In 1860; Australia remained the truly dark continent. Although there were European settlements in its south; much of the north remained unknown and dangerous. But things were changing. On 20th August; 1860; The Victorian Exploring Expedition left Melbourne to make the journey into the Gulf of Carpentaria in the northern coast. The expedition was headed by an Irish policeman called Robert O' Hara Burke - a charmer; gambler; and a man infamous for taking long baths in his back garden. Burke and his team of eighteen men made a confident start. After leaving most of the group behind in Cooper Creek (in central Australia); three of the party; including Burke; reached the Carpentaria. They were the first ever to do so. But the journey back was riddled with mishap and bad luck. By the time the three had returned to Cooper Creek; exhausted and starving; they discovered that the rest of the party had retreated; leaving behind only a carved message on a coolibah tree. The "Dig Tree" is the tale of this tragic expedition. Sarah Murgatroyd brings the story vividly alive - the political events in the background; the colourful characters; the spectacular and; often; unforgiving landscape; and the awful desperation of the final days. It is an intelligent; evocative and above all; utterly gripping book.
#3776403 in Books 2014-12-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.47 x .50 x 5.32l; .58 #File Name: 0745331211224 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Superb!By Maria Joseph JeyaseelanI read this book in one day! Because it is very interesting. Written by some great scholars one of whom was my teacher at Peradeniya; it is concise and engaging. It gives a good picture about the Sri Lankan civil war from an ethnographic perspective. I highly recommend it for personal reading as well as for serious academic work.
