Australia's Greatest Stories: True Tales, Legends and Larrikins

(Paperback, Large Print Edition)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Tall tales and colourful characters, from ancient times to today; these are the stories that reveal what makes us distinctively Australian.

Some of the world's oldest stories are told beneath Australian skies. Master storyteller Graham Seal takes us on a journey through time, from ancient narratives recounted across generations to the symbols and myths that resonate with Australians today.

He uncovers tales of ancient floods and volcanic eruptions, and shows us Australia's own silk road. He locates the real Crocodile Dundee and explores the truth behind the legend of the Pilliga Princess. He retells old favourites such as the great flood at Gundagai, the boundary rider's wife and the Australian who invented the first military tank, and presents little known figures like mailman Jimmy, who carried the post barefoot across the Nullarbor Plain, architect Edith Emery and Paddy the Poet, as well as the unusual sporting techniques of the Gumboot Tortoise.

These yarns of ratbags, rebels, heroes and villains, unsettling legends and clever creations reveal that it's the small, human stories that, together, make up the greater story of Australia and its people.

'Graham Seal has the knack of the storyteller' - Warren Fahey

Author Bio

Graham Seal is an award-winning biographer, songwriter and poet. He is the bestselling author of many books, including Great Australian Stories, Great Bush Stories, Great Convict Stories, Great Australian Mysteries and Australia's Most Infamous Criminals. He is Emeritus Professor of Folklore at Curtin University.