eruditor.com desciption:
"This work charts the author's journey in the footsteps of her great-great grandfather, Charles Heavitree Todd, the man who strung the telegraph across Australia. It brings together a mix of family history and exploration with a young couple's trek, as they follow the same line 150 years later."

This was an enjoyable read. About half of the book was a biography of Charles Todd (responsible for putting up the first telegraph line north-to-south across Australia, and putting the last link in the chain between England and its antipodean colony) and his wife Alice (after whom Alice Springs was named). The author did a very good job in describing what life was like for the Todds as they left England for their new home in Adelaide. The story of what it took to get the line built was interesting. The other half of the book was the story of the author (Charles and Alice's great=great-granddaughter) and her husband as they sought to recreate the journey through the middle of the vast continent. Their journey shows how the line affected the lives of the people, mainly Aboriginal, who homes it passed, and also talks of how about the lives of the people, both native and immigrant, who live in the outback today.

Bookray

The book has reached the last person on the ray, so consider it closed. If you want to read it, then PM the person who currently has it and ask them nicely!

Participants:
1. AnglersRest (UK, will ship anywhere)
2. book-man-8 (Germany, will ship anywhere)
3. scrutiny (Hong Kong China, will ship anywhere)
4. LindyLouMac (Italy, wants to be at the end!)

Arrived yesterday. Looking forward to starting, which will be as soon as my current read is finished!
Thanks for sending

A really enjoyable account of the life of Alice & Charles Todd, the author's great great grandmother. From Cambridgeshire, once Alice had married Charles they embark on their new life together in Australia. Alice to raise their family in a very harsh, yet beautiful country whilst Charles was amongst others to string the telegraph across Australia.

The author and her husband not only travel in the footsteps of Charles (and Alice) across what is harsh terrain, but uses some genealogical sources, family information and historical sources to rebuild their fascinating lives.

I have the address for book-man-8, so this will be in the post tomorrow.

I just got the book in the mail. Thanks for the ray and for sending! I especially liked the inclosed (from "Anglersrest") booksign: "National Express" reserved, coach "B" seat "73" from Leeds to London King. Note: "Penalty for unauthorized removal of this label L 200". ;-o

Quite an enjoyable book. I liked the permanent switch between past and present. Another interesting piece in my "australian puzzle".

RELEASE NOTES:

The book is off to Hong Kong. Enjoy!

Arrived! Can't wait to read it!

Arrived! Can't wait to read it!

Didn't manage to finish it, but I sent it on a few days ago, so as not to hold up the ring!

Thankyou scrutiny for sending this on to me and to Vroomfondel for letting me join after I read AnglersRest's review on Livejournal. It arrived safely today. I notice in the JE that you did not finish it scrutiny, due to not wanting to hold it up. What a shame!
As I am last in the ray, would you like me to send it back to you when I have finished it?

I will also offer this to my husband to read as he has similar tastes to book-man-8 whom I have just noticed has also read this one!

This is the biographical story of Charles Todd, the man who successfully managed to connect Australia with other continents by taking the telegraph across its interior and Alice Todd his wife who gave her name to the famous Alice Springs. Written by Alice Thomson their great great granddaughter it is also partly a travel story as in 1997 she and her husband retrace the steps that the Todd’s had taken over a hundred years previously.
She vividly describes the trials and tribulations of these Victorian explorer’s and those of her and her husband. In crossing some of the most isolated and hazardous terrain in the world, they discover that some parts of the Australian outback have changed little since Victorian times. Even with all modern day advantages to help them it was still not and easy task in modern times.

It was an amazing feat that these pioneers achieved and Alice’s account made me realise just how much this was so!

My husband read and enjoyed as well. This is travelling to an Australian Bookcrossing friend of mine, currently studying at Oxford University as a RABCK.

RELEASE NOTES:

En route to Bookcrossing friend Mochagirl

Received as a wonderful RABCK from LindyLouMac - thanks very much!
I won't get a chance to read it for a few days, as a bookring book came in at the same time, but I'll journal it again once I've read it.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at a meet-up tonight.

I really enjoyed this book - I found the style a bit stultified at times (because of the non-fiction effect, I think - that is, there are some things that must be included but maybe make the narrative a bit strange), but it was really interesting.

I got this book from Mochagirl at the meet-up in Oslo today.

I think the author has succeeded in giving us the feeling of how life was in Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century, and what an enormous task it was to manage to establish the telegraph line.
I will bring the book to our next meet-up in Oslo. It is reserved for Lunacia.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Given to LeishaCamden. She will pass it on to Lunacia.

The book is with me. It looks interesting, I will read it as soon as I can. May take a while though as I have, ahem, a few other books waiting to be read too ... ;-)

Thanks!!