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'Martin John Bryant slipped into the world in the autumn of 1967, blond, blue eyed, angelic. On a sunny Sunday 29 years later, Carleen and Maurice Bryant's beloved first-born loaded the boot of his yellow Volvo with guns and ammunition and returned to Tasmania's historic Port Arthur settlement, scene of many idyllic childhood summers. There, the young man with the striking surfie hair and mesmeric eyes, calmly shot 35 people dead and injured another 21. His crime, the world's worst killing spree by a lone gunman, horrified the nation and changed Australia forever.
'Thirteen years on, Robert Wainwright and Paola Totaro, both senior news writers, delve backwards over five generations and across two hemispheres to unravel the complete story of Bryant's life and reveal why he committed this heinous crime. They have uncovered Bryant's family history, spoken to his mother, his psychiatrists, lawyer and others who knew him, to piece together the story of eccentric and disparate characters whose lives intersected - with catastrophic results. From Bryant's shocking behind-the-scenes confessions to his own 11th-hour attempt to turn back, this book asks if the Port Arthur massacre could have been prevented. And explains why it could happen again.' (Publisher's blurb)
Notes
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Dedication: To our parents: Rae and Arthur, Mariella and Paolo. The beginning of all possibilities.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Whose Line Is It Anyway? The Murderer, His Mother, and the Ghost Writers
2016
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Conversation , 27 April 2016; 'This is a story about stories. Who writes them. Who owns them and what happens when the two things get muddled. It’s a story about true stories, life stories, stories written by amateurs and professionals. It sounds a warning to the growing number of readers who aspire to publish their own memoirs, and those who write the lives of others.' (Introduction) -
The Monster at the End of the Book
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Quadrant , July-August vol. 53 no. 7-8 2009; (p. 65-67)
— Review of Born or Bred? Martin Bryant : The Making of a Mass Murderer 2009 single work biography -
Quarantined!
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , July-August no. 313 2009; (p. 66)
— Review of Born or Bred? Martin Bryant : The Making of a Mass Murderer 2009 single work biography -
Pick of the Week
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 23-24 May 2009; (p. 31)
— Review of Born or Bred? Martin Bryant : The Making of a Mass Murderer 2009 single work biography
-
Pick of the Week
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 23-24 May 2009; (p. 31)
— Review of Born or Bred? Martin Bryant : The Making of a Mass Murderer 2009 single work biography -
Quarantined!
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , July-August no. 313 2009; (p. 66)
— Review of Born or Bred? Martin Bryant : The Making of a Mass Murderer 2009 single work biography -
The Monster at the End of the Book
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Quadrant , July-August vol. 53 no. 7-8 2009; (p. 65-67)
— Review of Born or Bred? Martin Bryant : The Making of a Mass Murderer 2009 single work biography -
Whose Line Is It Anyway? The Murderer, His Mother, and the Ghost Writers
2016
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Conversation , 27 April 2016; 'This is a story about stories. Who writes them. Who owns them and what happens when the two things get muddled. It’s a story about true stories, life stories, stories written by amateurs and professionals. It sounds a warning to the growing number of readers who aspire to publish their own memoirs, and those who write the lives of others.' (Introduction)