What do you think?
Rate this book
Moonlite: The Tragic Love Story of Captain Moonlite and the Bloody End of the Bushrangers
Charismatic, intelligent and handsome, George Scott is unlike any other bushranger. Born into a privileged life in famine-wracked Ireland, Scott’s family loses its fortune and is forced to flee to New Zealand. There, Scott joins the local militia and fights as a soldier against the Maori in the brutal New Zealand wars.
After recovering from a series of serious gunshot wounds, he sails to Australia and becomes a Lay Preacher, captivating churchgoers with his fiery and inspiring sermons.
But Scott is also prone to bursts of madness. The local villagers back in Ireland often whispered that a 'wild drop' ran in the blood of the Scott family. One night he dons a mask in a small country town, arms himself with a gun and, dubbing himself Captain Moonlite, brazenly robs a bank before staging one of the country’s most audacious jailbreaks.
After falling in love with fellow prisoner James Nesbitt, a boyish petty criminal desperately searching for a father figure, Scott finds himself unable to shrug off his criminal past.
Pursued and harassed by the police, he stages a dramatic siege and prepares for a final showdown with the law – and a macabre executioner without a nose.
Meticulously researched and drawing on previously unpublished material, Moonlite is a brilliant work of non-fiction that reads like a novel.
Told at a cracking pace, and based on many of the extensive letters Scott wrote from his death cell, Moonlite is set amid the violent and sexually-repressed era of Australia in the second half of the 19th century.
With a cast of remarkable characters, it weaves together the extraordinary lives of our bushrangers and the desperation of a young nation eager to remove the stains of its convict past.
But most of all, Moonlite is a tragic love story.
For these are the dying days of the bushrangers and Captain Moonlite is about to make his last stand.
After recovering from a series of serious gunshot wounds, he sails to Australia and becomes a Lay Preacher, captivating churchgoers with his fiery and inspiring sermons.
But Scott is also prone to bursts of madness. The local villagers back in Ireland often whispered that a 'wild drop' ran in the blood of the Scott family. One night he dons a mask in a small country town, arms himself with a gun and, dubbing himself Captain Moonlite, brazenly robs a bank before staging one of the country’s most audacious jailbreaks.
After falling in love with fellow prisoner James Nesbitt, a boyish petty criminal desperately searching for a father figure, Scott finds himself unable to shrug off his criminal past.
Pursued and harassed by the police, he stages a dramatic siege and prepares for a final showdown with the law – and a macabre executioner without a nose.
Meticulously researched and drawing on previously unpublished material, Moonlite is a brilliant work of non-fiction that reads like a novel.
Told at a cracking pace, and based on many of the extensive letters Scott wrote from his death cell, Moonlite is set amid the violent and sexually-repressed era of Australia in the second half of the 19th century.
With a cast of remarkable characters, it weaves together the extraordinary lives of our bushrangers and the desperation of a young nation eager to remove the stains of its convict past.
But most of all, Moonlite is a tragic love story.
For these are the dying days of the bushrangers and Captain Moonlite is about to make his last stand.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2020
10 people are currently reading
208 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 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 13, 2025
I don't read a heap of nonfiction but I do like to throw in one every now and then for variety and to pretend I'm more of an intellectual than I actually am.
When I finished my last audiobook, my audiobook app suggested Moonlite to me as a next listen and I nearly swiped past it but stopped with a comical screaming of the mental breaks, because what do you mean 'A gay bushranger with a love of poetry and guns?'. I sat there, my curiosity piqued; because how had I, an educated Australian woman who identifies as part of the LGBTIQ community, manage to have never heard of the gay bushranger Captain Moonlite?
Over the course of the next 10 hours of audiobook, Gary Linnell takes the reader on an incredibly interesting and heartfelt journey getting to know who the complicated man Andrew George Scott was behind the mythical persona of Captain Moonlite as well as shining a light on the cherished relationship he shared with his close partner James Nesbitt.
The weight of evidence strongly supports the view that Captain Moonlite was gay. It also overwhelmingly suggests he suffered significant mental health issues. Narcissism lay at the heart of his personality. He craved attention but when he finally gained it, he became flustered and exhausted by its demands. He was prone to outbursts of irrational anger and was consumed by a rigid code of honour that, while often getting him into trouble, allowed him to make sense of a world he often, clearly, found bewildering.
I've seen some reviews say they found the narrative to be disjointed but I have to admit I respectfully disagree. I thought that Linnell used the life and love of Andrew George Scott as an interesting narrative backbone to a story that explored the cultural landscape of Australia during the mid to late 1800s. Linnell speaks to a broad range of related topics including the impact that civil unrest in Ireland played in Australia, the characters behind the people who performed the executions, the cultural and political landscape of Australia during the 1800s, the decline in societal approval of capital punishment, the disapproval of homosexuality in this era, how Captain Moonlite existed in regards to the larger context of the bushranger zeitgeist (especially in relation to Ned Kelly) and somehow still manages to present a convincing tale of love, devotion and tragedy between Scott and Nesbitt.
If you are interested in this book, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you listen to it. Australian actor Ryan Corr did an amazing and emotional performance effortlessly switching between Australian, English and Irish accents and really immersing the listener in these characters and this tale.
Having read this book, I walk away fully convinced that Scott and Nesbitt shared a deep connection full of love for each other. I have to admit though that during all the tragedy that unfolded here, I also had to laugh a little because during a period of time where homosexuality could get you jailed or executed, my man Scott here, gave literally ZERO FUCKS and it felt like he was just out here screaming how much he loved his man to anyone who would stand still long enough to listen and I honestly kind of love that for him.
I think that Scott would be resting well to know that his truth is being shared and that he is resting with the love of his life now. How historians looked to his character and managed to erase his queerness is wild to me because the amount of purposeful and blind ignorance required to do so feels mind boggling.
Allow me to leave you with some quotes that resonated to me or stop here now if reading quotes borders too close to spoilers (and yes this nonfiction book did make me cry hahaha)
‘I had a few friends who were kind (you were one). I had one friend, my own dearest Jim (James P. Nesbitt). He comforted me and supported me in sickness and sorrow. We were friends for years and never one feeling of unkindness ever was in one of our minds to the other. We were one in heart and soul. He died in my arms and I long to join him where there shall be no more parting, no more injustice.’
✨✨✨
‘I can assure you when poor dear Jim Nesbitt died in my arms it was worse to me than death,’ writes Scott. ‘God alone knows how much I loved him, and He knows how the dear fellow loved me. We never had an unkind word, never had an unkind thought; we were one in heart and soul. We shared everything.
‘I had a very severe illness in Ballarat and he attended me with the care and love of a mother. Since then he has been to me all that man could wish for. I was often miserable but he always comforted me and taught me to hope for a brighter future . . . I have some of his hair – part of it I got years since, part of it I cut from his head before he died. This hair I value more than I can tell.
‘I have one pleasure left, that is, I am to share his grave. We promised to sleep together, and not long before his death he made me promise it again. We will fill the same grave, and I hope and trust we shall be together forever . . . let me lie with him, and I can die happy.’ Scott writes countless letters like this. They carry an intensity and openness rare for the time. Scott is adamant. When Nesbitt died ‘my heart was crushed, my life blighted’..’
✨✨✨
the monument he wants to sit above the grave he and Nesbitt will hopefully share. ‘The only thing I long for is the certainty that I may share his grave; once assured of this I am satisfied.’
He tells Claude he wants a ‘rough unhewn rock . . . one that skilled hands could have made into something better. It will be like those it covers, as kindness and charity could have shaped us to better ends.’
Scott also includes instructions for the epitaph on the rock. ‘This stone covers the remains of two friends,’ it should say, before including their names and how they were separated by death on 17/11/1879 and united by death on 20/1/1880.
‘I will enclose a slip of paper giving a few dates to be cut on it,’ writes Scott, ‘and Mrs Ames will ask you to find out for her how I can be sure to fill the grave of him I fondly love.’
When I finished my last audiobook, my audiobook app suggested Moonlite to me as a next listen and I nearly swiped past it but stopped with a comical screaming of the mental breaks, because what do you mean 'A gay bushranger with a love of poetry and guns?'. I sat there, my curiosity piqued; because how had I, an educated Australian woman who identifies as part of the LGBTIQ community, manage to have never heard of the gay bushranger Captain Moonlite?
Over the course of the next 10 hours of audiobook, Gary Linnell takes the reader on an incredibly interesting and heartfelt journey getting to know who the complicated man Andrew George Scott was behind the mythical persona of Captain Moonlite as well as shining a light on the cherished relationship he shared with his close partner James Nesbitt.
The weight of evidence strongly supports the view that Captain Moonlite was gay. It also overwhelmingly suggests he suffered significant mental health issues. Narcissism lay at the heart of his personality. He craved attention but when he finally gained it, he became flustered and exhausted by its demands. He was prone to outbursts of irrational anger and was consumed by a rigid code of honour that, while often getting him into trouble, allowed him to make sense of a world he often, clearly, found bewildering.
I've seen some reviews say they found the narrative to be disjointed but I have to admit I respectfully disagree. I thought that Linnell used the life and love of Andrew George Scott as an interesting narrative backbone to a story that explored the cultural landscape of Australia during the mid to late 1800s. Linnell speaks to a broad range of related topics including the impact that civil unrest in Ireland played in Australia, the characters behind the people who performed the executions, the cultural and political landscape of Australia during the 1800s, the decline in societal approval of capital punishment, the disapproval of homosexuality in this era, how Captain Moonlite existed in regards to the larger context of the bushranger zeitgeist (especially in relation to Ned Kelly) and somehow still manages to present a convincing tale of love, devotion and tragedy between Scott and Nesbitt.
If you are interested in this book, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you listen to it. Australian actor Ryan Corr did an amazing and emotional performance effortlessly switching between Australian, English and Irish accents and really immersing the listener in these characters and this tale.
Having read this book, I walk away fully convinced that Scott and Nesbitt shared a deep connection full of love for each other. I have to admit though that during all the tragedy that unfolded here, I also had to laugh a little because during a period of time where homosexuality could get you jailed or executed, my man Scott here, gave literally ZERO FUCKS and it felt like he was just out here screaming how much he loved his man to anyone who would stand still long enough to listen and I honestly kind of love that for him.
I think that Scott would be resting well to know that his truth is being shared and that he is resting with the love of his life now. How historians looked to his character and managed to erase his queerness is wild to me because the amount of purposeful and blind ignorance required to do so feels mind boggling.
Allow me to leave you with some quotes that resonated to me or stop here now if reading quotes borders too close to spoilers (and yes this nonfiction book did make me cry hahaha)
‘I had a few friends who were kind (you were one). I had one friend, my own dearest Jim (James P. Nesbitt). He comforted me and supported me in sickness and sorrow. We were friends for years and never one feeling of unkindness ever was in one of our minds to the other. We were one in heart and soul. He died in my arms and I long to join him where there shall be no more parting, no more injustice.’
✨✨✨
‘I can assure you when poor dear Jim Nesbitt died in my arms it was worse to me than death,’ writes Scott. ‘God alone knows how much I loved him, and He knows how the dear fellow loved me. We never had an unkind word, never had an unkind thought; we were one in heart and soul. We shared everything.
‘I had a very severe illness in Ballarat and he attended me with the care and love of a mother. Since then he has been to me all that man could wish for. I was often miserable but he always comforted me and taught me to hope for a brighter future . . . I have some of his hair – part of it I got years since, part of it I cut from his head before he died. This hair I value more than I can tell.
‘I have one pleasure left, that is, I am to share his grave. We promised to sleep together, and not long before his death he made me promise it again. We will fill the same grave, and I hope and trust we shall be together forever . . . let me lie with him, and I can die happy.’ Scott writes countless letters like this. They carry an intensity and openness rare for the time. Scott is adamant. When Nesbitt died ‘my heart was crushed, my life blighted’..’
✨✨✨
the monument he wants to sit above the grave he and Nesbitt will hopefully share. ‘The only thing I long for is the certainty that I may share his grave; once assured of this I am satisfied.’
He tells Claude he wants a ‘rough unhewn rock . . . one that skilled hands could have made into something better. It will be like those it covers, as kindness and charity could have shaped us to better ends.’
Scott also includes instructions for the epitaph on the rock. ‘This stone covers the remains of two friends,’ it should say, before including their names and how they were separated by death on 17/11/1879 and united by death on 20/1/1880.
‘I will enclose a slip of paper giving a few dates to be cut on it,’ writes Scott, ‘and Mrs Ames will ask you to find out for her how I can be sure to fill the grave of him I fondly love.’
February 10, 2021
Such an informative read, not just about Captain Moonlite but all of the bushrangers of the time.
I have to admit I stalled a lot during the course of this read as (fascinating as it is) it turned out to be more like a documentary than [as I thought] the story of Captain Moonlite...to my mind anyway.
Don’t be put off however, as the subject has been very well researched and the information is enlightening in many aspects, and as such, makes for compelling reading.
Personally though, I thought it was very slow and distracting at times as it drifted from story to story, giving in depth information on every [introduced] character or scene.
Though the information was interesting and factual, I felt it was often a bit much and distracted from the real story, leaving me wanting to skip pages and get to the gist of Captain Moonlite and his exploits...that is about me though and not a criticism to the book in general.
I am a big fan of Australian history and especially it’s renowned “crooks.”
I’ve already read much on the subject of Australian bushrangers, but Captain Moonite was still a bit of a mystery. So when I came across this book I was excited to read a book specifically about the ‘elusive’ Captain Moonlite...I wasn’t dissatisfied, just a wee bit disappointed in the format.
As I said though, that’s about me and shouldn’t dissuade a reader.
The book has a lot to offer anyone interested in the subject, especially Australian history buffs.
I still gave it four stars ⭐️
I have to admit I stalled a lot during the course of this read as (fascinating as it is) it turned out to be more like a documentary than [as I thought] the story of Captain Moonlite...to my mind anyway.
Don’t be put off however, as the subject has been very well researched and the information is enlightening in many aspects, and as such, makes for compelling reading.
Personally though, I thought it was very slow and distracting at times as it drifted from story to story, giving in depth information on every [introduced] character or scene.
Though the information was interesting and factual, I felt it was often a bit much and distracted from the real story, leaving me wanting to skip pages and get to the gist of Captain Moonlite and his exploits...that is about me though and not a criticism to the book in general.
I am a big fan of Australian history and especially it’s renowned “crooks.”
I’ve already read much on the subject of Australian bushrangers, but Captain Moonite was still a bit of a mystery. So when I came across this book I was excited to read a book specifically about the ‘elusive’ Captain Moonlite...I wasn’t dissatisfied, just a wee bit disappointed in the format.
As I said though, that’s about me and shouldn’t dissuade a reader.
The book has a lot to offer anyone interested in the subject, especially Australian history buffs.
I still gave it four stars ⭐️
December 8, 2020
OH MY POOR GAY HEART.
My girlfriend and I both read this book at the same time. I'm still astonished that people don't seem to know Captain Moonlite was gay, as I had previously thought it was the one thing anyone knew about him, but neither of my parents knew. But this story of two very unlucky men who found love with each other in really not great circumstances, oh, it made me emotional - and Moonlite's commitment to publicly discussing and documenting what he felt for James Nesbitt seems almost a pointed message to the habit of historians to dismiss queer relationships in the past as "having no evidence." Moonlite's new grave near Nesbitt is only about 2 hours drive away from where I live, and when my partner and I can be together post-pandemic, we're going to go and visit and leave him flowers - violets, pansies, lavender maybe, something unapologetically gay - and have some tea there in his honour.
My girlfriend and I both read this book at the same time. I'm still astonished that people don't seem to know Captain Moonlite was gay, as I had previously thought it was the one thing anyone knew about him, but neither of my parents knew. But this story of two very unlucky men who found love with each other in really not great circumstances, oh, it made me emotional - and Moonlite's commitment to publicly discussing and documenting what he felt for James Nesbitt seems almost a pointed message to the habit of historians to dismiss queer relationships in the past as "having no evidence." Moonlite's new grave near Nesbitt is only about 2 hours drive away from where I live, and when my partner and I can be together post-pandemic, we're going to go and visit and leave him flowers - violets, pansies, lavender maybe, something unapologetically gay - and have some tea there in his honour.
November 28, 2020
This should become a limited series on the ABC or Netflix. It’s a story begging to be told on the screen.
September 25, 2020
In 2013 Paul Terry published what was rightly considered the most definitive account of the life of Andrew George Scott up to that point. Drawing on many sources, some of which had only recently been discovered, Terry’s In Search of Captain Moonlite was detailed but easy to read. Yet it left the reader wanting more. Now we have Garry Linnell’s Moonlite taking on the challenge and not merely rising to the occasion but usurping the throne.
Very few authors have really sunk their teeth into the Moonlite saga but for one reason or another, possibly due to the questions around Scott’s sexuality in light of the increasing visibility of the LGBT+ community, interest in the story of Captain Moonlite has really been booming in recent years. A number of projects in various stages of fruition since Paul Terry’s book was released have raised the prestige of Captain Moonlite to equate him more with Morgan, Hall and Thunderbolt in the bushranging pantheon, and have even come close to giving him his own little niche in Australian culture on his own terms. Thus Linnell’s grasping of the challenge of tackling this story with both hands is welcome and timely.
Anyone familiar with Captain Moonlite has no doubt heard of the tragic love story between Andrew Scott and James Nesbitt, the infamous Mount Egerton bank robbery, the daring escape from Ballarat Gaol, the Wantabadgery siege and Andrew Scott’s spectacular fall from grace. All of that is covered in this book and much more besides. Like many history and non-fiction books, this is written in a style more commonly seen in a novel. People who have read Peter Fitzsimons’ books will know exactly what that looks like. However, unlike Fitzsimons’ books, this is not a bloated and absolutely comprehensive account. Though it is the most comprehensive to date, the focus is more on a narrative that is easy to follow and enjoyable to read while getting the information as accurate as possible. This will appeal to people that normally would steer away from non-fiction in favour of more breezy novels or memoirs. To put it another way, this is a text with broad appeal.
It is heartening to see the shift in the way Scott’s story has been told move away from the days of George Calderwood’s dry, sensationalist and frequently inaccurate 1971 biography to this more human depiction of Scott that relies very heavily on getting to the root of the myths to understand the man. Furthermore, rather than being a blow-by-blow account of Scott’s life, a musing on his sexuality or an exploration of the conflict between fact and fiction in his story, this is a more holistic view of Scott and what makes him such a compelling figure in history. There are brief tangents into the lives of “Nosey Bob” Howard, Sir Alfred Stephen, Sir Redmond Barry, Frank Gardiner, Ned Kelly, Marcus Clarke, Boulton and Park, and more all in the service of explaining the society that Andrew Scott was railing against and what shaped his life. By doing this we get a very enriched story of the mid to late 1800s on top of the most complete and accurate version of Scott’s biography to date. It is in seeing the world of Captain Moonlite that we fully comprehend what made him so remarkable.
People who have read Paul Terry’s In Search of Captain Moonlite will probably feel like some passages tread familiar terrain, which is natural given that both books tackle the same subject in a similar way. But there is so much more in this version of the story that whether you have read the previous books on the subject or not this will be a refreshing and enlightening take on it and show you things that you likely haven’t come across before. However, it feels at times like some parts of the story could have been explored a bit more. This is not to the detriment of the text by any means and possibly some readers would feel that any more detail than what is given would be too much. Any person that has done research on Captain Moonlite will likely tell you that it is very hard to cover everything in a complete and comprehensive way where this story is concerned, especially if you’re one person doing the research on your own. On that front Linnell has done an absolutely brilliant job. Reading through the acknowledgements it is clear that he had some really great people helping guide him where he needed to go, but the legwork was definitely done by Linnell himself.
Though it probably seems like a small thing, one of the best parts of this book is the inclusion of several pages of illustrations. The mix of photographs, etchings, records, and so on, really helps to visualise things that are described in the text, which is something most previous books on the subject have mostly avoided for one reason or another. As wonderful as the descriptions of the main players are, nothing has the same effect as being able to see the faces or places you’re reading about.
Moonlite is without doubt one of the most important bushranger books published to date and one of the best Australian history books that has hit the market in the past few years. Such a complete history of Andrew Scott and those who were drawn into his sphere of influence will provide an extremely useful resource for future researchers and that really is something that comes once in a blue moon. For anyone interested in the story of Captain Moonlite this is an absolute must have book. It is not only incredibly detailed, but it is a very enjoyable read. Linnell’s use of language really does breathe life into the story in a way many of the dry old history books just don’t seem capable of. It will captivate and most importantly is very re-readable.
Very few authors have really sunk their teeth into the Moonlite saga but for one reason or another, possibly due to the questions around Scott’s sexuality in light of the increasing visibility of the LGBT+ community, interest in the story of Captain Moonlite has really been booming in recent years. A number of projects in various stages of fruition since Paul Terry’s book was released have raised the prestige of Captain Moonlite to equate him more with Morgan, Hall and Thunderbolt in the bushranging pantheon, and have even come close to giving him his own little niche in Australian culture on his own terms. Thus Linnell’s grasping of the challenge of tackling this story with both hands is welcome and timely.
Anyone familiar with Captain Moonlite has no doubt heard of the tragic love story between Andrew Scott and James Nesbitt, the infamous Mount Egerton bank robbery, the daring escape from Ballarat Gaol, the Wantabadgery siege and Andrew Scott’s spectacular fall from grace. All of that is covered in this book and much more besides. Like many history and non-fiction books, this is written in a style more commonly seen in a novel. People who have read Peter Fitzsimons’ books will know exactly what that looks like. However, unlike Fitzsimons’ books, this is not a bloated and absolutely comprehensive account. Though it is the most comprehensive to date, the focus is more on a narrative that is easy to follow and enjoyable to read while getting the information as accurate as possible. This will appeal to people that normally would steer away from non-fiction in favour of more breezy novels or memoirs. To put it another way, this is a text with broad appeal.
It is heartening to see the shift in the way Scott’s story has been told move away from the days of George Calderwood’s dry, sensationalist and frequently inaccurate 1971 biography to this more human depiction of Scott that relies very heavily on getting to the root of the myths to understand the man. Furthermore, rather than being a blow-by-blow account of Scott’s life, a musing on his sexuality or an exploration of the conflict between fact and fiction in his story, this is a more holistic view of Scott and what makes him such a compelling figure in history. There are brief tangents into the lives of “Nosey Bob” Howard, Sir Alfred Stephen, Sir Redmond Barry, Frank Gardiner, Ned Kelly, Marcus Clarke, Boulton and Park, and more all in the service of explaining the society that Andrew Scott was railing against and what shaped his life. By doing this we get a very enriched story of the mid to late 1800s on top of the most complete and accurate version of Scott’s biography to date. It is in seeing the world of Captain Moonlite that we fully comprehend what made him so remarkable.
People who have read Paul Terry’s In Search of Captain Moonlite will probably feel like some passages tread familiar terrain, which is natural given that both books tackle the same subject in a similar way. But there is so much more in this version of the story that whether you have read the previous books on the subject or not this will be a refreshing and enlightening take on it and show you things that you likely haven’t come across before. However, it feels at times like some parts of the story could have been explored a bit more. This is not to the detriment of the text by any means and possibly some readers would feel that any more detail than what is given would be too much. Any person that has done research on Captain Moonlite will likely tell you that it is very hard to cover everything in a complete and comprehensive way where this story is concerned, especially if you’re one person doing the research on your own. On that front Linnell has done an absolutely brilliant job. Reading through the acknowledgements it is clear that he had some really great people helping guide him where he needed to go, but the legwork was definitely done by Linnell himself.
Though it probably seems like a small thing, one of the best parts of this book is the inclusion of several pages of illustrations. The mix of photographs, etchings, records, and so on, really helps to visualise things that are described in the text, which is something most previous books on the subject have mostly avoided for one reason or another. As wonderful as the descriptions of the main players are, nothing has the same effect as being able to see the faces or places you’re reading about.
Moonlite is without doubt one of the most important bushranger books published to date and one of the best Australian history books that has hit the market in the past few years. Such a complete history of Andrew Scott and those who were drawn into his sphere of influence will provide an extremely useful resource for future researchers and that really is something that comes once in a blue moon. For anyone interested in the story of Captain Moonlite this is an absolute must have book. It is not only incredibly detailed, but it is a very enjoyable read. Linnell’s use of language really does breathe life into the story in a way many of the dry old history books just don’t seem capable of. It will captivate and most importantly is very re-readable.
December 26, 2022
An interesting tale about Captain Moonlite and his companion James Nesbit.
February 25, 2021
An interesting study of one of the last bushrangers, this biography paints George Scott, Captain Moonlite, as an intelligent and sensitive man. I'm not sure I completely agree with that picture. Whilst Scott's intelligence and charm are readily evident, I'm not sure this sensitivity is all Linnell makes it out to be - with one exception. It does appear that Captain Moonlite was very much in love with James Nesbitt, a young member of the gang with whom committed his last crime.
Scott loved Nesbitt (or was so obsessed with him) he wished to be buried with him after he was hanged. This was something I had not read before, so full credit to Linnell for unearthing these details. It certainly revealed a side of this notorious bushranger I had not read about before .
I feel this book could have been shorter, perhaps more economical with its descriptions of events, as in some parts it did drag. I almost gave up on it twice (it took me a month to finish). But if you are interested in reading about a contemporary of Ned Kelly, this book could fit the bill.
Scott loved Nesbitt (or was so obsessed with him) he wished to be buried with him after he was hanged. This was something I had not read before, so full credit to Linnell for unearthing these details. It certainly revealed a side of this notorious bushranger I had not read about before .
I feel this book could have been shorter, perhaps more economical with its descriptions of events, as in some parts it did drag. I almost gave up on it twice (it took me a month to finish). But if you are interested in reading about a contemporary of Ned Kelly, this book could fit the bill.
February 26, 2022
What a ride. Come on, you have to have to feel a bit sorry for the guy. He was bad but he was also done to. He was educated but kind of lost it along the way. And it was not the age to be gay. But what a book. I think this author really does love his craft. The descriptions of often dodgy characters was brilliant and really drew me in.
And let’s face it peeps, be kind to your local hangman. You might need them one day!!
The cracking pace took a while to kick in, but the background work was really useful and relevant. I really enjoyed this book.
And let’s face it peeps, be kind to your local hangman. You might need them one day!!
The cracking pace took a while to kick in, but the background work was really useful and relevant. I really enjoyed this book.
December 15, 2025
A slow and arduous start to the story (through no fault of Linnell's, more likely because I'm not well-acquainted with nonfiction) eventually picked up once you started getting to know Scott.
I have a minor gripe with the amount of characters and names thrown around, but it did make the story more full and added some much-needed depth and interest.
It made the story feel more realistic and read more like fiction. I actually enjoyed Linnell's way of weaving history together to tell this story.
I have a minor gripe with the amount of characters and names thrown around, but it did make the story more full and added some much-needed depth and interest.
It made the story feel more realistic and read more like fiction. I actually enjoyed Linnell's way of weaving history together to tell this story.
December 6, 2021
Now we know why the story of Captain Moonlite was never taught in schools.
Linnell's work is a great foundation, having put the facts on their feet, but it makes for a ridiculously chaste story.
Readers will not find the emotional and physical truth of this "tragic love story" as pitched on the cover. Hopefully that will come with some kind of adaptation.
Linnell's work is a great foundation, having put the facts on their feet, but it makes for a ridiculously chaste story.
Readers will not find the emotional and physical truth of this "tragic love story" as pitched on the cover. Hopefully that will come with some kind of adaptation.
December 2, 2020
One of the notes on back cover of this book is "Meticulously researched and told at a cracking pace". It is certainly very well researched, the actual excerpts and story woven from Moonlite's letters and newspapers articles and other archives of the time is very well done. Linnell does a great job building Moonlite's character and you really get a sense of this man, good and bad.
I would disagree on the cracking pace though, at least for the first half of the book. Linnell seems to want to not only tell Moonlite's story but that of the end of all bushrangers in general and this can lead to a somewhat meandering read. In the first half of the book almost every other character mentioned gets a back story told as they are mentioned. You'll just be getting into some of Moonlites exploits and wanting more when the author will say "Let's leave Moonlite for the moment and look at these other characters" and he'll then spend a part of a chapter (or the whole) on other bushrangers or prominent figures of the time before returning to the main narrative. Some are relevant to Moonlite, but others not so much and although it helps build an understanding of the times it just feels a bit disjointed.
The second half is better which concentrates only on Moonlite and his gang and the lead up, events of and aftermath of a shootout with police and there is less diversion in this section.
Recommended if you like bushrangers and Australian colonial history. If nothing else it might be a story you'd never considered amongst the more popular rangers like Ned Kelly and Ben Hall.
I would disagree on the cracking pace though, at least for the first half of the book. Linnell seems to want to not only tell Moonlite's story but that of the end of all bushrangers in general and this can lead to a somewhat meandering read. In the first half of the book almost every other character mentioned gets a back story told as they are mentioned. You'll just be getting into some of Moonlites exploits and wanting more when the author will say "Let's leave Moonlite for the moment and look at these other characters" and he'll then spend a part of a chapter (or the whole) on other bushrangers or prominent figures of the time before returning to the main narrative. Some are relevant to Moonlite, but others not so much and although it helps build an understanding of the times it just feels a bit disjointed.
The second half is better which concentrates only on Moonlite and his gang and the lead up, events of and aftermath of a shootout with police and there is less diversion in this section.
Recommended if you like bushrangers and Australian colonial history. If nothing else it might be a story you'd never considered amongst the more popular rangers like Ned Kelly and Ben Hall.
November 28, 2020
An interesting story, but I found the story jumping around a bit too much...
April 6, 2022
I remember studying Australian bushrangers at school but it was never as powerful and personal as this! Linnell really gets into the skin of Andrew George Scott aka ‘Captain Moonlight’. His impeccable research and balanced view of available evidence makes this a work that cuts through the myth to the man. Liddell supports the view that Scott was most likely homosexual. If so, how intolerably difficult Scott’s life must have been in Victorian times.
Scott wasn’t a ‘typical’ bushranger. He’d been well-educated in England as the son of a respected Irish preacher. He’d trained as a civil-engineer, been both a sailor and a soldier and his first job in Australia was as a lay preacher in Victoria. But he wasn’t able to make a success of anything. He’d befriend people then suddenly fall out with them. Liddell provides contemporary character assessments that Scott was a narcissist and prone to irrational outbursts. Today, he’d be diagnosed as having significant mental health issues. Like ‘Jekyl and Hyde’ he was charming, silver-tongued and chivalrous some of the time and full of rage and agitation at others. He was obsessed with his ‘honour’ but whilst imprisoned for swindling, a prison psychologist noted “there was nothing of honour or honesty about him”. His descent into a life of crime was tragic, not just for him but for the young men who followed ‘their Captain’ to imprisonment and death.
I don’t think Scott planned on becoming a bushranger. He was a perjurer, thief, and swindler but after serving time in Pentridge prison for bank robbery and jail-break he seemed to want to ‘turn over a new leaf’. He’d met teenaged James Nesbitt, a man he loved, in Pentridge prison. Jim was the only person who could calm Scott when his ‘wild drop of blood’ took over. The two lived together in Fitzroy after prison release but sadly Scott’s efforts to make a legitimate living as a lecturer on prison reform failed. Dogged by police in Victoria he headed to New South Wales for a fresh start with Jim and a small gang of young followers. It was after being denied work, shelter and food at the Wantabadgery homestead in NSW that an enraged Scott led the armed siege and disastrous shootout that was fatal for Jim and young Gus Warnecke. A policeman also died of his wounds and ‘Moonlite’ was subsequently hanged as a murderous ‘bushranger’ though he’d hardly lived in the bush and hadn’t fired the killer shot. Despite appeals, another young gang member, Tom Rogan, was hanged too and he’d spent the entire shootout under a bed!
This well-constructed non-fiction book was utterly compelling with much of the style of a novel. Historical records, police and newspaper reports, court proceedings and letters were cleverly dramatised. I listened to the audio book and Moonlite’s spoken letters and speeches gave a really intimate view of his thoughts and feelings. Particularly touching were his letters from prison while awaiting his execution. He wrote about how the death of his dear friend James Nesbitt had “broken his heart” and that he wanted to be buried with him. This wish wasn’t granted then but has since been honoured.
The Wantabadgery siege, the shootout at McGlede’s farm and the ensuing court case and hanging were recreated accurately and movingly.
There were plenty of other historical figures of the time, including other bushrangers, who Liddell included to provide context to the story. The most memorable of these figures was Robert (Nosey Bob) Howard, NSW Executioner at the time. He got his nickname after a horse kick to the face left him without a nose. He’s portrayed as a quiet, genial, family man who enjoyed fishing and gardening in his spare time. He took pride in his work though he wasn’t immune from the odd bungled hanging. The details supplied about the hangman’s ‘craft’ were gruesome and sobering. No wonder that Bob drank too much and was reviled by most of society. The inevitability of a meeting between Bob and Moonlite added extra poignancy to what was already a tragic and sobering tale. I was haunted for days after finishing this book.
Scott wasn’t a ‘typical’ bushranger. He’d been well-educated in England as the son of a respected Irish preacher. He’d trained as a civil-engineer, been both a sailor and a soldier and his first job in Australia was as a lay preacher in Victoria. But he wasn’t able to make a success of anything. He’d befriend people then suddenly fall out with them. Liddell provides contemporary character assessments that Scott was a narcissist and prone to irrational outbursts. Today, he’d be diagnosed as having significant mental health issues. Like ‘Jekyl and Hyde’ he was charming, silver-tongued and chivalrous some of the time and full of rage and agitation at others. He was obsessed with his ‘honour’ but whilst imprisoned for swindling, a prison psychologist noted “there was nothing of honour or honesty about him”. His descent into a life of crime was tragic, not just for him but for the young men who followed ‘their Captain’ to imprisonment and death.
I don’t think Scott planned on becoming a bushranger. He was a perjurer, thief, and swindler but after serving time in Pentridge prison for bank robbery and jail-break he seemed to want to ‘turn over a new leaf’. He’d met teenaged James Nesbitt, a man he loved, in Pentridge prison. Jim was the only person who could calm Scott when his ‘wild drop of blood’ took over. The two lived together in Fitzroy after prison release but sadly Scott’s efforts to make a legitimate living as a lecturer on prison reform failed. Dogged by police in Victoria he headed to New South Wales for a fresh start with Jim and a small gang of young followers. It was after being denied work, shelter and food at the Wantabadgery homestead in NSW that an enraged Scott led the armed siege and disastrous shootout that was fatal for Jim and young Gus Warnecke. A policeman also died of his wounds and ‘Moonlite’ was subsequently hanged as a murderous ‘bushranger’ though he’d hardly lived in the bush and hadn’t fired the killer shot. Despite appeals, another young gang member, Tom Rogan, was hanged too and he’d spent the entire shootout under a bed!
This well-constructed non-fiction book was utterly compelling with much of the style of a novel. Historical records, police and newspaper reports, court proceedings and letters were cleverly dramatised. I listened to the audio book and Moonlite’s spoken letters and speeches gave a really intimate view of his thoughts and feelings. Particularly touching were his letters from prison while awaiting his execution. He wrote about how the death of his dear friend James Nesbitt had “broken his heart” and that he wanted to be buried with him. This wish wasn’t granted then but has since been honoured.
The Wantabadgery siege, the shootout at McGlede’s farm and the ensuing court case and hanging were recreated accurately and movingly.
There were plenty of other historical figures of the time, including other bushrangers, who Liddell included to provide context to the story. The most memorable of these figures was Robert (Nosey Bob) Howard, NSW Executioner at the time. He got his nickname after a horse kick to the face left him without a nose. He’s portrayed as a quiet, genial, family man who enjoyed fishing and gardening in his spare time. He took pride in his work though he wasn’t immune from the odd bungled hanging. The details supplied about the hangman’s ‘craft’ were gruesome and sobering. No wonder that Bob drank too much and was reviled by most of society. The inevitability of a meeting between Bob and Moonlite added extra poignancy to what was already a tragic and sobering tale. I was haunted for days after finishing this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2021
3.5 stars. If you have an interest in the topic then you should read the book. I just wasn't able to give it a high rating because I had high expectations based off other reviews I had read, and it didn't live up to them. Firstly the writing I found annoying. The author jumped around in time and also in tense, with a given point in the story selected as the "present" and everything before that as the "past" and switching between present and past tense accordingly. This got confusing and made it hard to get into it at the start. He also kept switching between names for the various characters, sometimes using a nickname (eg Captain Moonlite) sometime a full name (Andrew George Scott) and sometimes part of a name (George Scott). It interrupted the flow when I had to keep stopping to remind myself if we were still talking about the same person. Lastly, the book has been talked up (which may not be the author's fault) as a love story about a homosexual bushranger. His sexuality was really only discussed in the afterword, at which point it felt gratuitous. If it wasn't deserving of being part of the story at the time, either through insinuations in newspapers, public attitude, etc then it was hard to understand why it matters now.
April 21, 2021
The question that this reader was left with at the completion of the work was not one of the main protagonists culpability or not, nor mental health issues or not or indeed questions on, or relevance of, his sexuality, but rather, what is the definition of a bush ranger in 1800’s Australian terminology ? And does the pretext in the works title hold true ?
This is an excellent work, enhanced as not many works are, by the epilogue and final chapter. The body of the work is very well prosed, paced and structured, all of which unsurprisingly lead to this reader stating that it is a highly engaging and well written work.
As for my opening statements and posed questions, without spoilers it is hard to review and respond with my assessments and answers. Suffice to say that the man himself is portrayed as an educated and worldly experienced individual, who had a background very much in contrast to other men termed Australian bushrangers in the mid to late 1800’s. Tellingly, the authors comparison of the Captain Moonlight to that of the well known Ned Kelly is a gem of a statement in the closing words of the work.
An excellent work. A very solid 4 stars.
This is an excellent work, enhanced as not many works are, by the epilogue and final chapter. The body of the work is very well prosed, paced and structured, all of which unsurprisingly lead to this reader stating that it is a highly engaging and well written work.
As for my opening statements and posed questions, without spoilers it is hard to review and respond with my assessments and answers. Suffice to say that the man himself is portrayed as an educated and worldly experienced individual, who had a background very much in contrast to other men termed Australian bushrangers in the mid to late 1800’s. Tellingly, the authors comparison of the Captain Moonlight to that of the well known Ned Kelly is a gem of a statement in the closing words of the work.
An excellent work. A very solid 4 stars.
January 16, 2026
An interesting read that is thoroughly researched, and cleary a labour of love. The style of writing is very different from most non-fiction i have read, with more creative flourishes which dramatise the story a bit more (but are usually followed with referencesof Linnell's sources).
i think most come to the book for the question- was there a gay bushranger? Moonlites letters are the most authoratative source for this which are mostly included at the start and end. As with other reviewers, the first half was much slower for me as it was more focussed on his life before Nesbitt, but the depth of research on "side characters" builds the interest for the second half. The Afterward is also a very important part of the book for its historiographical questions around masculine culture and sexuality during the period.
i think most come to the book for the question- was there a gay bushranger? Moonlites letters are the most authoratative source for this which are mostly included at the start and end. As with other reviewers, the first half was much slower for me as it was more focussed on his life before Nesbitt, but the depth of research on "side characters" builds the interest for the second half. The Afterward is also a very important part of the book for its historiographical questions around masculine culture and sexuality during the period.
January 12, 2021
A tale well worth telling again and again. Australian bush ranger Captain Moonlite was the most educated and charismatic of his ilk. In this well researched book the author unpacks Moonlite’s own biography but neatly segues into the side stories of his colleagues, his judge, his executioner and of course his (male) lover and fellow bush ranger. Moreover he gives a good overview of the bush ranger history, their origins, motivations and eventual demise. The narrative flows smoothly and swiftly as you would expect from a journalist as opposed to an academic historian. New sources help colour the story as do the widely selected photos. A good snappy read
January 20, 2021
A great insight into Australian history, one that is anything but dry. Linnell has researched and makes the characters 'real'. History books can often be dry and academic - this is anything but - thank goodness! The language is engaging, easy to read, it does jump around with various stories, but all relate back to the bushranger legend. It makes history accessible and interesting to a modern audience, whilst evoking the feelings and mores of the time. It's a fresh look at bushrangers, stripping away the Robin Hood legends, and showing the men behind them. Interesting, thought provoking look back at history. Recommended.
January 14, 2024
I loved this book for many of the reasons that others did not. I loved how the story meandered and Linnell took us down laneways filled with extraneous information. I loved the changes in tense. I loved how Linnell changed the name of Moonlite constantly throughout - George Scott, Captain Moonlite, Scott, George any other variations - just as how he would have been known at the time. The story was sensitively told and in great detail - where detail was available and Linnell needs to be congratulated for all his research. A great read.
November 12, 2025
This was an excellent rendition about the life of gay bushranger, Captain Moonlite. The fact Australia even HAD an out and out gay bushranger is still awesome to me. The book did divert, more than I cared, into the lives of some other protagonists, but I suppose if the writer did spend all his time on the lying windbag Captain Moonlite, readers would have been bored fairly quickly. I liked that the book didn’t dwell too much on the two men’s love affair as that would have rendered it sensationalist, but we still got to appreciate the undoubted truth of his sexuality.
October 29, 2020
A very thoroughly researched masterpiece of historical storytelling. The author's even-handed touch is perfect for this subject, taking the reader right back with him to the Australia of the late 1800s, there to consider the circumstances surrounding one of the country's most notorious bushrangers, Andrew George Scott, the self-styled 'Captain Moonlite'.
I highly recommend this if you are interested in Australian history. It's fascinating and moves along so well it's hard to put down.
I highly recommend this if you are interested in Australian history. It's fascinating and moves along so well it's hard to put down.
June 15, 2024
Sure, I had heard of Captain Moonlite but as far as Australian bushrangers go his story has been somewhat overshadowed by those of Ned Kelly, Ben Hall and Mad Dog Morgan. I had no idea of who Andrew George Scott really was prior to reading this, I just knew of his alias. This is an insightful read that raises among other things some interesting ideas of what "mateship" was in Australia's early history.
March 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this book of Australian history and learning more about the Bushranger era which I’m interested in. It’s written with the same sense of humour I imagine the larrikin characters had. I’ve reflected upon the hard times bad guys had compared to their experiences now. Recommended reading 😊
November 7, 2025
A good read with which one may learn in essence a little of Australia's history and of those who to their horror were fascinated under the guise enquiry by the sexual attractions lustful tho they be..!
not-finished
November 3, 2021Tragic! History! Breathlessly! Delivered!
March 29, 2022
An reasonably easy to read biography with enough information to be interesting but not enough to make it dry...
August 31, 2022
At least this one has photographs.
October 18, 2022
So crazy how Andrew George Scott wasn't even a bushranger, he was just kind of a weird guy.
November 7, 2022
Devastating, beautiful, well-researched. One of my favourite nonfics.
December 27, 2023
Really great read. Meticulously researched and well written. Very interesting history as not many gay bushrangers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews