-
A Commonwealth of Thieves
- The Improbable Birth of Australia
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
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Publisher's summary
Using the personal journals and documents that were kept during this expedition, historian/novelist Thomas Keneally re-creates the grueling overseas voyage, a hellish, suffocating journey that claimed the lives of many convicts. Miraculously, the fleet reached the shores of what was then called New South Wales in 1788, and after much trial and error, the crew managed to set up a rudimentary yet vibrant settlement. As governor of the colony, Phillip took on the challenges of dealing with unruly convicts, disgruntled officers, a bewildered and sometimes hostile native population, as well as such serious matters as food shortages and disease. Moving beyond Phillip, Keneally offers captivating portrayals of Aborigines, who both aided and opposed Phillip, and of the settlers, including convicts who were determined to overcome their pasts and begin anew.
With the authority of a renowned historian and the narrative grace of a brilliant novelist, Thomas Keneally offers an insider's perspective into the dramatic saga of the birth of a vibrant society in an unfamiliar land. A Commonwealth of Thieves immerses us in the fledgling penal colony and conjures up colorful scenes of the joy and heartbreak, the thrills and hardships that characterized those first four improbable years.
Critic reviews
"In the style of the best historians [Keneally] allows the intrinsic power of the tales he tells and the people who populate his pages to draw the reader into a fully elaborated universe." (The New York Times)
"Keneally has all the gifts of a great storyteller: a curious eye, a clear voice, worldly knowledge, and an innocent, inexhaustible heart." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Keneally is joyfully inquisitive. He enters naturally and sympathetically into the hearts of his protagonists - his own prose takes on the flavour of the period he invokes." (Times Literary Supplement)
"Keneally's atmospheric and descriptive powers are formidable." (Boston Globe)
"Keneally has a gift for heroic stories." (Washington Post)
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The War That Made America
- A Short History of the French and Indian War
- By: Fred Anderson
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Apart from The Last of the Mohicans, most Americans know little of the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, and yet it remains one of the most fascinating periods in our history. In January 2006, PBS will air The War That Made America, a four-part documentary about this epic conflict. Fred Anderson, the award-winning and critically acclaimed historian, has written the official tie-in to this exciting television event.
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A thorough and absorbing history
- By Michael on 03-15-10
By: Fred Anderson
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In Times of Rain and War
- A Novel
- By: Camron Wright
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In September of 1940, during the Blitz in London, Audrey Stocking is blending in with other civilians who are trying to survive the nightly bombings, but she has a secret. She’s not British; she’s German. Her fake passport and nearly perfect English allow her to blend in as she works hard to help evacuate British children into the countryside. Audrey longs to reunite with her family in Hamburg, but her double life, the bombings, and the watchful British Military Intelligence have forced her to stay put. And then there are the paralyzing nightmares.
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War love story
- By BLB on 07-22-21
By: Camron Wright
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History of Australia
- A Captivating Guide to Australian History, Starting from the Aborigines Through the Dutch East India Company, James Cook, and World War II to the Present (Australasia)
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Long before Australia started to be considered one of the best places in the world to live, it was thought to be completely unlivable. In the 15th century, the European race to claim land began. Despite the fact that Australia was a large landmass, no nation believed it was worth colonizing. The land was claimed by the Netherlands. However, little exploration happened there. Many countries actually believed it to be uninhabitable. However, the Aboriginal populations had already been thriving on the land for millennia.
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would be better if the narrator was Australian.
- By Lisa W. on 05-17-23
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Dark Emu
- Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?
- By: Bruce Pascoe
- Narrated by: Bruce Pascoe
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Dark Emu argues for a reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession. Accomplished author Bruce Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been understated in modern retellings of Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia's past is required.
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One of the best books ever!!!!
- By Matt Powers on 05-07-18
By: Bruce Pascoe
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In a Sunburned Country
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion on the Appalachian Trail resulted in the best seller A Walk in the Woods. Now, we follow him "Down Under" to Australia with this delectably funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance that combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity. More from Bill Bryson.
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Laugh out loud funny
- By Larry on 06-09-03
By: Bill Bryson
What listeners say about A Commonwealth of Thieves
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Eric Pietz
- 01-30-09
Very detailed. Paints a vivid picture.
I wanted to read this book because I was curious about the birth of Australia as a penal colony. The book does a good job explaining the state of the penal system in 18th century britain, the types of convicts sentenced to transportation and the journey to the other side of the earth. There is good description of the landing at botany bay and sydney cove, the interactions with the aboriginies and the provisions on land but this book is screaming to be abridged. I feel like these 12 hours could have been wrapped up in 6.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Dr.J.A.P.
- 05-22-18
a bit dry, but good
A classical history book that teaches you pretty much everything you need to know about relevant English history, who did or did not find Australia (and which time) and the events that led up colonization/the first penal colony, and what happened after they landed. Well read.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Elizabeth Erickson
- 01-16-19
GREAT BOOK, WRONG READER
The style and content are masterful and arresting. The sneering & sarcastic tone of the reader I found irritating.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lesli Hogan
- 02-08-16
Really interesting but ...
Simon Vance is a wonderful narrator, but an Australian might have been nice. There were some mispronunciations of place names that were a bit jarring.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Shannon
- 10-26-09
entertaining listen
I "read" this prior to a recent trip to a Australia and I found it helpful. My Aussie friends kept saying how boring their history is, but I beg to differ..Australia's history is fascinating.
I was hoping for more background on the Aborigines, knowing full well that this book's main concern was on the colonists history. It did a great job in the telling of the colonist/convict struggle to survive.
Australia rocked by the way...can't wait to go back.
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1 person found this helpful
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- E. Murphy
- 01-20-22
A little long.
I enjoyed it but felt that it could have been shorter. Painted a good picture of the times and struggles.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Dan
- 08-23-07
Interesting tidbits, but slow overall
This book tells the story of the founding settlement of Australia, with detailed descriptions of the English penal system, details of maritime life, famines and other issues faced by the settlers, and the interactions with aboriginal tribes.
While I normally consume such historical novels, I found this one pretty tedious and slow. The narrative just never really seemed to pick up steam. Still, I did learn a decent amount about early Australia, which is worth something.
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6 people found this helpful