{"product_id":"burke-and-wills-isbn-9780733640797","title":"Burke and Wills","description":"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe iconic Australian exploration story - brought to life by Peter FitzSimons, Australia's storyteller.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e'They  have left here today!' he calls to the others. When King puts his hand  down above the ashes of the fire, it is to find it still hot. There is  even a tiny flame flickering from the end of one log. They must have  left just hours ago.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMELBOURNE, 20 AUGUST 1860. In an  ambitious quest to be the first Europeans to cross the harsh Australian  continent, the Victorian Exploring Expedition sets off, farewelled by  15,000 cheering well-wishers. Led by Robert O'Hara Burke, a brave man  totally lacking in the bush skills necessary for his task; surveyor and  meteorologist William Wills; and 17 others, the expedition took 20 tons  of equipment carried on six wagons, 23 horses and 26 camels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlmost  immediately plagued by disputes and sackings, the expeditioners battled  the extremes of the Australian landscape and weather: its deserts, the  boggy mangrove swamps of the Gulf, the searing heat and flooding rains.  Food ran short and, unable to live off the land, the men nevertheless  mostly spurned the offers of help from the local Indigenous people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn  desperation, leaving the rest of the party at the expedition's depot on  Coopers Creek, Burke, Wills, Charley Gray and John King made a dash for  the Gulf in December 1860. Bad luck and bad management would see them  miss by just hours a rendezvous back at Coopers Creek, leaving them  stranded in the wilderness with practically no supplies. Only King  survived to tell the tale.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet, despite their tragic fates, the  names of Burke and Wills have become synonymous with perseverance and  bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. They live on in our nation's  history - and their story remains immediate and compelling.","brand":"Hachette Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44892062417125,"sku":"NP9780733640797","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/10fa48d8-7c56-4b15-a91c-ab00002a6011.jpg?v=1767843494","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/burke-and-wills-isbn-9780733640797","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}