Bound for Botany Bay: British Convict Voyages to Australia; by Alan Brooke & David Brandon; 272 pp; Hardcover; 6.5x9.5; Published: 2005, ISBN: 9781903365786; Item # TNA20

This is the story of an extraordinary period in British criminal history, brought to life through unique surviving records held by the UK National Archives. Between 1787 and 1868, 162,000 of convicts were sentenced to be 'banished beyond the seas', mostly to Australia and to destinations which became the stuff of legend - Botany Bay, Van Diemen's Land, Norfolk Island.

This book follows their story from courtroom to convict ship, epic voyages across the world's oceans, recapturing the perils and unexpected pleasures of life at sea, and colonial life. in fresh and fascinating detail.