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  • Published: 1 October 2019
  • ISBN: 9780143795759
  • Imprint: Random House Australia
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 368

Buckley's Chance

a new era of Australian non-fiction storytelling




From Walkley Award-winning writer, Gary Linnell comes the greatest Australian story never told - until now.


'Always compelling, very entertaining.' Daily Telegraph
'A fabulous yarn. Highly recommended.' Better Reading

He fought Napoleon’s army and survived.

He was sent to the gallows and escaped the noose.

Now he is in chains and on his way to the other side of the world. What happens next will become one of the most remarkable survival stories in history.

The 19th century has just begun. The world is at war. England, ruled by a mad king, is exiling thousands of criminals to an old land that has become its newest dumping ground.

One of those prisoners is William Buckley, barely 21, a former soldier sentenced to life for stealing two small pieces of cloth. He’s a giant for his times. But it’s not just his towering frame that sets him apart. It’s his desire for freedom that will make his story so unique - even in an era famous for outrageous acts of bravery and heroism.

On a moonlit night Buckley escapes and disappears into the Australian bush. Discovered and adopted by an aboriginal tribe who regard him as a ghost, he is initiated into their rich and complex culture. Given up for dead by his white captors, he will not be seen again for more than 30 years until he emerges one day...carrying a spear, dressed in animal skins and having forgotten the English language.

Buckley’s Chance is a profound journey into a turning point in history where cultures clash, bitter rivals go to war and the body count mounts.

It’s also the story of a man who refuses to be held down.

A man prepared to defy all odds and take a chance.

Buckley’s chance.

  • Published: 1 October 2019
  • ISBN: 9780143795759
  • Imprint: Random House Australia
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 368

About the author

Garry Linnell

Garry Linnell is one of Australia’s most experienced journalists. Born and raised in Geelong, he has won several awards for his writing, including a Walkley for best feature writing. He has been editor-in-chief of The Bulletin, editor of The Daily Telegraph, director of news and current affairs for the Nine Network and editorial director of Fairfax. He spent four years as co-host of the Breakfast Show on 2UE and is also the author of four previous books - ‘Football Ltd: The inside story of the AFL’; ‘Raelene: sometimes beaten, never conquered’; ‘Playing God: The rise and fall of Gary Ablett’ and the bestselling 'Buckley's Chance'.

Also by Garry Linnell

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Praise for Buckley's Chance

Exceptionally well-researched, Linnell has delivered a terrific tale. The story is split into three sections that along with polished prose written in an unusual conversational style means that Buckley’s Chance is not your average historical biography. It’s vivid in its descriptions of not only Buckley but many figures of that time, as well as the setting and time period. William Buckley was an astounding character and Linnell does a brilliant job of bringing him to life on the page. I found Buckley’s Chance absolutely fascinating and highly entertaining. At the back of the book Linnell includes summaries of many of the other characters who appear along the way – what happened to them later. There is also a list of Wadawurrung clan names and locations, as well as more information about the First Peoples of Victoria. This is an important book not only telling the history of one white man, but this period of history for Australia’s First Peoples, in particular the Wadawurrung. It’s clear William Buckley sat on Garry Linnell’s shoulder as he wrote this book. I imagine he must be pleased with the result. A fabulous yarn. Highly recommended.

Better Reading

It is recounted in a fluid, poetic, but never overly florid, writing style that makes the book very easy to read and gives the author some lassitude to fill in some of the gaps in the historical record. He does this with speculations or recreations based on what is known about the era, on the stories that Buckley told about his life and on what might have been plausible for the time. This is an always compelling and very entertaining and insightful reworking of a familiar tale.

Troy Lennon, Daily Telegraph

Awards & recognition

Walkley Book Award

Longlisted  •  2020  •  Walkley Book Award