Burke and Wills
The Triumph and Tragedy of Australia's Most Famous Explorers
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Burke and Wills
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Narrated by:
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Michael Carman
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By:
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Peter FitzSimons
About this listen
The iconic Australian exploration story - brought to life by Peter FitzSimons, Australia's storyteller.
'They have left here today!' he calls to the others. When King puts his hand down above the ashes of the fire, it is to find it still hot. There is even a tiny flame flickering from the end of one log. They must have left just hours ago.
Melbourne, 20 August 1860. In an ambitious quest to be the first Europeans to cross the harsh Australian continent, the Victorian Exploring Expedition sets off, with 15,000 well-wishers cheering them on. Led by Robert O'Hara Burke, a brave man totally lacking in the bush skills necessary for his task; surveyor and meteorologist William Wills; and 17 others, the expedition took 20 tons of equipment carried on six wagons, 23 horses and 26 camels.
Almost immediately plagued by disputes and sackings, the expeditioners battled the extremes of the Australian landscape and weather: its deserts, the boggy mangrove swamps of the Gulf, the searing heat and flooding rains. Food ran short and, unable to live off the land, the men nevertheless mostly spurned the offers of help from the local indigenous people.
In desperation, leaving the rest of the party at the expedition's depot on Coopers Creek, Burke, Wills, Charley Gray and John King made a dash for the Gulf in December 1860. Bad luck and bad management would see them miss by just hours a rendezvous back at Coopers Creek, leaving them stranded in the wilderness with practically no supplies. Only King survived to tell the tale. Yet, despite their tragic fates, the names of Burke and Wills have become synonymous with perseverance and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. They live on in our nation's history - and their story remains immediate and compelling.
©2017 Peter FitzSimons (P)2017 Hachette AustraliaWhat listeners say about Burke and Wills
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark G
- 06-04-2021
A great tale of survival and tragedy
FitzSimon's narrative style brings the story to life in a way I hadn't previously experienced through reading other sources on the subject. Like any good story, it leaves you wanting more - and I've been researching all the tangents to this story since putting this book down.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 13-05-2018
Great read.
Loved the timeline style. I was immersed with this book I at times felt like I was part of the exploration party.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mary
- 05-03-2021
brilliant story,
If you love Australian history or even have an interest in it this is a must. It quite slow to grab you in the start but hang in you will not be disappointed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 14-06-2022
A Truly Tragic Tale
Such an epic and tragic tale. Very well researched, as all FitzSimons books are.
Well narrated and thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy Dixon
- 07-07-2022
A gripping account
A fascinating account of the Burke and Wills expedition. Narrated brilliantly. It's obvious a huge amount of research went into the book, and the current tence telling works so well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-08-2022
Review Burke and Wills
Michael Carman reading was incredible.
Peter FitzSimons book,as always superb.
Enjoyed the reading immensely!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-12-2021
Burke and Wills
Fantastic, a story that I thought I knew but didn't. Well read and brilliantly written.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 10-05-2022
Fantastic!
Educational and entertaining in the one audio book. and included plenty of info that was never taught in my Australian history lessons!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- The Quiet Reader
- 06-12-2022
Informative and enjoyable
A well written account of one of Australia's most dramatic exploration events.
The Narration is a treat.
A fine book for anyone newly interested in Burke and Wills and for those well versed in their stories.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Brigalow
- 27-10-2020
Excellent
The narrator does an excellent job, he is easy to understand at all times and has a good reading tempo. The story too is excellent, Fitzsimons gets behind the characters and fleshes them out, there are heroes and villains and some characters that are both. I enjoyed the informality of the writing style making it seem more alive. I, in particular enjoyed hearing about the aftermath of the exhibition and am in awe at the amount of research Fitzsimons has undertaken. Great book.
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