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Australian Tragic
Here are stories from Australia's dark heart: Of catastrophe and misfortune, intrigue and passion, betrayal and tragedy.
Some you may think you know - others, you have never heard of - but will capture your imagination.
They range across our past and our present: the hearbreaking story of the fire at Luna Park; the unstoppable opportunist who snatched innocent men and women from Palm Island to be part of P.T. Barnum's 'Greatest Show on Earth'; a world-class boxer who lost his battle with alcohol and ended up in an unmarked American grave; Steve Irwin, who was written off as a joke by the media, only to be hailed as a hero on his sudden death; and a man who heroically survived a war to find himself crushed and defeated by events much closer to home.
Some you may think you know - others, you have never heard of - but will capture your imagination.
They range across our past and our present: the hearbreaking story of the fire at Luna Park; the unstoppable opportunist who snatched innocent men and women from Palm Island to be part of P.T. Barnum's 'Greatest Show on Earth'; a world-class boxer who lost his battle with alcohol and ended up in an unmarked American grave; Steve Irwin, who was written off as a joke by the media, only to be hailed as a hero on his sudden death; and a man who heroically survived a war to find himself crushed and defeated by events much closer to home.
369 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 7, 2009
While at first this took a little time to take hold of me, about halfway through something happened and I became gripped by these poor victims of pathos and warm tales of bathos.
Of particular mention are the stories of the bush doctor who performed miracles with monkey glands only to have his research lost to a funeral pyre, and the anger-inducing anecdotes of injustice to simple warm-hearted working folk and felines through nothing but cold greed or apathy. These are tales that will haunt me as they obviously did Marx, when he wasn't fearing alien abduction that is (you'll have to read the book.)
Equally fascinating is the fresh angle Marx gives to familiar tragedies such as Steve Irwin as a study in media back-flipping that would make Rupert Murdoch look idealistic, Martin Bryant through the eyes of his father's conundrum, and Micheal Hutchence as he would be considered had he not pranced around impersonating Jim Morrison in front of some fortunate synth players but rather just been some bloke in the corner of the local beer garden.
By the end I put "Australian Tragic" on a par with what I consider Marx's masterpiece, "Sorry: The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright." (www.goodreads.com/book/show/4450564.S...)
Buy it for someone for Honika or Christmas, then borrow it back before you leave. Or like me, just knick it from Tug Dumbly's kitchen when he's pissed.
BDF
Of particular mention are the stories of the bush doctor who performed miracles with monkey glands only to have his research lost to a funeral pyre, and the anger-inducing anecdotes of injustice to simple warm-hearted working folk and felines through nothing but cold greed or apathy. These are tales that will haunt me as they obviously did Marx, when he wasn't fearing alien abduction that is (you'll have to read the book.)
Equally fascinating is the fresh angle Marx gives to familiar tragedies such as Steve Irwin as a study in media back-flipping that would make Rupert Murdoch look idealistic, Martin Bryant through the eyes of his father's conundrum, and Micheal Hutchence as he would be considered had he not pranced around impersonating Jim Morrison in front of some fortunate synth players but rather just been some bloke in the corner of the local beer garden.
By the end I put "Australian Tragic" on a par with what I consider Marx's masterpiece, "Sorry: The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright." (www.goodreads.com/book/show/4450564.S...)
Buy it for someone for Honika or Christmas, then borrow it back before you leave. Or like me, just knick it from Tug Dumbly's kitchen when he's pissed.
BDF
September 25, 2012
Wow, I did not want to finish this book! It was so intriguing and I found myself so tangled with the sad stories from Australia's dark past that I could have gone on reading forever.
There was new information, just as I suspected, but I did not expect to be drawn into familiar retelling of stories I had already known. The one that seemed to fall particularly into this category was Steve Irwin- I had not realized the media had been so vicious about his character and actions, and then back flipped so much after his death. But it wasn't just these stories, but those of the Mertz Art Collection, the bushfire, the outbreak of Spanish flu among soldiers who never saw war. This book reminded me why I love my country, the darkness always there with the light. It is an excellent book for uncovering some of history's truths and what-ifs, and a definite five star book. Highly recommended!
There was new information, just as I suspected, but I did not expect to be drawn into familiar retelling of stories I had already known. The one that seemed to fall particularly into this category was Steve Irwin- I had not realized the media had been so vicious about his character and actions, and then back flipped so much after his death. But it wasn't just these stories, but those of the Mertz Art Collection, the bushfire, the outbreak of Spanish flu among soldiers who never saw war. This book reminded me why I love my country, the darkness always there with the light. It is an excellent book for uncovering some of history's truths and what-ifs, and a definite five star book. Highly recommended!
October 30, 2018
This non-fiction book surrounding the lesser-known tales of Australian history was fascinating and well-researched, but overall, fell a bit flat for me. I found the introduction the best part, as Marx humourously and rather savagely critiques the way history is created and taught, particularly in the Australian context.
The stories focussed on were gleaned from newspaper reports and expanded, some well-known, others not so much. However, there was no tangential links between them or any explanation as to how they were ordered in the book, they were simply chosen due to the fact that the crux of the story was interesting to the author, which does frustrate me a little.
It is a quick and easy read, my edition was large-print, but the structuring of the book let it down. So 3.5 stars.
The stories focussed on were gleaned from newspaper reports and expanded, some well-known, others not so much. However, there was no tangential links between them or any explanation as to how they were ordered in the book, they were simply chosen due to the fact that the crux of the story was interesting to the author, which does frustrate me a little.
It is a quick and easy read, my edition was large-print, but the structuring of the book let it down. So 3.5 stars.
March 30, 2019
An interesting book of weird tales from Australian history. Some tales I had heard of, some I knew nothing of and some were about very familiar people but I side I didn't know. While it was all interesting a lot of the information gathered for the stories were from newspaper articles, books, people etc so the credibility of the facts may be slightly tarnished. Still it was a good read.
September 27, 2009
I loved this book!!!!!!!! Covering a vast array of social issues, some mainstream and contemporary like the plight of immigrants to Australia, and some reinterpreting some little known history, this book is accessible and educational for anyone, whether they be a historian or an everyday person. Great read!!
March 24, 2012
Was an interesting read, especially when delving into some of the stories of our history.
Loved the fact that they didn't always reveal who they were talking about until the end ofthe story, especially if they were writing about someone famous.
Overall, a great read
Loved the fact that they didn't always reveal who they were talking about until the end ofthe story, especially if they were writing about someone famous.
Overall, a great read
November 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Almost all the stories were fascinating, often tragic and sad. Definitely worth reading especially if you’re Australian/living in Australia. 🦘
August 19, 2018
I love true crime and I cannot lie. I also love collections of true crime. And I cannot lie about that, either.
This collection is not exclusively true crime, but the bulk of it is. There is something for just about everybody, all of it leaning strongly toward the macabre.
There are some flashes of humor, as with the section on Steve Irwin, which provides a scathing study of how quickly Irwin went from being a mildly irritating, rather stereotyped celebrity in the minds of his own countrymen, to a virtual pariah and laughingstock due to his baby-dangling incident and general theatrics involving dangerous animals, to some kind of beloved folk hero upon his unexpected death by stingray.
There's also the tragicomic tale of "marcus," a rich young playboy who set out to become Australia's newest rock star despite having no talent whatsoever for singing or performing.
And then there are the truly tragic stories. They include an analysis of the mental problems of Michael Hutchence, though Marx refers to him as Mr. River; he apparently did this in order for the reader to get a picture of the man without any preconceived notions, but his identity becomes obvious by the end of the piece. Then there's the harrowing account of a family's encounter with a bushfire in the 1930's, which, in light of the current wildfire situation in the western US, is especially timely and chilling.
The one thing I didn't care for in this collection is the fact that it was so Aussie-centric. By which I mean, Marx often makes reference to people or events that few non-Australians would know about, making it necessary to do some Googling in order to appreciate what he is trying to say. This is not really a fault by itself until the book becomes available outside of Oz, so despite the assumption that the reader already knows about Luna Park or the Battle of Gallipoli, for instance, I found the book very informative and entertaining.
This collection is not exclusively true crime, but the bulk of it is. There is something for just about everybody, all of it leaning strongly toward the macabre.
There are some flashes of humor, as with the section on Steve Irwin, which provides a scathing study of how quickly Irwin went from being a mildly irritating, rather stereotyped celebrity in the minds of his own countrymen, to a virtual pariah and laughingstock due to his baby-dangling incident and general theatrics involving dangerous animals, to some kind of beloved folk hero upon his unexpected death by stingray.
There's also the tragicomic tale of "marcus," a rich young playboy who set out to become Australia's newest rock star despite having no talent whatsoever for singing or performing.
And then there are the truly tragic stories. They include an analysis of the mental problems of Michael Hutchence, though Marx refers to him as Mr. River; he apparently did this in order for the reader to get a picture of the man without any preconceived notions, but his identity becomes obvious by the end of the piece. Then there's the harrowing account of a family's encounter with a bushfire in the 1930's, which, in light of the current wildfire situation in the western US, is especially timely and chilling.
The one thing I didn't care for in this collection is the fact that it was so Aussie-centric. By which I mean, Marx often makes reference to people or events that few non-Australians would know about, making it necessary to do some Googling in order to appreciate what he is trying to say. This is not really a fault by itself until the book becomes available outside of Oz, so despite the assumption that the reader already knows about Luna Park or the Battle of Gallipoli, for instance, I found the book very informative and entertaining.
December 7, 2017
I was disappointed in this book. I think that was because it was not what I expected. Based on the title and the back of the book I thought I was going to be getting a more detailed account about some of Australia's greatest tragedies (ie some of the causes of the tragedy and the aftermath). Instead the stories in the book were more of a casual read about some little known Australian stories. Although they were interesting, some of them were not what I would call "tragic" (in some nobody died).
It is not a bad book. If you are after a collection of interesting stories for a Sunday afternoon read, this would be a good book. If you are after a more detailed account of Australian tragedies, a different book might be a better option.
It is not a bad book. If you are after a collection of interesting stories for a Sunday afternoon read, this would be a good book. If you are after a more detailed account of Australian tragedies, a different book might be a better option.
October 7, 2020
This is a strange book. It contains an odd mixture of well known and poorly known historical Australian tales. Some of them I found most gripping and I dashed off to do additional research myself on what really happened, while others were obscure and plain dull. There was an assumption from Marx that the reader knew who he was writing about in some of the stories and yet he failed to enlighten the reader about what they just read. Eg "Goodbye Mr River." Marx also commenced each chapter with a very peculiar introductory page which rambled about the setting in which the story was being told - some of it relevant but a lot not. If you can get over these eccentricities then some of the stories are a good read.
April 17, 2019
"Australian Tragic" by Jack Marx, offers an interesting collection of short non-fiction tales, describing the many, rarely heard, and often deeply sad stories of Australian's who have met an untimely death, or survived a series of misfortunes. Some of the stories concern famous folk, and others, average Australians. The pieces cover examples of extreme tragedy, poor luck, mental illness and general stupidity. It is well research and a very easy read. A must for anyone with an interest in the lesser known aspects of Australian cultural history.
March 30, 2023
Incredibly captivating, this collection of short little tales is a dark insight into some of Australia’s unknown stories. Both horrifying and intriguing, it was the perfect book to pick up on the go. I must admit, I may be slightly biased considering it’s written by a family member of mine, as I found some of the later tales slower the get through than the first half. Overall, brilliant and interesting read!!
September 5, 2018
Some interesting stories
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 14, 2021Worst book i have read and very poorly written
June 25, 2020
Australian Tragic was recommended to me by my mum who gave it five stars and lent it to me with a post-it note attached to the inside which stated "All these stories are true - some sad, some funny, some you know who they are and some you have to guess. But you definitely can't stop reading, which is a shame, because I never wanted it to stop." I spent the first half of this collection flipping back to this review and questioning my mother's taste in books, but by the second half something had changed. Jack Marx
Memorable Quotes
Memorable Quotes
"It was alone that he had learned to cope with dreadful things - alone in the air, watching death come to friends, and enemies too, who never were machines, never would be less than human beings in the minds of those who killed them, with lives more real and precious for every day that they were gone."
"Theirs was a love whose soundtrack was made of smashing bottles and slamming doors."
"Sometimes a loss is as good as a victory, for it's through our mistakes that wisdom grows."
"...it was suicide to show any pain, any doubt, any hesitance, any fear of the contest. It was when one showed such weaknesses that others would pounce through a hole in one's world, to ransack the strengths to be found inside."
"There is some perversity somewhere which tends to create evil out of good, and to deny to man the successes he craves, even when they seem most certainly to be within his reach."
"How strange it is that life, as it grows, becomes less precious in the eyes of the world."
"...schools aren't built to save troubled souls. They are factories designed to mould girls and boys into women and men fit for organised society. They have not the time nor the apparatus to dwell upon the broken ones."
March 2, 2010
The blurb of this book really really intrigued me - and it's true there are stories that I've heard of, some I knew a lot about, some simply rang a bit of a bell. There were others that I knew absolutely nothing about. As the blurb goes on to say, they range across our past and our present: the heartbreaking story of the fire at Luna Park; the unstoppable opportunist who snatched innocent men and women from Palm Island to be part of P.T. Barnsum's 'Greatest Show on Earth'; a world-class boxer who lost his battle with alcohol and ended up in an unmarked American grave; Steve Irwin, who was written off as a joke by the media, only to be hailed as a hero by the same media on his sudden death; and a man who heroically survived a war to find himself crushed and defeated by events much closer to home.
Sounds intriguing doesn't it. A real page turner. And most of the stories are intriguing, or enlightening, and there were some moments of real analysis and taut observation (such as the Steve Irwin story), but mostly, I found the book hard going. I think, in the end, the over-melodramatic storytelling style dragged the whole thing out. It made the reading of most of the stories overly difficult and the style took away too much from the content. Which is a pity. There's some history in this book that should have stood out more.
Sounds intriguing doesn't it. A real page turner. And most of the stories are intriguing, or enlightening, and there were some moments of real analysis and taut observation (such as the Steve Irwin story), but mostly, I found the book hard going. I think, in the end, the over-melodramatic storytelling style dragged the whole thing out. It made the reading of most of the stories overly difficult and the style took away too much from the content. Which is a pity. There's some history in this book that should have stood out more.
July 4, 2015
I dare you not to love this book. Regardless of how it makes you feel: disgusted, angry, shocked, depressed- and you will surely feel all of these things- this is great, great book. You may even be slightly ashamed of your morbid fascination with these stories.
Full of wonderful, powerful language, and thoroughly researched, Australian Tragic is an Australian classic. The author, Jack Marx, says "My original purpose with Australian Tragic was to unearth stories that had not been widely distributed...and present them in the somewhat sensational style of the old "penny dreadfuls"...' Australian Tragic is a wonderfully and darkly gripping read.
At times you will wonder as I did, who exactly Marx was talking about in such cryptic terms. At times you will be right. Wait for the punchline, and don't neglect the author's notes at the end. Here you will find some very interesting little extras and behind the scenes commentary such as this which is in the notes for Goodbye Mr River. Marx talks about how he researched the story and then goes on to say, "Aside from that I did a good deal of sitting in rooms alone, drinking and thinking upon the matter, which I find t be a valid methodology when trying to make sense of something that appears to make very little sense."
Full of wonderful, powerful language, and thoroughly researched, Australian Tragic is an Australian classic. The author, Jack Marx, says "My original purpose with Australian Tragic was to unearth stories that had not been widely distributed...and present them in the somewhat sensational style of the old "penny dreadfuls"...' Australian Tragic is a wonderfully and darkly gripping read.
At times you will wonder as I did, who exactly Marx was talking about in such cryptic terms. At times you will be right. Wait for the punchline, and don't neglect the author's notes at the end. Here you will find some very interesting little extras and behind the scenes commentary such as this which is in the notes for Goodbye Mr River. Marx talks about how he researched the story and then goes on to say, "Aside from that I did a good deal of sitting in rooms alone, drinking and thinking upon the matter, which I find t be a valid methodology when trying to make sense of something that appears to make very little sense."
June 8, 2012
Australian Tragic lives up to its title, it has over 360 pages of stories from Australia’s past, stories that have not been told or only partially told, stories that have laid hidden in archives around Australia for in some cases a century or more in other cases ones you may remember from the news that had not much more follow up.
This book is filled with all those stories ones that slipped through the cracks of society or were overshadowed by bigger stories at the time, but stories that none the less beg to be told.
The 30 stories contained within are definitely worth the read and discovery. I was initially drawn to the cover of all things the Luna Park open mouth followed by the words Australian Tragic, made me want to know what secrets this book held. I can assure you I was not disappointed.
My only criticism of this book is the lack of historical photo’s or drawings that is commonplace in most true crime or tragic tales. For some reason maybe space or copyright the author did not include these, but that is my only criticism, otherwise it is a highly enjoyable book that lives up to its title
This book is filled with all those stories ones that slipped through the cracks of society or were overshadowed by bigger stories at the time, but stories that none the less beg to be told.
The 30 stories contained within are definitely worth the read and discovery. I was initially drawn to the cover of all things the Luna Park open mouth followed by the words Australian Tragic, made me want to know what secrets this book held. I can assure you I was not disappointed.
My only criticism of this book is the lack of historical photo’s or drawings that is commonplace in most true crime or tragic tales. For some reason maybe space or copyright the author did not include these, but that is my only criticism, otherwise it is a highly enjoyable book that lives up to its title
April 14, 2013
This was one of those books that I had to buy as soon as I saw it, the combination of a striking cover, the words of Jack Marx whose articles I have enjoyed and stories, often untold, of Australia's past was an irresistible combination ... and so the book proved to be.
Jack writes with a warmth, ease and immediacy that brings life to the tales he is telling, but this is more than just a book of "tales", it is a book as its synopsis describes of "... Australia's dark heart: of catastrophe and misfortune, intrigue and passion, betrayal and tragedy".
There are stories here that I knew something of, but also many I had not heard of, and in many ways there are stories here that prove that 'truth' can often be much stranger than 'fiction'.
Jack writes with a warmth, ease and immediacy that brings life to the tales he is telling, but this is more than just a book of "tales", it is a book as its synopsis describes of "... Australia's dark heart: of catastrophe and misfortune, intrigue and passion, betrayal and tragedy".
There are stories here that I knew something of, but also many I had not heard of, and in many ways there are stories here that prove that 'truth' can often be much stranger than 'fiction'.
November 26, 2013
I very much enjoyed reading this book of Australian stories... "Of catastrophe and misfortune, intrigue and passion, betrayal and tragedy."
It is a book you can pick up and read one story at a time, and they are all so very diverse.
I even had the good fortune of finding a story in Victoria in the early 1920's which involved some of my family...so it's a good addition to the family tree!
This is one of the kind I books I would have found on the bookshelf of my family home when I was young and when we all went home for Christmas holidays or visiting, we would laze around reading such stories and sharing them...good times.
A good way to learn about some of Australia's historical characters.
I would recommend it for all the same reasons 4*s.
March 29, 2015
I really wanted to like this book, I am a huge reader of Australian history and do not find it boring at all. This I found to be just not my cup of tea.
From the first telling of the woman whose family dies in the Luna Park Ghost Ride fire I struggled. Marx is trying to build a picture, create an empathetic link between the reader and the protagonist. Yet it failed for me because the writing was so melodramatic.
I pushed on and read them all and struggled with style. There are some interesting stories, many I knew and one or two were new.
Don't be put off by my issues with the book, read some of the other positive reviews and give it a go.
From the first telling of the woman whose family dies in the Luna Park Ghost Ride fire I struggled. Marx is trying to build a picture, create an empathetic link between the reader and the protagonist. Yet it failed for me because the writing was so melodramatic.
I pushed on and read them all and struggled with style. There are some interesting stories, many I knew and one or two were new.
Don't be put off by my issues with the book, read some of the other positive reviews and give it a go.
August 9, 2011
I loved this book of tragic tales from Australia's past.
Some I have lived through, but most that were before my time. Each story was short enough to knock one off per day... without any problems.
Some I have lived through, but most that were before my time. Each story was short enough to knock one off per day... without any problems.
September 13, 2011
This book is a collection of short, tragic stories of Australians - many of which would never have been told if not for Marx's research. The book left me feeling sad as the last story traces the death of the last Tasmanian Tiger held on captivity and how it was caused by human negligence : (
June 18, 2015
The stories in this book all hit in different ways. Some send shivers down the spine, while the inclusion of others is questionable. Some jerk tears and others just leave you shaking your head in disbelief. Well worth a read for anyone remotely interested in Australian history.
February 22, 2015
Interesting tales about the dark side of Australian history, including the Luna Park fire, one of the policeman shot by Ned Kelly and a double suicide attempt in Fitzroy Gardens that resulted in a hanging for murder.
January 5, 2011
The breathless, penny-dreadful style can be a bit wearing after a while (although I am full of admiration for someone who can maintain that voice). It's a damn interesting read, though.
March 22, 2017
First and foremost: Do NOT read this book if you are feeling emotionally fragile. Some of the stories had me sobbing for hours. Other than that, it is full of incredibly dark and interesting stories.
August 4, 2022
All these stories are tragic but love the style of writing and a few surprises thrown in
February 2, 2013
I really enjoyed this book! Stories from our history that I wondered why I hadn't heard more of.
January 9, 2015
Short stories that highlight the dark side of Australian history. Can't wait to read more next edition.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews