The True Adventures of John Nicol

I'm on a bit of a history jag at the moment. I've just finished Sian Rees The Floating Brothel (about the Second Fleet) and I've started on Escape from Botany Bay. All because of Julian Bruere's magnificent The True Adventures of John Nicol. A unique book, a new sort of a book, a black and white picture book in chapters and something of a graphic novel at the same time. The words are John Nicol's real words from before the mast in the late 18th and early 19th century. This is the voice of the past in its own words. And the illustrations are truly gorgeous. This book has been four years in the making and it has been a long and sometime torturous road but Julian deserves the credit for staying the course and producing something so sumptuous. It's due out in July - watch out for it. A simple read for readers of all ages. I'll put one of Julian amazing illustrations up on this blog as soon as I figure out how.