Cooper's Creek: Tragedy and Adventure in the Australian Outback

I've been a staunch admirer of Alan Moorehead's best-known books about the exploration of little-known areas of the world (The Blue Nile and The White Nile) for many years. Happily I discovered that he had written a book about the dangerous and ultimately deadly attempt to fill in the map of the center of Australia soon after the middle of the 19th century, and I discovered it shortly before leaving for a trip to Australia, so the timing could not have been more perfect. The expedition seemed at first to have been very well planned, but human failings, misunderstandings, ego, arrogance, bad weather, and some singularly unfortunate decisions that were not in themselves bad ones and were fully in character ultimately led to tragegy. The center of Australia--a hot, waterless desert much of the year, inhabited by Aborigines, with whom the white settlers so far had very little connection--could hardly be more different than the Nile valley and the heavily populated jungles of East Africa that were the settings of the two earlier books, yet as before Moorehead combines an account of the almost superhuman exertions of the party to survive and the interaction of personalities that made the chances so risky. One does not need to be crossing the Australian outback to be captivated by the book, though it is a gripping companion for such an experience. But, as always, Moorehead reveals the strengths and weaknesses of men in a very challenging situation, and makes it compulsively readable.

A thorough telling of the exploration of central Australia and particularly Burke’s story. The telling brings in detail enough to imagine the area, the wonder and the anguish experienced. Well done.

This is a great little book. It tells of a journey of exploration that went wrong, of rescues that were inept, and other treks that went off like clockwork - all woven into a well-told tale.Most such stories fall into one of two categories: Follies dripping with ineptness, irony and tragedy (such as Scott's fatal expedition to the South Pole); or well-planned and executed journeys that are practically dull and boring in their expert execution (Amundsen's successful "first" to the South Pole). "Cooper's Creek" has both - and more.In 1860-61 an expedition northwards from Melbourne across the largely unknown interior to the north coast of Australia ended with the deaths of three of the four explorers that had made the final dash. The fourth lived due to rescue by the local natives (the "black gentlemen"). The outcome was made more dramatic and tragic because men of the base depot upon whom the four depended had returned south one day before the exploring party returned.There are dozens of "what ifs" that could have changed the outcome. These (along with the interplay between individuals and supporters) make this book as much a mystery or detective story as a tale of adventure. It is also both interesting and tragic to read of these outsiders suffering and dying as they trek through groups of black gentlemen who have mastered the country. You can't but wonder to what extent the explorers seeming contempt of the native Australians must have, in the end, turned to admiration.

The early days of Australian discovery are in many ways similar to the extreme conditions encountered by Lewis and Clarke with a few exceptions. Australian explorers had to deal with impossible heat, little water and inconsistent support from the Australian government and the exploration society that was supposed to be backing them, Food supplies were often scarce and subsistence living hit or miss.This is a fascinating, detailed account of the courageous group of marginally experienced explorers who set out to find potential arable land for future settlers and to explore the vast outback. Despite the experience of the group's leaders, most of the group died in the effort. This detailed account is taken from journals and first hand reports of the few survivors and tells of the daily fight for survival in a hostile land.

I greatly admire men and women who have been through so much to survive. I especially like when there are descriptions of what someone did to survive. Because Burke left no diary, there is little of this, but then again, he was heavily supplied for the exploration. His lack of leadership skills kept him from using his resources wisely and sadly his demise. This book was interesting, but in places ran on. The most disappointing though (and I would have rated it one more star) is the fact that there are no pictures. I read a lot of books in this genre and there are always pictures. I did go online to check out pictures of the Australian landscape for myself plus some paintings of the expedition.

I loved this book. It takes you back to the period by describing the actual provisions and other details of the excursion. The auther gives good insight into the motivations of the key players. As you read this book you will feel as if you are with Burke and Wills on their amazing but doomed journey. There are some "old English" terms which one has to deal with but they add to the authenticity of the book. One criticism, I would have enjoyed more maps of the journey as the one map in the book is too small to be useful.

This is one of those stories that captures my imagination and makes me want to visit Australia. One can never know the whole truth due to time delay in interviews of the aged survivors but the author adequately reasons out logical results of the facts as presented. Once again I long to visit 'down under' and see the country this book talks about.

I enjoyed this very much. This is a great telling of the struggle of exploration in a very harsh and difficult environment. True stories are always the best and the author really brings this one to life.

This (Skyhorse Publishing) edition is hopeless. I bought it as a gift (having previously read the original hardback) and was deeply disappointed. The map at the beginning is essential to understand the story but is virtually illegible - you can't read the place names. And why give away the plot on the back cover of a paperback book?! The photos in the hardback edition are missing here, although this is understandable in a paperback version and doesn't spoil the story. But the back cover and useless map certainly do!Epic story, crummy edition: go for the hardback.

fULL OF INFORMATION VERY INTERESTING BOOK CHARTING THE DISCOVERY OF THE RED CENTRE IN AUSTRALIA GREAT READ IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OZ

Really enjoyed this...an excellent overview of making a continent come alive, and how people make mistakes without really realizing the consequences. Good read!

overly complex