He galloped out of the bush yelling 'Bail up!' - and everyone was enthralled. 'Captain Thunderbolt', he called himself, but the people had their own nickname: the 'gentleman bushranger'. To many, Fred Ward was a colonial Robin Hood, a man driven into outlawry by injustice, by love for a woman. For them, his criminality was a form of vengeance against his oppressors - against their oppressors. It was a time when Australia needed home-grown heroes, and this magnificent horseman and skilled bushman epitomised a masculine ideal - outlaw though he might be. She was his chief lieutenant, his lover and the mother of his children. Intelligent and beautiful, Mary Ann Bugg dressed as a man and rode with her man, and her skills were largely responsible for Fred's long career as a bushranger. Until one day ... This true story has it all: action, drama, and two captivating protagonists who defied social conventions for love and freedom. Richly detailed, compellingly written, this is an unputdownable story of an extraordinary partnership and a fascinating insight into the other side of colonial Australia.
