Here are 64 books that 1788 fans have personally recommended if you like
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I have always been fascinated by history. While growing up, I heard tales of my second great-grandfather’s life, but it was only after penning my own memoir that I dove deeper into this family history that spanned continents. For my book about this ancestor, Mission to China, I rigorously researched and personally travelled much of the same route across South East Asia he travelled more than a Century prior. I even discovered another extraordinary ancestor’s journey through my research. It was during this process that I realised just how important it is that we continue to bring the stories of little-known, yet hugely impactful, historical figures to the fore.
I found this book to be an entertaining and informative story about someone who helped transform China from a medieval empire to a modern state which would offer a bright future for China at the beginning of the twentieth century.
This was an era that I had little knowledge of and the book made me realise what adverse conditions the people of China had been through at that time.
Discover the extraordinary story of the woman who brought China into the modern age, from the bestselling author of Wild Swans
In this groundbreaking biography, Jung Chang vividly describes how Empress Dowager Cixi - the most important woman in Chinese history - brought a medieval empire into the modern age. Under her, the ancient country attained virtually all the attributes of a modern state and it was she who abolished gruesome punishments like 'death by a thousand cuts' and put an end to foot-binding. Jung Chang comprehensively overturns the conventional view of Cixi as a diehard conservative and cruel despot…
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
I have always been fascinated by history. While growing up, I heard tales of my second great-grandfather’s life, but it was only after penning my own memoir that I dove deeper into this family history that spanned continents. For my book about this ancestor, Mission to China, I rigorously researched and personally travelled much of the same route across South East Asia he travelled more than a Century prior. I even discovered another extraordinary ancestor’s journey through my research. It was during this process that I realised just how important it is that we continue to bring the stories of little-known, yet hugely impactful, historical figures to the fore.
I am not sure that Gertrude Tennant fits the role of someone who helped shape history herself, but she certainly had a huge influence on some of the leading celebrities of Victorian Britain, who, in turn, were probably influenced by her as a result of her arranged social occasions.
I found the book to be very enjoyable, and it opened my mind to life among the leaders of that time.
The discovery of a cache of thousands of letters and dozens of diaries brings to light the untold story of Mrs. Tennant and her glittering social world
Gertrude Tennant's life was remarkable for its length (1819-1918), but even more so for the influence she achieved as an unsurpassed London hostess. The salon she established when widowed in her early fifties attracted legions of celebrities, among them William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Thomas Huxley, John Everett Millais, Henry James, and Robert Browning. In her youth she had a fling with Gustave Flaubert, and in her later years…
I have always been fascinated by history. While growing up, I heard tales of my second great-grandfather’s life, but it was only after penning my own memoir that I dove deeper into this family history that spanned continents. For my book about this ancestor, Mission to China, I rigorously researched and personally travelled much of the same route across South East Asia he travelled more than a Century prior. I even discovered another extraordinary ancestor’s journey through my research. It was during this process that I realised just how important it is that we continue to bring the stories of little-known, yet hugely impactful, historical figures to the fore.
I loved this book of adventure, passion, discovery and love.
Flinders was one of the most important pioneers of early Australia, and yet he is hardly mentioned in Australia today. The book promotes itself by saying Flinders put Australia on the map. In fact, he was the first person to circumnavigate Australia and create the charts that are still used today.
The book made me realise what a struggle his life became, complicated by the war with France, his long imprisonment, shipwrecks, hunger, and his longing to return to his beloved wife Ann.
The extraordinary life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the map
In 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by the deprivations of years of imprisonment by the French. Four years later, at the age of just 40, he would be dead - a premature, tragic end to one of the world's greatest maritime adventurers who circumnavigated and mapped the famed Great Southern Land, and whose naming of the vast continent would become its modern title: Australia.
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…
I have always been fascinated by history. While growing up, I heard tales of my second great-grandfather’s life, but it was only after penning my own memoir that I dove deeper into this family history that spanned continents. For my book about this ancestor, Mission to China, I rigorously researched and personally travelled much of the same route across South East Asia he travelled more than a Century prior. I even discovered another extraordinary ancestor’s journey through my research. It was during this process that I realised just how important it is that we continue to bring the stories of little-known, yet hugely impactful, historical figures to the fore.
My last book is about a family of little known figures, with only one of them who could be said to have any influence on shaping history. This is the family of the British writer, Graham Greene.
I was very impressed by the amazing achievements of eight of the siblings and cousins of Graham Greene, all in different fields of endeavour, any one of which could meet the criteria of the topic.
In the early years of the last century, two brothers, Charles and Edward Greene, settled in Berkhamsted, a small country town thirty miles from London. There they were to found a remarkable dynasty - fathering twelve children between then - each of whom were to lead varied, well-documented and extraordinary lives.
This book explores for the first time this generation of the Greene family in colourful detail - their relationships and shared history, and their lives - as explorers, writers, doctors, spies, politicians and much more. There is Graham, one of the greatest English writers of the twentieth century; Hugh,…
I’m a Pom, as Aussies would say, born and bred in England to an Australian mother and British father. I emigrated to Australia as a ten-pound Pom way back when and though I eventually came home again I’ve always retained an affection and a curiosity about the country, which in time led me to write three books about my own family history there. The early days of colonial Australia, when around 1400 people, half of whom were convicts, ventured across the world to found a penal colony in a country they knew almost nothing about, is one of the most fascinating and frankly unlikely stories you could ever hope to come across.
A bold and broad-sweeping book, written in the 1940s, described as a novel but featuring a mix of real and fictional characters, The Timeless Land is a beautifully imaginative telling of the arrival of the First Fleet in what became Sydney in 1788, as seen through the eyes of the Aboriginal people, the Governor and his officers, convicts and the odd settler. The depiction of the part-real, part-invented Aboriginal people may cause raised eyebrows nowadays, but the book is based on thorough research and written with great imagination and sensitivity. I love the mix of the real and the imaginary, while never distorting the facts. It’s a brilliant way to paint a vivid portrait of a subject, I’ve done it myself (if I may be presumptuous enough to bracket myself with Ms. Dark).
An outstanding literary achievement, meticulously researched and deeply felt, this portrait of the earliest days of the European settlement of Australia remains unrivalled. the year 1788: the very beginning of European settlement. these were times of hardship, cruelty and danger. Above all, they were times of conflict between the Aborigines and the white settlers. Eleanor Dark brings alive those bitter years with moments of tenderness and conciliation amid the brutality and hostility. the cast of characters includes figures historical and fictional, black and white, convict and settler. All the while, beneath the veneer of British civilisation, lies the baffling presence…
I've always been interested in history, which is probably why I ended up with a BA(Hons) in history. One of the things that historical fiction can do better than a historical text is to take you there, let you live the events as they happened. It's important that the facts are correct, but so is the setting. The narrative has to be believable and convincing. I've done that with my own book,To Die a Dry Death, and I expect nothing less from the books I read.
This book takes place at the end of WW2 on a Pacific island. Jack has survived the war, but can't give up the places where he fought. For me, the book reads like a succession of short stories held together with the underlying theme of Jack’s search for himself. It tells tales from Jack’s childhood with his twin brother and stories from the war, some funny, some poignant, some a little eerie. Through it all, the author’s knowledge of aircraft and the Pacific theatre of WW2 lends authenticity.
This isn't a fast-paced cliff-hanger. I could dip in and out and re-read sections, laugh a little, cry a little, live the war in the Pacific vicariously. It feels real.
"The location is beautiful, the hotel well worth a visit, and the lives of the guests are intriguing... A great read." - Historical Novels Review (May 2011) "This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and a 'must' for any fan of military aviation." - M Howard Morgan, author of 'First Fleet' "Beyond the technical details lies a wonderful story with beautifully written characters full of personality and charm." - Raven Dane "Adventure, excitement, tragedy, romance and engaging characters, this novel has it all." - Susanne O'Leary, author of Fresh Powder *** The War is over, but for Marine pilot Jack McGuire,…
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…
I am a Dutch astronomer and historian of maritime navigation who somehow landed a coveted academic job in Sydney, Australia. I spend much of my free time on weekends at the Australian National Maritime Museum as a guide on our vessels, as a speaker, as a consultant on matters related to the historical determination of longitude at sea, and as a deckhand on our historic tall ships. I’ve written 2 history of science books, including a biography of William Dawes, the astronomer on the ‘First Fleet’ from England to Australia (1787–1788). In addition to this, I enjoy writing about the history of medicine and diseases during the Age of Sail.
In early Australian colonial times, the colony in New South Wales was short of hard currency. Rations of pretty much everything were tight, and life was tough. To provide some measure of relief, rum rations were issued to the local population, even to convicts, which soon led to a vibrant underground trade in rum as an alternate currency. The illegal rum trade was monopolised by the colony's military officers to the extent that none of the early governors could even make any dent in curbing the practice.
I love this book, as Matt Murphy vividly describes many of the outrageous incidents associated with the illegal rum trade, the substance abuse, and the wide-ranging consequences. A colourful character himself, he focuses on the people who bring his stories alive—many of them colourful and irreverent. I find history told through the stories of people most compelling. The book goes beyond the historical…
Australia and its formation - through the distorted view of a rum bottle.
Could the Rum Rebellion have been averted if Major Johnston wasn't hungover?
Would the Eureka Stockade have been different if the rebels weren't pissed?
How were prisoners to get drunk if Macquarie closed the only pub in the gaol?
And why should sailors under fourteen be deprived of their sixteen shots of rum per day?
These are just some of the questions raised in Matt Murphy's account of Australia's colonial history. Brimming with detailed research and irreverent character sketches, Rum looks at not just how much was…
I’ve loved fairytales, myths, and history since childhood. After graduating with honors in Russian and Chinese history, I’ve been researching and writing for decades. My work ranges from educational materials to award-winning nonfiction books for children on the theme of heroism. I’ve traveled the world, partly for research, but mostly out of a passion for discovery. My last nonfiction work was a book about women writers. I also penned a historical trilogy that started out as one book, plotted out when I was eighteen. It grew. And, returning full circle to my first loves, my most recent book for children is a traditional Buddhist tale from ancient India.
This book was my introduction to Australian literature. I loved its eloquent evocation of a world totally new and mysterious to its characters. Although I was vaguely familiar with Australia’s penal colony past and with the destruction wrought on Aboriginal lives and culture, this book brought it home. I deeply appreciated the way it took me into the minds of men and women, most of them well-meaning but ignorant, and showed me how they missed the point of where they were and how to thrive there. The tragedy of that ignorance resonates with me, since I see it all around the world.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2006 COMMONWEALTH WRITERS' PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE IMPAC DUBLIN PRIZE
London, 1806. William Thornhill, happily wedded to his childhood sweetheart Sal, is a waterman on the River Thames. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake for which he and his family are made to pay dearly.
His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. Soon Thornhill, a man no better or worse than most, has to make the most difficult decision of his life.
I am a long-time lover of mysteries. Whether it be books, TV, or movies, I love when there is an unknown element to puzzle out. I remember staying up long past my bedtime as a child, reading because I just had to know what happened. I write across a number of genres for different age groups, but at the heart of every story I take on is a mystery that I want to figure out for myself. I love it when readers and audiences come along for the ride, joining me for the plot twists and turns.
I love a good slow reveal of backstory in a mystery. Pair that with a tense, high-stakes present-day mystery, and I cannot put the book down. The backstory in this book is complex, and the perfect number of hints were given throughout to keep me wanting to know more.
I also loved that the author had chosen a young (perhaps unreliable) narrator, which made seeing the story through her eyes all the more compelling. There were times when it felt like I understood more of what was happening than the character did, and I wanted to do the classic horror-movie-watching moment of yelling at the characters to get away. A great read that I thought about for a long time afterwards.
A girl called Gracie. A town called Coongahoola - on the dark foreboding Bagooli River. Every small town has its secrets: good, bad, funny, sad - and sometimes terrifying. They're mythologised and whispered-about by town gossips and other grown-ups until something happens to snap the past into focus. And something always happens. Things get weird in Coongahoola when 'a sighting' of the Virgin Mary attracts hundreds of 'Believers', who set up camp on the river bank and try to win local souls. Things get scary in Coongahoola when the River Children - born nine months after the town's infamous River…
This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.
In these and other intimate conversations, the book…
I’m an Australian crime writer and I love reading crime with a real sense of place and/or time. Growing up in Australia, most of the time I read international authors, so finding fabulous books by local authors was a thrill every time, and that excitement has never left me. This list crosses the genre from cosy to hard-boiled crime, which hopefully means something for everyone. If nothing here grabs you, there’s a lot more fantastic Australian crime fiction to discover (did you know Australian author Charlotte Jay won the first ever Edgar Award in 1954?) and I can passion-talk about it anytime!
Corris and his protagonist, the hard-scrabble private detective Cliff Hardy, are quintessentially Australian. The Dying Trade introduces Cliff (smoker, drinker, ex-boxer) and sets the standard for all the books that follow in this series. It’s dry and laconic, with a wonderful sense of place (a very gritty 1980s Sydney). There’s a definite nod to the greats— Chandler and Hammett in this series; you know Cliff Hardy probably shouldn’t take this job, it’s odds-on he’ll cop a beating along the way, possible he’ll find love and lose it again. I enjoy the author’s economy with words and the moral complexity of his characters. If you like hard-boiled crime, this series is worth a look!
*Note: Sydney is much nicer than it may seem when you walk in Corris’s shoes!
Meet Cliff Hardy. Smoker, drinker, ex-boxer. And private investigator.
The Dying Trade not only introduces a sleuth who has become an enduring Australian literary legend—the antihero of thirty-seven thrillers—but it is also a long love letter to the seamy side of Sydney itself.
