Morgan's Run Mass Market Paperback – January 1, 2002

I love a story that fascinates, to think of it months and years later, remembering the vivid, striking characters and settings. CM had a remarkable gift with words, casting spells with each of her works. I read Morgan's Run many years ago and have never forgotten the horrors, anguish, and eventual survival Richard Morgan lived through. Returned to the library to borrow again but it was no longer on their shelf, and 3 online libraries didn't have it either. So glad to find it available on Kindle and immediately added it to my collection! Genealogists will also appreciate that the story is based on an ancestor of CM's family, which I also found fascinating. If you think this story starts out slow, keep reading and hang on! CM never disappoints! She was/is one of my most favorite authors, and her talent was truly a gift from God she shared with the world. RIP Colleen.

I first read this book when it was newly released and I was young. I never forgot Richard Morgan and his life. Having read it again all these years later I'm only sorry that there's no sequel. I would so like to know what happened next. To all the wonderful characters, to Norfolk island, and Australia. Hints in the afterword about Pitcairn Island and Fletcher Christian make me want the sequel even more. Is Colleen McCullough still writing?

Great historical fiction about a precolonial British scheme to export convicts to then unexplored Australian continent as well as the even more remote Norfolk Island. Colleen McCullough is one of my favorite authors of historic fiction and can write in a raw and explicit style atypical of most female writers. It's not a short read but the journey is well worth the effort as it describes some fascinating parts of the world and describes an incredible human ordeal during a relatively unfamiliar event in late 18th century history. Another of her outstanding stories.

The book is a good one, but really takes a long time to get any place. It is not what I had expected when I bought this book. I have read The Thorn birds at least 10 times and was expecting something entirely different than this story. The story has to do with how unfair the justice system in England was in the late 1700's and how they shipped convicts to Australia to remove them from the prisons in England. It didn't seem to matter what your crime was from stealing a piece of bread to murder they were all treated the same. The trip from England was almost 2000 miles & took a year to get there. The Captains of the ships really didn't care if the convicts lived or died on the way there. The ones who did survive faced many hardships everyday. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this kind of history. But if you're looking for a love story intermixed with it...this isn't the book.

Great Britain had no heart or conscience about so-called convicts and outcasts from their "perfect" society back in the times when most of the cities populations lived in squalor and utter filth. And they called what they did for these folks civilized. You come to question this civilization and its religion and thought processes. A lot of it is downright sickening.

This was an amazing story with surprising plot twists over & over, a huge amount of historic information given in a truly engaging & interesting way, and a main character that you don’t want to say goodbye to! I wanted the story to go keep going.

Love reading about the people that made Australia what it is today. The fact that these extremely hardy souls were not only able to get there under terrible conditions, but then to be able to carve out new lives for them and their families is truly a testament to their inner strength. Can’t wait to continue to follow their journey in the next volume!

A good book makes you want to read - an incredible book makes you think about what is happening in the book when you are not reading - as if it has a life of its own.Since I am a consummate reader, about a novel a week, I have quite stringent requirements. My top ten list is NOT easily entered. As a historical fiction fan - Morgan's Run made it into the top ten! I was smitten at first chapter. The blue print of the ship, the background of the characters, the detailed settings, allowed me to fall into the pages. I cannot say enough about the eloquent writing style, the historical information, and the sorry situations the characters find themselves in. IF you are a historical fiction buff, IF you enjoy reading about past lives, and IF you love reading, you will want to read Morgan's Run.