The enthralling story of Captain Cook's voyage to Australia, as seen through the eager eyes of a cabin boy. When young Isaac Manley sailed on the Endeavour from England in 1768, no one on board knew if a mysterious southern continent existed in the vast Pacific Ocean. It would be a voyage full of uncertainties and terrors. During the course of the three-year journey, Isaac's eyes are opened to all the brutal realities of life at sea - floggings, storms, press-gangs, the deaths of fellow crewmen, and violent clashes on distant shores. Yet Isaac also experiences the tropical beauty of Tahiti, where he becomes enchanted with a beautiful Tahitian girl. He sees the wonders of New Zealand, and he is there when the men of Endeavour first glimpse the east coast of Australia, anchor in Botany Bay, and run aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Acclaimed and award-winning historical novelist Anthony Hill brings to life this landmark voyage with warmth, insight and vivid detail in this exciting and enlightening tale of adventure and discovery.
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Anthony Hill is a Canberra-based writer, former journalist and speechwriter for the Governor-General. In addition to this, Anthony Hill and his family ran an antique shop for five years in a small country town in New South Wales. The experience formed the basis of his first two books, The Bunburyists and Antique Furniture in Australia. His first children's book, Birdsong, was published in 1988, followed in 1994 by his award-winning novella The Burnt Stick, illustrated by Mark Sofilas. The two combined again to produce Spindrift in 1996 and Forbidden in 2002.