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The Great Shame

ISBN: 9780385720267
Author(s): Thomas Keneally Publisher: Anchor Books

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In The Great Shame, Thomas Keneally—the bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of Schindler's List—combines the authority of a brilliant historian and the narrative grace of a great novelist to present a gripping account of the Irish diaspora.

The nineteenth century saw Ireland lose half of its population to famine, emigration, or deportation to penal colonies in Australia—often for infractions as common as stealing food. Among the victims of this tragedy were Thomas Keneally's own forebears, and they were his inspiration to tell the story of the Irish who struggled and ultimately triumphed in Australia and North America. Relying on rare primary sources—including personal letters, court transcripts, ship manifests, and military documents—Keneally offers new and important insights into the impact of the Irish in exile. The result is a vivid saga of heroes and villains, from Great Famine protesters to American Civil War generals to great orators and politicians.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Thomas Keneally has won international acclaim for his novels Schindler's List (the basis for the movie and winner of the Booker Prize), The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Confederates, Gossip from the Forest, The Playmaker, Woman of the Inner Sea, and A River Town and for his work of nonfiction The Great Shame. He lives in Sydney, Australia.

REVIEWS:
"An epic tale of courage and ingenuity." ...The New York Times Book Review
"Intensely researched, passionately narrated. . . . Fascinating stories." ...Chicago Tribune
"The Great Shame . . . is a brave work whose narrative threads connect the personal, the political and the historical, leaving us with vivid impressions of 'Irish ghosts' in both triumph and tragedy." ...Los Angeles Times
"Exciting reading. [Keneally] is a master of narrative pace." ...Thomas Flanagan, The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"In the style of the best historians, [Keneally] allows the intrinsic power of the tales he tells and the people who populate his pages to draw the reader into a fully elaborated universe." ...The New York Times

Thomas Keneally: The Great Shame:
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RRP NZ$42.99 OUR PRICE NZ$29.97 (Save NZ$13/02 30%)

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