{"product_id":"the-commonwealth-of-thieves-the-story-of-the-founding-of-australia-by-thomas-keneally-9780099483748","title":"The Commonwealth of Thieves : The Story of the Founding of Australia","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe story of modern Australia begins in eighteenth-century Britain,  \n\u003cbr\u003ewhere people were hanged for petty offences but crime was rife,  \n\u003cbr\u003eand the gaols were bursting.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom this situation was born the Sydney experiment,  \n\u003cbr\u003ewith criminals perceived to be damaging British society transported to Sydney,  \n\u003cbr\u003ean 'open air prison with walls 14,000 miles thick'.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEleven ships were dispatched in 1781,  \n\u003cbr\u003eand arrived in Australia after eight hellish months at sea.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTom Keneally describes the first four years of the 'thief colony' and how,  \n\u003cbr\u003edespite the escapes, the floggings, the murders and the rebellions,  \n\u003cbr\u003eit survived against the odds to create a culture which would never have been tolerated in its homeland  \n\u003cbr\u003ebut which, in Australia, became part of the identity of a new and audacious nation.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the author of \"Schindler's Ark\", since made into the internationally acclaimed film, \"Schindler's List\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thomas Keneally","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56895063458165,"sku":"9780099483748","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/4075\/2426\/files\/9780099483748.jpg?v=1773317778","url":"https:\/\/sherlockandpages.com\/products\/the-commonwealth-of-thieves-the-story-of-the-founding-of-australia-by-thomas-keneally-9780099483748","provider":"Sherlock \u0026 Pages","version":"1.0","type":"link"}