100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The Legacy of Douglas Grant

A Notable Aborigine in War and Peace
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Legacy of Douglas Grant tells the story of a remarkable man who overcame profound challenges to lead an extraordinary life. Rescued from an 1886 massacre and raised by White parents, Douglas Grant became much more than the media's stereotypical 'Black Digger with a Scottish accent.' A well-educated engineering draftsman and charismatic storyteller, he served valiantly in the 1st AIF during the First World War. Captured at the Battle of Bullecourt, he was entrusted by German authorities to oversee a prison camp, where he used his skills to save many lives. Despite hardships on returning home, his enduring humour and resilience define his legacy.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2996
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This biography will appeal to readers interested in inspiring true stories, Indigenous history, and the experiences of Australian soldiers during the First World War.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The biography of an orphaned aborigine who became a military hero on the Western Front of World War I and in captivity saved the lives of many other prisoners of war.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The versatile and gifted Douglas Grant was stereotyped in the media as the Black Digger with a Scottish accent. He was much more than that. Well-educated by White parents who rescued him from an 1886 massacre in the frontier wars, Douglas became an engineering draftsman, woolclasser, charismatic public speaker and storyteller.

In the 1st AIF, he fought bravely on the Western Front, was wounded and taken prisoner in the Battle of Bullecourt. Noting he was well-educated, German authorities made him the inmate-in-charge of the large Half Crescent Prison Camp for Muslim and Hindu soldiers. He saved many lives by negotiating for ritual foods and medical supplies.

Returning home, he went through hard times and adventures, but always maintained his great sense of humour about life.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780987639080

Publisher: Brolga Publishing Pty Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 January 2021

Country: Australia

Imprint: Brolga Publishing Pty Ltd

Illustration: clr and b&w illus

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 400

About the Author

John Ramsland is Emeritus Professor at The University of Newcastle and the author of several books and many articles on Australian social history. His most recent books include With just and Relentless discipline : A Social History of Corrective Services in New South Wales (1996) and Custodians of the Soil :A History of Aboriginal-European Relationships in the Manning Valey of New South Wales (2001). He has also published widely on the history of neglected and instituionalised children in England, France, and Australia.

Also by John Ramsland

View all
  • Australia's Player King
    Exploring Peter Finch’s life as an abandoned, unloved child is key to understanding his brilliant, mesmerising style of acting. In his youth in Australia, he conquered all the fields of acting well before his discovery after the war in 1947 by Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in Sydney during their Old Vic Company Tour. He chose London, and his...
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Apres la Guerre
    What really happened to the ex-servicemen in Australia when they returned to civil life? The truth of their stories in peacetime is as shocking as the war they faced. In fact, the line separating the living from the dead was, at times, not clear at all. Many soldiers returned to celebrations, such as the great march in Melbourne on St...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Biography & Memoir

View all
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Famesick
    Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgunΒ wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through herΒ journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
    From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    Stakes
    Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoirΒ Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’sΒ Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Built for This
    Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Even the Good Girls Will Cry
    Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    An Ocean and a Day
    An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    A Place to Stand
    A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Rory
    TheΒ New York TimesΒ bestseller The #1Β Irish TimesΒ bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4199
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
    Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera – author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider – decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te Wānanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo Māori. This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year...
    Paperback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    This Is Me: A Reckoning
    This is a searingly honest and moving memoir from double Golden Globe-nominatedactress Hayden Panettiere. Hayden Panettiere has been in front of the camera since before she could talk. She roseto stardom typecasted as Hollywood's blonde girl next door. As a young celebrity,naysayers were certain she would crash and burn. Not one to disappoint, she did.Hayden Panettiere's irreverent memoir satisfies our...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Beyond Life and Death
    From martial arts icon and global film star Jet Li comes a revelatory, profound and inspiring guide to self-mastery and spiritual wisdom, distilled into 10 essential life lessons. Martial arts legend and international movie star Jet Li distils 10 powerful insights from his iconic career, his personal life and philosophies, and his 30-year Buddhist practice. Jet Li's story defies legend....
    By Jet Li
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.