Morgan's Run: a breathtaking and absorbing family saga from the international bestselling author of The Thorn Birds

Well researched and well written. I found it was a little slow to get going and made myself stick with it. I am so glad I did as its a good meaty tome filled with insights in to an awful period of history, and how people somehow survived. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Colleen McCullough says she will write the sequel eventually as it is about real people who are documented, and in fact related to her husband. I do hope she gets on with it as I want it now.I have read quite a few of Colleen McCullough's books, and I think this is my favourite. For all she is associated with The Thorn Birds, since it became a film and TV series, I don't think that is her best work. Morgan's Run is right up there for me.

A most enjoyable read giving insights to 1700th century life and conditions on land and sea.

I loved 'The Thorn Birds' when I read it years ago so when I came across this on kindle I thought I'd give it a go.It is set in Bristol and Australia at the time of the First fleet of convicts which were sent to Sydney Cove and then Norfolk island.The story is based on a real person who was convicted of a crime he was innocent of but made the most of his life in the new country and succeeded in getting his ticket of freedom early and settled on Norfolk island - married and has a family.The story is long and you really begin to know the characters well.The conditions the convicts were sent over in was very similar to the way the slaves were transported from Africa to the USA and West Indies. They used the same ships as the slave trade had been stopped by then.The five original ships were sent with mainly convicts , some guards, and the sailors - none were really the cream of English society at the time. They were sent with few supplies and poor equipment and yet they did manage to survive.A good story and I found it even more interesting as it was based on real people.

I really am at a loss for words in describing this book. It is an extraordinary piece of literature which is informative as well as enjoyable. As usual Ms McCullough drags you into the story with her amazingly descriptive prose. She makes you care about the characters and makes you wish that you knew them personally. Richard Morgans story is both inspirational and heartwarming you really feel like you want to just get into the book and either give him a hand or a hug. Highly recommended read.

I absolutely loved this book, indeed I read it first as a library loan but enjoyed it so much that I decided I wanted to own a copy. I bought a hard-back copy even though it is a burden to hold it as I will want to read it more than once. The only other book I read at regular intervals is Lord of the Rings which I have been reading every 10 years or so since 1966.I particularly like the early parts of the book dealing with Bristol which is a favoured City of both my wife and I. The research that went into writing the book is prodigious and I was fascinated on nearly every page by information which was new to me, from rope-making to sawpits.Thank you Colleen for an enjoyable experience which I intend to repeat many times in the future.I have now bought it in it's Kindle version so that I can read it wherever we are.

Strange style, not my best choice

Whilst I appreciate the research that must have gone into the history and details of this novel , it was too much for me . I found the details of the design of the ships confusing and the varied and many, many different characters referred to overwhelming . I got bored often so would skim sections as the level of detail wasn’t necessary for me to get the gist .

Morgan's Run is a fantastic book about the first fleet of prisoners from the hulks in London under the command of the Royal Navy and Mariners to Botany Bay/Port Jackson and Norfol Island. It is well written and I believe extreemly well researched. It is the story of a man from Bristol who is framed arrested and after a short spell in Bristol goal taken to Gloucester where he was tried and found guilty. It then describes the politics behind the governments decision to send priosners to the newly discovered lands but largely unchartered waters to Australia. It describes the conditions there the lack of preparations gone into the settling lack of food materials and largely abandonded people. I found it very educational. Better than the Thornbirds.

Pleasure

McCullough's books have never failed to entrance me. Through her solid research, you really see the land, know the people. This was a wonderful book with a surprise at the back.

Récit intéressant mais trop de détails d'archives tue le détail .

She never lets you done. Historical facts and real life people and all that being human entails. An Incredibile story of one man's life and struggles that helped to creat the New World.Reading this book can only make you feel happy to live in our world- where travelling is so so easy.Reading this book has made me understand so much about Britain's past and it's many errors. Thank you Colleen for writing!!!

The main character was interesting and sympathetic. The only thing that was a little tiresome was the intricacies of daily life were over explained. Oftentimes I thought some editing would be in order.