corner corner The Singing Line

Medium

The Singing Line
by Alice Thomson | Nonfiction
Registered by Vroomfondel of Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 13, 2008
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by LeishaCamden): to be read


8 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by Vroomfondel from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 13, 2008

7 out of 10

eruditor.com desciption:
"This work charts the author's journey in the footsteps of her great-great grandfather, Charles Heavitree Todd, the man who strung the telegraph across Australia. It brings together a mix of family history and exploration with a young couple's trek, as they follow the same line 150 years later."

This was an enjoyable read. About half of the book was a biography of Charles Todd (responsible for putting up the first telegraph line north-to-south across Australia, and putting the last link in the chain between England and its antipodean colony) and his wife Alice (after whom Alice Springs was named). The author did a very good job in describing what life was like for the Todds as they left England for their new home in Adelaide. The story of what it took to get the line built was interesting. The other half of the book was the story of the author (Charles and Alice's great=great-granddaughter) and her husband as they sought to recreate the journey through the middle of the vast continent. Their journey shows how the line affected the lives of the people, mainly Aboriginal, who homes it passed, and also talks of how about the lives of the people, both native and immigrant, who live in the outback today.

BookrayThe book has reached the last person on the ray, so consider it closed. If you want to read it, then PM the person who currently has it and ask them nicely!

Participants:
1. AnglersRest (UK, will ship anywhere)
2. book-man-8 (Germany, will ship anywhere)
3. scrutiny (Hong Kong China, will ship anywhere)
4. LindyLouMac (Italy, wants to be at the end!)
 

Journal Entry 2 by AnglersRest from Teignmouth, Devon United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 22, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Arrived yesterday. Looking forward to starting, which will be as soon as my current read is finished!
Thanks for sending 

Journal Entry 3 by AnglersRest from Teignmouth, Devon United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 06, 2008

10 out of 10

A really enjoyable account of the life of Alice & Charles Todd, the author's great great grandmother. From Cambridgeshire, once Alice had married Charles they embark on their new life together in Australia. Alice to raise their family in a very harsh, yet beautiful country whilst Charles was amongst others to string the telegraph across Australia.

The author and her husband not only travel in the footsteps of Charles (and Alice) across what is harsh terrain, but uses some genealogical sources, family information and historical sources to rebuild their fascinating lives.

I have the address for book-man-8, so this will be in the post tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 4 by wingbook-man-8wing from Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Wednesday, February 13, 2008

This book has not been rated.

I just got the book in the mail. Thanks for the ray and for sending! I especially liked the inclosed (from "Anglersrest") booksign: "National Express" reserved, coach "B" seat "73" from Leeds to London King. Note: "Penalty for unauthorized removal of this label L 200". ;-o 

Journal Entry 5 by wingbook-man-8wing from Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Saturday, February 16, 2008

7 out of 10

Quite an enjoyable book. I liked the permanent switch between past and present. Another interesting piece in my "australian puzzle".
 

Journal Entry 6 by wingbook-man-8wing at Post office in -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Saturday, February 16, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Released 4 yrs ago (2/18/2008 UTC) at Post office in -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Baden-Württemberg Germany

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

The book is off to Hong Kong. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 7 by scrutiny on Monday, February 25, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Arrived! Can't wait to read it! 

Journal Entry 8 by scrutiny on Monday, February 25, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Arrived! Can't wait to read it! 

Journal Entry 9 by scrutiny on Friday, March 28, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Didn't manage to finish it, but I sent it on a few days ago, so as not to hold up the ring! 

Journal Entry 10 by LindyLouMac from Viterbo, Lazio Italy on Monday, April 14, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Thankyou scrutiny for sending this on to me and to Vroomfondel for letting me join after I read AnglersRest's review on Livejournal. It arrived safely today. I notice in the JE that you did not finish it scrutiny, due to not wanting to hold it up. What a shame!
As I am last in the ray, would you like me to send it back to you when I have finished it?

I will also offer this to my husband to read as he has similar tastes to book-man-8 whom I have just noticed has also read this one! 

Journal Entry 11 by LindyLouMac from Viterbo, Lazio Italy on Monday, June 09, 2008

6 out of 10

This is the biographical story of Charles Todd, the man who successfully managed to connect Australia with other continents by taking the telegraph across its interior and Alice Todd his wife who gave her name to the famous Alice Springs. Written by Alice Thomson their great great granddaughter it is also partly a travel story as in 1997 she and her husband retrace the steps that the Todd’s had taken over a hundred years previously.
She vividly describes the trials and tribulations of these Victorian explorer’s and those of her and her husband. In crossing some of the most isolated and hazardous terrain in the world, they discover that some parts of the Australian outback have changed little since Victorian times. Even with all modern day advantages to help them it was still not and easy task in modern times.

It was an amazing feat that these pioneers achieved and Alice’s account made me realise just how much this was so!

My husband read and enjoyed as well. This is travelling to an Australian Bookcrossing friend of mine, currently studying at Oxford University as a RABCK. 

Journal Entry 12 by LindyLouMac at By mail in Another BookCrosser, RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, June 14, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (6/16/2008 UTC) at By mail in Another BookCrosser, RABCK -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

En route to Bookcrossing friend Mochagirl 

Journal Entry 13 by Mochagirl from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, June 21, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Received as a wonderful RABCK from LindyLouMac - thanks very much!
I won't get a chance to read it for a few days, as a bookring book came in at the same time, but I'll journal it again once I've read it. 

Journal Entry 14 by Mochagirl at Kaffe & Krem, Vika in -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Monday, August 18, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (8/18/2008 UTC) at Kaffe & Krem, Vika in -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at a meet-up tonight. 

Journal Entry 15 by Mochagirl from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, August 18, 2008

7 out of 10

I really enjoyed this book - I found the style a bit stultified at times (because of the non-fiction effect, I think - that is, there are some things that must be included but maybe make the narrative a bit strange), but it was really interesting. 

Journal Entry 16 by wingJannikewing from -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Monday, August 18, 2008

This book has not been rated.

I got this book from Mochagirl at the meet-up in Oslo today. 

Journal Entry 17 by wingJannikewing from -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Sunday, May 03, 2009

6 out of 10

I think the author has succeeded in giving us the feeling of how life was in Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century, and what an enormous task it was to manage to establish the telegraph line.
I will bring the book to our next meet-up in Oslo. It is reserved for Lunacia. 

Journal Entry 18 by wingJannikewing at -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Monday, May 04, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (5/3/2009 UTC) at -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Given to LeishaCamden. She will pass it on to Lunacia. 

Journal Entry 19 by LeishaCamden from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Wednesday, May 06, 2009

This book has not been rated.

The book is with me. It looks interesting, I will read it as soon as I can. May take a while though as I have, ahem, a few other books waiting to be read too ... ;-)

Thanks!! 



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