In Tasmania
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4.6 • 5 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A brilliant account of 200 years of Tasmanian history and an acclaimed writer’s discovery of his secret connection with that island and its past.
In Tasmania on holiday, novelist and Chatwin biographer Nicholas Shakespeare discovered a house on a 9-mile beach and instantly decided this was where he wanted to live. He didn’t know then that his ancestor was the corrupt and colourful Anthony Fenn Kemp, now known as ‘the Father of Tasmania’, or that he would find relatives living on the island.
Shakespeare interweaves his personal journey into a new-found paradise with a brilliant account of the two turbulent centuries of Tasmania’s history in this fascinating and timely book. ‘A delightful book. Nicholas Shakespeare is a fine story teller and here he unveils for us a compendium of fascinating Tasmanian characters past and present, from bankrupt squires to convict cannibals, from love struck romantics to the captivating monstrous Anthony Fenn Kemp, the Flashman of early colonial Australia. From all these lives Shakespeare builds up a rich and powerful portrait of this intriguing land, his adopted home.’ - Matthew Kneale
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Tasmania is a byword for remoteness," renowned British author Shakespeare (The Dancer Upstairs) observes at the beginning of his meticulous, lyrical history of the island and his family's time on it. In 1999, Shakespeare moved with his wife to Tasmania, 140 miles off the Australian coast and "the most beautiful place I had seen on earth." A relative's subsequent discovery of a cache of old letters reveals that Shakespeare is descended from Anthony Fenn Kemp, an infamous Tasmanian pioneer. Shakespeare's work traces Kemp's history, turning up a slew of fascinating, often grim tales, including riffs on cannibalism, murder, lingering racism against Aborigines, and the early settlers' open disregard for anything but personal gain. For what amounts to the record of a family tree, Shakespeare's writing is transcendent-readers will gain a deep understanding not only of Tasmania's history, but of the forces that have shaped its isolated peoples' nature. Although Shakespeare loses his focus toward the end of the lengthy volume, his skill as a storyteller never wavers. 16 black and white illustrations.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful tastier
Fabulous book, a cross between travel, history, crime, and genealogy
There is more to Tassie than you think
This is a great account of Tassie. It explores the history as well as the modern landscape. You read the book and want to read more about this fantastic place.