Robbery Under Arms
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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Publisher Description
An Apple Books Classic edition.
Before there were Westerns, there wasRobbery Under Arms, a novel that captures the legends of bushrangers-Australia’s outback outlaws. From the very first page, Rolf Boldrewood plunges readers into the action as the book’s narrator, Dick Marston, sits in a jail cell awaiting his execution and remembering the details of his misadventures.
After a young Dick turns down a job offer from his neighbour George, one bad decision leads to a life of increasingly serious crimes-from petty theft to armed robbery to forming a gang with notorious bushranger Captain Starlight. Along the way, Dick stays in touch with his former friend, who may be able to provide a way out of the outlaw life.
Written in the 1880s, Robbery Under Arms has influenced countless Western adventure books and movies that came after it. Boldrewood’s novel is full of double-crossings, gun fights and transgression.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
First published in the 1880s, this influential bushranging romp depicts the many temptations toward a life of crime in 19th century Australia. Narrated by Dick Marston, who’s in gaol waiting to be hanged before he even turns 30, it’s a cautionary tale that still packs plenty of action and suspense. Our sympathetic hero takes us on a spirited journey from colonial Sydney to Adelaide, Melbourne and beyond as he falls under the sway of charismatic outlaw Captain Starlight. A proto-Western capturing the same era that yielded Ned Kelly’s gang, Robbery Under Arms firmly enshrined bushrangers in the popular imagination.
Customer Reviews
A thoughtful, intelligent tale of crime and punishment
A very good book about the old Australian wilderness, crime and how the choices we make affect our lives. Truly sprawling and engaging all the way through.