ADVANCE INFORMATION

The book:

The Battle of Vinegar Hill is the story of Irish patriots who refused to accept exile under British rule.

Among the embezzlers, forgers, petty thieves, sheep stealers and housebreakers transported to the colony, were men whose crimes were purely political. The resentment of these political prisoners knew no bounds. Many of the Irish convicts were infuriated by the lack of official records and the resulting injustice and confusion over their sentences. Cropping their hair in the style of the French revolutionaries, they held clandestine meetings to plan their escape. In desperation, they attempted to lay siege to the colony and demanded to be taken home to Ireland.

The Battle of Vinegar Hill is the story of botched mini-rebellions, failed escape attempts, mutiny, wild rumours, conspiracies, betrayals, and personal tragedy. In this book, the author reveals the lives of the key rebels and their enemies against a background of Irish politics in the colonial period.

Lynette Ramsay Silver’s work is the first and only thorough account of the battle and its causes. Illustrated with portraits, maps and landscape art of the period, The Battle of Vinegar Hill is an important book for anyone interested in colonial history and the development of the Australian character.

Page created - 02 July, 2002.  Page last updated - 14 August, 2006 15:08:49 +1000