Bligh, Macarthur and the Rum Rebellion by Ross Fitzgerald and Mark Hearn

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Heavy foxing to inside covers and foredges.

On 26 January 1808, Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston, Commander of the New South Wales Corps, led 400 armed soldiers up Bridge Street, Sydney, to dispose of Governor William Bligh, in what became known as the Rum Rebellion.

It was the only armed coup d'etat in Australian history. It was the culmination of a bitter dispute that had raged between Bligh and the wealthy citizenry and military administrator of the young colony, and it was masterminded by the soldier and entrepreneur John Macarthur.

Bligh, Macarthur and the Rum Rebellion is an even-handed examination of the causes of the Rum Rebellion, the roles played by its key participants, and the subsequent historical debate.

It provides an unromantic portrayal of William Bligh. It also indicates how Bligh consistently moved to defend the interests of the colony's poorest citizens against the narrow interests of the civilian elite and the military. (back cover)