The Big Book of Convict Stories

Australia's convict past is alive around us, and bestselling author Jim Haynes has brought together an unforgettable cast of rogues, rebels, survivors and visionaries from this fascinating era. Spanning the years of transportation from the First Fleet to its abolition, this rich and lively collection reveals the human drama behind the founding of the nation: daring escapes, remarkable reinventions, brutal punishments, incredible resilience and lives shaped by both hardship and opportunity.

The Big Book of Convict Stories is packed with famous names and forgotten figures alike: bushrangers, pirates, swindlers, settlers, women who defied impossible circumstances, and men whose fortunes rose and fell in spectacular fashion. Haynes explores why transportation began, how the convict system worked, and what life was really like in the penal settlements, told through the lives of the extraordinary men and women of the colonies.

Warm, witty and deeply researched, these tales illuminate the complexity of colonial Australia and those whose struggles, crimes, courage and ingenuity helped shape the nation.

'In a year when we could all use a different perspective Jim Haynes came to the rescue with his latest sojourn into history . . . a cast of colourful characters.' Spectator on Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia

'Aussies love a good story and entertainer Jim Haynes has been telling them for decades' Courier-Mail

'It's fair to say that Jim certainly knows how to pull together a collection of ripping good yarns based on historical facts rather than hearsay, myth and rumour.' Australian Rural & Regional News