Floating Brothel [Paperback]

Sian Rees (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2002

In July 1789, 237 women convicts left England for Botany Bay in Australia on board a ship called The Lady Julian, destined to provide sexual services and a breeding bank for the men already there. This is the enthralling story of the women and their voyage. Based on painstaking research into contemporary sources such as letters, trial records and the first-hand account of the voyage written by the ship's steward, John Nicol, this is a riveting work of recovered history. The Floating Brothel brilliantly conjures up the sights, sounds and particularly the smells of life on board ship at the time and is populated by a cast of larger-than-life characters you will never forget.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'history at its most engaging' -- Daily Telegraph 20020112 'Rees's lively, closely researched account of life in London's underworld and on board ship is a testimony to the spirit and resilience of women...' -- The Sunday Times 20020224 'highly accomplished debut...comparable in power to Golding's Rites Of Passage' -- Independent 20020112

About the Author

Sian Rees was born in Cornwall to a family of sailors and boatbuilders. She studied history at university and first became interested in the transportation of female convicts to Australia when she was living there. This is her first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Headline Paperbacks (January 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747266328
• ISBN-13: 978-0747266327
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,481,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ordinary people doing extraordinary things at sea, July 16, 2008

By 

Carno Polo "adventure traveler" (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Floating Brothel (Paperback)

Love, adventure and seafaring around the world. A little known but very real story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, at the time of the last great world discoveries. That the protagonists were often performing heroic feats against their will, as in the case of the deported prostitutes, makes the tale even more captivating. This was enjoyable reading, instructive history and made you feel like you were one of the crew!