves in the United Kingdom.
In 1960, she was a founder of the Romantic Novelists' Association, along with Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, and others; she was elected the first Chairman (1961-1963). In 1970, she became the first woman to chair Swanwick Writers' Summer School.
Violet Vivian Finlay Porch Santow Stuart Mann passed away on August 1986 in Yorkshire, at age 72. She continued writing until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
did-not-finish
June 25, 2017*yawn* DNF on pg 100.
May 1, 2023
McArthur börjar bli en riktigt rolig skurk att hata. Del 4 är ännu en lättläst och trevlig historielektion.
September 29, 2022
Johnny Broome återkommer till kolonin han en gång rymde från, nu som navigeringsofficer hos Matthew Flinders som ska utforska kusterna hos Terra Australis. Han återvänder även till Jenny Taggart och de gifter sig. Medan hon fortsätter att bruka jorden och ta hand om djuren, växlar han mellan att hjälpa henne och att vara på sjön - antingen på utforskningsresor eller för att hantera skeppning till och från Norfolk Island.
Guvernör King har samma problem med New South Wales-kåren, och dess officerare, som hans föregångare. Officerarna, med kapten Macarthur i spetsen, skor sig med hjälp av chartrade inköpsresor till Kap och Indien, rom och överutnyttjande av straffångars arbetskraft.
Men så kommer hans ersättare - den ökände kapten Bligh - med order från kungen och regeringen att få ordning på kolonin.
***
Den fjärde boken i serien följer de tidigare i spänning, historia och (lätt) romance. Lagom tidsfördriv med en liten historielektion insprängd här och där.
Guvernör King har samma problem med New South Wales-kåren, och dess officerare, som hans föregångare. Officerarna, med kapten Macarthur i spetsen, skor sig med hjälp av chartrade inköpsresor till Kap och Indien, rom och överutnyttjande av straffångars arbetskraft.
Men så kommer hans ersättare - den ökände kapten Bligh - med order från kungen och regeringen att få ordning på kolonin.
***
Den fjärde boken i serien följer de tidigare i spänning, historia och (lätt) romance. Lagom tidsfördriv med en liten historielektion insprängd här och där.
June 4, 2023
In England will man die Rebellion untersuchen und die Verschwörer müssen sich verantworten. Aber auch William Blight muss nach England und dort vor Gericht aussagen. Der neue Gouverneur will unterdessen Australien besser erschließen und z.B Straßen bauen. Auch das harte Leben der einfachen Menschen geht weiter. ---- So eine tolle Saga, es ist so spannend und man will unbedingt Wissen wie es weitergeht.
January 13, 2022
These books give me such a great appreciation of the challenges the early settlers faced. The writer paints a vivid picture of the many stoic, hard working people came to this country and faced back breaking toil and heartbreaks. The political machinations are eye opening.
February 4, 2020
I am really enjoying this series of books.
December 24, 2024
Meh, it was ok. I just finished writing a review for The Colonists and to be honest if you read that review then it could be cut and pasted here.
March 7, 2016
I started the this series, "The Australians" , many years ago. I loved it but years seemed to go by between each book. Book #IV, The Explorers, was, as I have found the rest, a book I had a hard time putting down. Even though it had been years since I had read Book #III, I recognized all of the characters with no problem. It was as if I had just finished #3 and was going on to #4. I hope less time goes by before I can read #5!!
My husband and I have been to Australia and reading it's history and how hard a time the first settlers had, not to mention the "politics" of the Governors and the "Rum Corps", brought it all "alive" to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My husband and I have been to Australia and reading it's history and how hard a time the first settlers had, not to mention the "politics" of the Governors and the "Rum Corps", brought it all "alive" to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 7, 2010
Everyone who loves historical novels will love this series. I'm not going to list all of them, but if you just look up "The Australians," you'll find a number of them here on Goodreads. Highly recommend.
January 1, 2016
Another wonderful book, this more gripping than the last one. Lots more adventures, more corruption, more people that you'd like to personally do bad things too, but new characters to enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews