Marsden Hordern

Absolutely absorbing if slow-moving account of six years of exploration of the Australian coast by HMS Beagle. John Lort Stokes was a lieutenant and then commander of the Beagle as she explored Australia's north-west coast, Bass Strait, the Gulf of Carpentaria and what is now the Northern Territory, and the author records his minute observations of the seas, the land they discover, the flora and fauna, and most interestingly, first contact with Aboriginal tribes, sometimes hostile, sometimes show more curious and friendly, Stokes himself surviving being speared in one terrifying encounter. Although Stokes in notably sympathetic to the Aborigines, he reflects the inbuilt racism of the time as he frequently compares the "savage" culture to the almighty power of British civilization, and some of these passages are quite hard to read with a modern sensibility. Nevertheless, Stokes is an engaging character, and his personality emerges from his observations. For variation, the author also throws in observations from other crew members, including Captain Wickham and an irrepressible young lieutenant. This is will be a fascinating book for anyone interested in exploration or the sea, what it lacks in excitement, it makes up for in incredibly absorbing minutiae of exploration in the age of sail. Highly recommended. show less

This is a great book written by a skipper of a Fairmile and its operations in PNG and other Pacific areas during WW2. I don't think he was particularly lyrical about the vessel itself but he is good writer and this is a valuable contribution since books on the Australian Fairmile are few. He has written other books on Australian maritime history. Includes a number of photos.