In 'The Brumby Mare', Brian Taylor brings us a collection of stories that tell of the lives of traditional Queensland stockmen and bush workers - before the days of motor bikes and helicopters. Brian knows and loves his country, and his stories ring with the authority of experience. He writes about people he has worked with or encountered, stories they have told him, experiences they have shared. Some of the incidents he describes are laugh-aloud funny ('Hats'), some heart-stopping ('The Brumby Mare'), and some very moving ('Banjo's Friend'). He is a close, thoughtful and warm-hearted observer - of people, of wild and working animals, and of country.
Brian Taylor is also a skilled storyteller. He describes the stockmen of his era as being well turned out: a good pair of boots, neat shirt and moleskins, and his writing is similarly well judged and well made. When in the grip of his story he is compelling, even memorable: Wild and wiry, he looked like a rusty bolt, or When in doubt, the dog would blink.
The collection's great strength is its authenticity, and all the stories are drawn from direct experience and written in the first person. 'The Brumby Mare' is illustrated throughout with line drawings and sketch maps.
