After four years, my Thunderbolt journey is over. It began in May 2009 when I rang my publisher at Allen & Unwin to say that there was Hollywood film interest in Breaking the Bank (who knows if anything will ever come of that!). During the conversation, she suggested that I find a strong female character to write about. I mentioned having heard about a female bushranger and … to cut a long story short, two months later I had a contract for Captain Thunderbolt and his Lady. The book came out in September 2011 and received great reviews. For example, Alan Gold in Good Reading Magazine wrote: ‘Carol Baxter is doing for Australian history what our athletes are doing for sport: making it exciting, interesting, and world class.’ (Yes, shameless self-promotion!)
In addition to writing my book and preparing this exhaustive Thunderbolt website, I wrote two articles with Dr David Andrews Roberts, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of New England. The first, Exposing an Exposé: fact versus fiction in the resurrection of Captain Thunderbolt, was published in the international Journal of Australian Studies in March 2012. The second article, ‘Mrs Thunderbolt’: Setting the record straight on the life and times of Mary Ann Bugg, has just been published in the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society (Volume 99, Part 1). This article debunks the myths and corrects the errors in the claims made about Thunderbolt’s lover.
Now, with a book, two articles in peer-reviewed journals, and this website full of timelines, analytical pieces, blog posts and so on, my job is done. Thunderbolt and Mary Ann, two fascinating Australian characters, can rest in peace.
In addition to writing my book and preparing this exhaustive Thunderbolt website, I wrote two articles with Dr David Andrews Roberts, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of New England. The first, Exposing an Exposé: fact versus fiction in the resurrection of Captain Thunderbolt, was published in the international Journal of Australian Studies in March 2012. The second article, ‘Mrs Thunderbolt’: Setting the record straight on the life and times of Mary Ann Bugg, has just been published in the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society (Volume 99, Part 1). This article debunks the myths and corrects the errors in the claims made about Thunderbolt’s lover.
Now, with a book, two articles in peer-reviewed journals, and this website full of timelines, analytical pieces, blog posts and so on, my job is done. Thunderbolt and Mary Ann, two fascinating Australian characters, can rest in peace.
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