The quintessential bushranging adventure tale.
'Robbery Under Arms' has been an Australian classic virtually since it first appeared in book form in 1888. Boldrewood was the first writer to attempt a long narrative in the voice of an uneducated Australian bushman, and he created a tale with enduring cultural resonance. It was praised by its first readers for its excitement, romance and authentic picture of 1850s life in Australia - and its continuing appeal and popularity has seen the tale frequently adapted for stage, radio, film and television.
However, during all of this time the novel's text has not been well served by publishers or reprints. It lost some material accidentally in early typesettings, and these omissions were never repaired. It was later abridged by its author at the publisher's request, but the publisher botched his instructions. And, as with any much reprinted work, thousands of small changes gradually crept into the text.
