Graham Seal is emeritus professor of folklore at Curtin University. He is the author of numerous books of biography and cultural history, including These Few Lines, which won a National Biography Award, and The Savage Shore. He lives in Mt. Hawthorn, Western Australia.
A brilliant and moving work on how we came to be -Guy Rundle, Crikey An interesting and informative read, which I thought was made all the more fascinating by the stories of some of the victims and perpetrators of the system. -Literary Potpourri From the harsh punishments awaiting those who committed crimes to the unwitting deportation of the powerless, these are tales of oppression and brutality. -History Revealed An important contribution to transportation and convict life literature...The book is of academic interest, with appeal to the lay person with an interest in crime and punishment too. -Christine Seal, Family & Community History 'An enthralling study of those criminals despatched beyond the seas to all corners of the globe and empire. Written with grace, it revives some of these unfortunate ghosts whose brief if enduring existence in the historical record ill reflects their impact upon the modern world.'-James Evans, author of Emigrants: Why the English Sailed to the New World 'A wonderfully spirited account of the thousands of men, women and children shipped across the world as part of Britain's criminal transportation system. The myriad stories are at once colourful and compelling, illuminating the often overlooked experiences of the unsung individuals whose forced labour transformed the British empire.'-Matthew Lockwood, author of To Begin the World Over Again