The Investigators

A novel of high adventure, exploration, shipwreck and survival, based on the life of Matthew Flinders' cousin, fifteen-year-old midshipman John Franklin, by the award-winning author of Soldier Boy.

'Our discoveries have been great, but the risks and misfortunes many.'

John Franklin always wanted to be a sailor. As a volunteer in the Royal Navy at age fourteen, he found himself in the Battle of Copenhagen, but nothing could prepare him for the adventure of a lifetime, when he set off in 1801 with his cousin Matthew Flinders on HMS Investigator as it sought to chart the first circumnavigation of Australia.

Taking on responsibility for the chronometers, under the jealous eye of Flinders' younger brother, the young midshipman found all the action, adventure and excitement he'd hoped for in his new life at sea. It inspired him to become one of the great navigators and explorers of the 19th century.

However, he wasn't quite so prepared for the other challenges that life onboard had in store - the rivalries with fellow shipmates, the shortages of food, and the harsh realities of what they encountered in the colonies. Danger, disease and death seemed to follow in their wake, and even the Investigator herself was at serious risk of destruction, having to flee to Koepang in present-day Indonesia for repair.

The history books tell us that the first circumnavigation of Australia was completed on this voyage - but award-winning and bestselling author Anthony Hill tells us how it was achieved. The Investigators is an unforgettable story of high adventure, exploration, shipwreck and survival as a young sailor comes of age.

About the Author

Anthony Hill is a multi-award-winning, bestselling author. His novel Soldier Boy, about Australia's youngest known Anzac, was winner of the 2002 NSW Premier's Literary Award for Books for Young Adults. More recently, his children's book, Captain Cook's Apprentice, won the 2009 NSW Premier's Young People's History Prize. Soldier Boy, Young Digger, Animal Heroes and For Love as Country follow as further testimony to his remarkable ability to extensively research historical material and, from wide-ranging sources, piece together a moving and exciting story. He is also the author of two novellas, the beautiful Shadow Dog, and the award-winning The Burnt Stick, illustrated by Mark Sofilas, as well as the picture book, Lucy's Cat and the Rainbow Birds, illustrated by Jane Tanner. After 40 years living in Canberra, Anthony and his wife, Gillian, have moved to the Mornington Peninsula. Their daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter, Emily, live in Melbourne.