A review by henrymarlene
On a Barbarous Coast by Craig Cormick, Harold Ludwick

3.0

Thank you @allenandunwin for this gifted ARC. 'On A Barbarous Coast' is the retelling of Cook's journey along the far north coast of Australia. The dependence on local Aboriginal tribes for survival replaces the history we know, where so many of the Aboriginal population lost their lives because of Cook and his crew. This collaboration - between a Bulgan Warra man / researcher and an australian writer/ academic - gave a voice to those from long ago. Ludwick's ancestral connection and deep knowledge of the land, water and culture is delivered through a young male named Garrgiill. Cormick provides a narrative through Magra, who was based on a shipman who was believed to write an account of the Endeavour and James Cook in the 1700s. If this was the history record left before us, would things be different, and by how much? The observations in each chapter make so much sense. The deliberate watching and curiousness between the white sailors and Aboriginal tribes of each other seemed surreal, but so possible and equally heartbreaking that this part of history never occured this way.