Tony Moore in conversation with Martin Flanagan
"This important and dramatic era of Australia, Irish and British Empire history has been too often only partially told. Now we have the whole vivid tale, told by an excellent historian and engrossing narrator..." - THOMAS KENEALLY
This is the first narrative history that brings together the stories of the political prisoners sent as convicts to Australia from all parts of the British Empire, spanning the early days of the penal settlement at Sydney Cove until transportation ended in 1868.
Author Tony Moore asks who were these prisoners, and what led them to take the radical actions they did? Why did the authorities so fear these dissenters and rebels, and was transportation effective in halting dissent? Most crucially, what influence did these political activists in exile have on colonial life and politics, from the Castle Hill Rebellion to trade unionism and the early appearance of responsible and democratic government.
In our contemporary climate, where laws are being tightened to curtail dissent in the interests of national security, Death or Liberty seeks to raise questions about the violence of both the state and its opponents, the causes of zeal, ruthlessness and idealism, and to reveal the crucial place of hope, courage and conviction in human progress.
Tony Moore is Director of the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University.
Martin Flanagan is the author of twelve books, and has been writing for The Age since 1985 - principally on sport, Australian culture and the relationship between black and white Australia.