By Annie Rixon
Printed for the author by Edwards & Shaw, Sydney

Author's note on the bottom of the contents page. "Much expense and trouble has been incurred in the compilation of material for this correct version of the Thunderbolt story...."

Several versions of this book were written over the years. It was first produced in 1940 under the title "The Truth about Captain Thunderbolt, Australia's 'Robin Hood' " with subsequent editions published in 1947, 1952, and 1960 under the title "Captain Thunderbolt". The books vary in length from about 158 pages in the 1940 edition, to the edition I am currently reviewing a book of 248 pages.

This book is again, an excellently written "novel" on the life of Thunderbolt, "a novel" combining both fact and fiction. Unfortunately throughout the book there is much more fiction than there is fact. In the original version I read, of the 158 pages I actually found provable errors on 154 pages. This edition has been increased to 248 pages and again there are provable errors on nearly every page.

In the first few chapters the author sets the scene of the friendship between Fred Britten, Dick Dalton (who went on to become a policeman), Fred Ward and his younger sister Joan in the Windsor area during their school years together and in their late teens and early 20's and especially of Fred Britten's romance with Fred Ward's sister Joan. These 4 people feature together throughtout this book. However further research shows three interesting points. Firstly, that the Ward family left Windsor/Wilberforce in the early 1840's when Fred Ward was approximately 10 years old and he did not meet Fred Britten again until they were in jail together in Cockatoo Island in 1862/63, secondly that Fred Britten and his family went to Hobart town early in his teens, and thirdly that Fred Ward never had a younger sister Joan. The police gazette of 14/10/1863, p. 307 shows " Brittain is a native of Hobart Town; a labourer , 25 years of age........"( note the incorrect spelling of Fred Britten in the police records.)

Annie Rixon claims on page 30 that "Fred Britten and Fred Ward were caught droving cattle, in the direction of Maitland, that had been stolen and were dealt with in the court the next day and both sentenced to seven years jail to be served on Cockatoo Island." This is total fabrication as Ward and Britten, even though they had known each other as young school children, and did not meet again until they were together in Cockatoo Island in 1862/3, several years later during Ward's second term on the Island. Ward having been returned to jail for failing to attend muster at Mudgee, and Britten for holding up a stage coach near Bathurst. Despite Annie Rixon's attempts to place Fred Britten in the various activities throughout the story, in fact, Fred Ward and Fred Britten were together only for a few weeks after they both escaped together from Cockatoo Island with the assistance of Mary Ann. When Fred Britten used a gun to shoot at the police at Split Rock Uralla, they separated on Fred Ward's insistence. Fred Britten left for the Wagga Wagga area. In the early 1940's I was shown a grave in St Mathew's C of E Church cemetery in Windsor, where, it was claimed, Fred Britten was buried in late 1868 having died in Windsor from Tuberculosis

The entire book of Annie Rixon's, as it is written, is an excellently written "fabrication" with little truth within the pages. While there are many stories within the novel that share a basis of truth, I have pointed out just a few of the more obvious and provable errors. However throughout the book the incorrect participants in the events as Rixon writes her version of the story become quite laughable and the provable errors are too numerous to go on with. They occur in nearly every page throughout the book. While the book is an excellent "fictional novel" I would not recommend it as reference material, to anyone doing a genuine historical study of the life of Thunderbolt or of the history of Bushranging in Australia.

The book under all its various names is out of print but for those interested in following up on the "Thunderbolt story", it can be found in the better libraries, particularly in the Uralla Library.

If you are lucky enought to find a copy to buy, expect to pay around $300 for the book.