Alexander Pearce and seven of his fellow convicts escaped from gaol in 1822 into one of the most unique and beautiful places on earth - the Tasmanian wilderness. This classic Australian story details the men's attempt to free themselves from the most isolated of penal settlements in the world, only to find themselves facing hostile natives, impenetrable landscape, and a harrowing fate of violence, murder and cannibalism. Paul Collins' riveting narrative of hardship and desperation, vividly reconstructs this amazing story with a keen eye for the follies of human nature. Now also an awardwinning Australian film with tie-in cover.