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Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly 5

The Story of Australia's Most Notorious Legend

by Peter FitzSimons
Hardback
Publication Date: 01/11/2013
5/5 Rating 5 Reviews

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Love him or loathe him, Ned Kelly has been at the heart of Australian culture and identity since he and his gang were tracked down in bushland by the Victorian police and came out fighting, dressed in bulletproof iron armour made from farmers ploughs. Historians still disagree over virtually every aspect of the eldest Kelly boy s brushes with the law. Did he or did he not shoot Constable Fitzpatrick at their family home? Was he a lawless thug or a noble Robin Hood, a remorseless killer or a crusader against oppression and discrimination? Was he even a political revolutionary, an Australian republican channelling the spirit of Eureka? Peter FitzSimons, bestselling chronicler of many of the great defining moments and people of this nation s history, is the perfect person to tell this most iconic of all Australian stories. From Kelly s early days in Beveridge, Victoria, in the mid-1800s, to the Felons Apprehension Act, which made it possible for anyone to shoot the Kelly gang, to Ned s appearance in his now-famous armour, prompting the shocked and bewildered police to exclaim He is the devil! and He is the bunyip! , FitzSimons brings the history of Ned Kelly and
ISBN:
9781742758909
9781742758909
Category:
Biography: historical
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
01-11-2013
Language:
English
Publisher:
Random House Australia
Country of origin:
Australia
Pages:
848
Dimensions (mm):
242x159x62mm
Weight:
1.07kg
Peter FitzSimons

Peter FitzSimons is a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun-Herald, and a busy events and motivational speaker.

He is the author of over twenty-seven books, including Tobruk, Kokoda, Batavia, Eureka, Ned Kelly, Gallipoli and biographies of Douglas Mawson, Nancy Wake‚ Kim Beazley‚ Nick Farr-Jones‚ Les Darcy, Steve Waugh and John Eales, and is one of Australia's biggest selling non-fiction authors of the last fifteen years.

Peter was named a Member of the Order of Australia for service to literature as a biographer, sports journalist and commentator, and to the community through contributions to conservation, disability care, social welfare and sporting organisations. He lives with his wife, Lisa Wilkinson, and their three children in Sydney.

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You can find this item in:

Australasian & Pacific history Biography: historical True crime Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 Australian Books
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Reviews

4.6

Based on 5 reviews

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5 Reviews

what a great book...loved the style of writing, first book I've read of Fitzsimons and won't be the last...this book really won't let you down

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Ned Kelly is often the first criminal young Australians learn about, but the details of his life and what lead him to become outlawed are often glossed over.

In Peter Fitzsimons, "Ned Kelly", the reader is transported back through time to live as Ned did. He sheds light over the injustices he and his family felt at the hands of a corrupt and dishonest police force, and explain the necessities of becoming an outlaw and making his statement.

Reading this book will feel like a work of fiction, despite its historical accuracy. I highly recommend it.

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Who hasnt heard of Ned Kelly? It is said that his criminal career started when he was just 14 years old and that his life ended at the age of 25. So how do we really view Ned Kelly? Was he like Robin Hood, stealing from the rich while giving the poor? Or was he simply just an uncontrollable gangster who revelled in making trouble and killing anyone who got in his way?

We may not find a conclusive answer from Peter FitzSimons Ned Kelly, but we learn about the man who is heavily apart of Australias culture. This biography is exceptional. Reading this felt like I was engrossed in a fictional novel, instead of a history book.

With the biography penned by Peter FitzSimons, I think I understood Ned Kelly a bit more. I may have seen a good side of him, which I didnt really consider before I got a copy of this biography. I recommend this book to history enthusiasts.

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