Geoffrey Blainey is one of Australia's most significant and popular historians. He has written more than thirty books including The Tyranny of Distance, Triumph of the Nomads, A Short History of Australia, Black Kettle and Full Moon, and the best-selling A Short History of the World. He is one of the few Australians whose biography appears in Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 2000 Professor Blainey was the recipient of Australia's highest honour, Companion in the Order of Australia (AC). A note from the editor: As always, Blainey's latest history is beautifully written, drawing us into the lives of those on board. He uses just enough contemporary comparisons to allow us to reposition ourselves in time.