WATKIN TENCH 1788

[ajf25]

If anyone is interested in an eye-witness account to the first 4 years of European settlement in Australia, this book is a must.

Tench's manuscripts have been edited and introduced by Tim Flannery.

I've just finished listening to them in the car and as two of my husband's direct ancestors came out on the same ship, The Charlotte in 1788, I've found it fascinating.

Cheers,
Alison 

[deeiluka]

Hi Alison,

For anyone who has an e-reader,  Watkin Tench's books are free to download from a couple of websites.   


Dee   

[majm]

Hi Dee, errr I'll put my hand up ....  my e reader has many books about that era     

So, I have checked, and I have these two attributed to Watkin TENCH ...

A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay, published in London in 1789
and
A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, published in London 1793

Also, the two volumes by David Collins ....

An Account of the English Colony of NSW Vol 1, published in London 1798
An Account of the English Colony of NSW Vol 2, published in London 1802

Mind you, the shelves here are also full of "proper" books, but now OH and I can read in bed, safe in the knowledge that we will not be destroying these "proper" books gifted to us from our respective Grans who were both avid readers and of course on both OH and my lines, our Grans were born NS Walers errr .... some decades before Federation     


Thanks Alison for this thread 

Cheers,  JM

[ajf25]

A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay, published in London in 1789
and
A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, published in London 1793

These were in the book I listened to.  He sounded a very compassionate man.

Alison

[eregli_gene]

I'd recommend the version without Flannery's nonsense in it.

There are quite a lot of books from the early period online.

[judb]

I'd recommend the version without Flannery's nonsense in it.

A somewhat sweeping generalisation, in my opinion.  Judith

[Wiggy]

I had to read this thread - 'cos I am reading "1788" by David Hill at the moment, and Watkin Tench's quotes come into it quite a bit - will certainly look out for those!

 Thanks for the pointer, Alison.   

I like Tim Flannery!!   

Wiggy   

[eregli_gene]

Have you actually read both versions, Judith ?

[judb]

Two Classic Tales of Australian Exploration : '1788' by Watkin Tench and 'Life and Adventures' by John Nicol; Edited and introduced by Tim Flannery


Review extracts
‘Will seduce the most reluctant reader into a passion for Australian history.’
Australian Financial Review
‘An original book that will become fundamental to the understanding of this country in the 21st century.’
Age
‘A journey of national self-awareness…entertaining as well as significant.’
Canberra Times
‘Flannery brings the eye of an expert in natural history and the passion of a conservationist to his writing as he takes the reader on geological, geographical, ecological and historical tours of the Harbour City.’
Adelaide Advertiser
'Remarkable.'
Kirkus Reviews