A history of the convict transporation system. It gives a good understanding of how and why the system came about; how it contributed to and the influence it had on Australia; and why it finally ended. Along the way, Hughes has uncovered hundreds of letters and used those to put together fascinating character sketches of the people responsible for building Australia.

Definitely worth the read. It is an excellent popular history. There are some quirky moments when the art historian in Hughes comes to the fore, but that's part of what I enjoyed about the book.