Description

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In 1788 Watkin Tench stepped ashore at Sydney Cove with the first fleet of convict ships sent from England. This curious young captain of the marines was a natural storyteller. His account of the infant colony is the first classic of Australian literature, and 1788 belongs on the bookshelf of all history lovers.

About the Author

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Watkin Tench was born around 1758 in Chester, England. He joined the marine corps in 1776 and served in the American War of Independence before sailing to Australia with the First Fleet. Tench returned to England in 1792 an stayed with the marine corps. He died in 1833. Tim Flannery has written over a dozen books, including Here on Earth; the award-winning bestsellers The Future Eaters, The Eternal Frontier and The Weather Makers; and his accounts of adventures in Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific, Throwim Way Leg, Country and Among the Islands. Tim was the 2007 Australian of the Year.