San Francisco, 1856. Irish-born James ‘Yankee’ Sullivan is being held in jail by the Committee of Vigilance, which aims to rout the Australian criminals from the town. As Sullivan’s mistress, seeks his release and as his fellow prisoners are taken away to be hanged, the convict tells a story of triumph and tragedy: of his daring escape from penal servitude in Australia; how he became America’s most celebrated boxer; and how he met the true love of his life.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
The Sawdust House is well-written and researched novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations of Yankee Sullivan. I felt I was living in the 1800s whilst reading the novel. Anna, VIC, 5 Stars
I enjoyed this book as it was conversationalist and often the prisoner that was being interviewed would direct the conversation to the interviewer. I think the Author has done well with this fictional tale, a fantastic read and I look forward to reading more of his books. Annette, NSW, 5 Stars
The Sawdust House is David Whish-Wilson’s fictional work based on the historical realities and consequences of convict transportation in the mid 1800’s. James ‘Yankee’ Sullivan was an Irish convict sent to the penal colony of Australia, where he suffered the brutalities of the system. He survived, but how and at what subsequent cost? Packed with historically correct information, the back story is engaging and The Sawdust House gives justice to the man who was James Sullivan as well as many others of similar background and journeys. The sharpness of the author’s prose in the eloquently descriptive sentences and passages is striking, with every word having a purpose and depth of meaning. It is a story to ponder as you read; read slowly and reread in places to experience the fullness of the author’s use of language and meaning. As one of many Australian descendants of an Irish convict, the story’s resonance was deep and meaningful. The wonder of sliding door moments in history; the robustness of subjugated ancestors to survive the horrors inflicted upon them in a place and time embodied in a dearth of humanity is thought provoking. This work is a reverent depiction of our history. Merilyn, WA, 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. It is unusual in its format, but once used to that it is easy to read. I learnt a lot about Australians in San Francisco in the 1800’s, and although a tragic story, it is also a story of strength and success. It reminds us of the cruelty suffered by prisoners sent to Australia from England, both on board ship and when they arrived, for very minor ‘crimes’. A book I couldn’t put down, about an important man in our history, whom I’d not heard of before. I hope many people will read this book and learn about Yankee Sullivan, an amazingly strong man, who was Australia’s first International Sports star. Highly recommend it. Margaret, SA, 5 Stars
It took me awhile to get into the story and the style in which was written but I was soon thoroughly engrossed in the story and couldn’t put it down. Very impressed with the way I felt the characters and their stories. A great read and would highly recommend to anyone interested in stories from the past. Cara, TAS, 5 Stars
Have been taking the book with me to work to even read at lunch time break as I didn’t want to stop reading. Such a different style of writing that I really enjoyed. Great in-depth descriptions of characters and places and the time period the book was set. Loved the change in using punctuation, page breaks and colour of paper to indicate different sections. A very clever style of writing that is engaging, and a great story. Definitely can recommend reading. Emma, VIC, 4 Stars
This is an enthralling read of gritty determination and graphic cruelty. The story is about ‘Yankee Sullivan’ who was an exceptional bare-knuckle fighter who won many fights in Australia, America and England. ‘Yankee Sullivan’ was also a convict. Life for the poor in Ireland and England in the 19th century was extraordinarily difficult. Crime was a means of surviving for some. Three strikes for a ‘criminal’ and the fate was either death or transportation to Australia. ‘The Sawdust House’ details a shameful past of ill treatment and violence. I found the portrayal of life in Ireland, England, on the convict ships, in Australia and then New York and San Francisco shocking but authentic. The book is well researched. It took me a little while to adjust to the chapters reverting between authors but once I found my rhythm this styling added to the drama of the story telling. The language as used in the 1800s was another tool which helped to place me in the historical context. I recommend this book as entertaining, compelling and educational. Sandra, ACT, 4 Stars
Initially it took me a while to get into this book, particularly due to the writing style, however once I understood the writer’s approach I had trouble putting it down. I found the book was a great history lesson, particularly to learn about “public seats at hospital autopsies”. I would love to see this book in a movie form. Thank you Better Reading for allowing me to review this book. Angela, QLD, 4 Stars
The Sawdust House by David Whish-Wilson is a powerful narrative based on fact. It is the story of James “Yankee” Sullivan, a man born in Ireland who moved to England with his family. After a minor offence, he was deported as a very young convict to Australia and then found his way to America where he became a world champion bare knuckle fighter. Whilst in a prison in San Francisco, James recounts his amazing life story of triumph and tragedy to Thomas Crane, a newspaperman. Thomas is also trying to ascertain what happened to his missing father. To be honest, I didn’t find the book very easy to read, particularly the parts of James’s treatment as a convict and the newspaper articles. Additionally, there was often a separate page for each dialogue which was a little confusing at first. I definitely would recommend it for lovers of historical fiction. It was well-researched and reading through the dialogue, I felt as though I were back in the time of convicts, so well done to the author for his ability to portray true-to-life storytelling. Thank you Better Reading Preview program for the opportunity to read and review this book. Christine, QLD, 4 Stars
This was an intriguing and captivating novel by David Whish-Wilson. It’s a great read of historical fiction set in convict-era Australia. I enjoyed being led along the journey of James Sullivan from criminal to celebrated sportsman. I have already lent this to my dad who has read it almost quicker than I did! Tess, QLD, 4 Stars
1856 San Francisco. Bare-knuckle fighter James Sullivan comes to life in his life story as being recounted to newspaper man Thomas Crane. Via his birth in Ireland to his extremely shocking and hard time of servitude in Australia, and his constant break outs, this man was not scared of anything. We feel the alcohol of brewery houses and the stench of rotting flesh in the sun, and the images of his many whippings in the full Australian sun. Even the Americans on their own soil bearing witness to his damaged bare back could not believe their eyes, even when being full to the brim of booze. This writing is full of emotion, angst, melancholy, and longing. A fictional account of a real man, a man I knew nothing of until now. Given this careful and important retelling, I also learned of a sport and of a man and of the way convicts were treated. The research was evident; this must have been a labour of love. A slow to burn story, the slang and every day speech sounded to me to be exactly of the era, and the lack of quotation marks worked surprisingly well for me. Historical fiction fans will love this; the research and care bestowed will be rewarded. Suzanne, NSW, 4 Stars
Having never heard of James Yankee Sullivan and being slightly averse to the sport of boxing, I approached the reading of this book with some reticence. But the story drew me in immediately! Written in an interesting format, often with just a few words on each page, David Whish-Wilson has told us the embellished story of this remarkable pugilist with empathy and understanding of the old way of speaking. James Sullivan has suffered a life of torture, but tells his remarkable story to Thomas Crane, a young newspaperman seeking to impress. Escaping many times from custody, and being recaptured and punished accordingly, brutally actually, James is hardened but determined. He meets some interesting characters in his short life, and his descriptions of these men and women take us all along for the ride. He relates his story of his escape from Australia and how he came to be one of America’s most celebrated boxers to Mr Crane over the course of five days, whilst awaiting his fate at the gallows. Hopefully David Whish-Wilson can dig up some more fascinating characters that we haven’t heard about and tell their tale in the same entertaining way as he has written about James ‘Yankee’ Sullivan. Di, NSW, 4 Stars
You know it’s a good book when you read the characters in their accents. This was such a raw, historical telling of Yankee’s life! It was a true journey through it all. The layout of the narration is unique and a clever way to distinguish between the characters. I was rooting for Yankee from the minute I met him. It’s an incredibly well researched and written story. Mercury, NSW, 4 Stars
The Sawdust House tells the story of noted pugilist Yankee Sullivan, set in gold rush era San Francisco. I’ll start by saying the author has a complex writing style, he is a storyteller and it is clear he has put much thought into telling the story of Yankee Sullivan. For this reason The Sawdust House deserves more praise than I will give it. Each passage within the chapters moves between Sullivan, the newspaperman and Sullivan’s wife. I found this style punctuated key moments in the story well. Each character had their own distinctive voice, I did lose track of who I was reading from time to time but that was my concentration and not the fault of the author. My only criticism comes from personal taste. At times I found the story too much, too graphic. If you have an interest in colonial history and boxing ignore this criticism because it will be right up your alley. There were sections I read to get through them and found myself putting the book down to pause from time to time. Yankee Sullivan himself was a real person and the author’s note about finding that the informal history perseveres through boxing lore was interesting and connected me more with the story. Amelia, VIC, 4 Stars
Unique writing! David Whish-Wilson truly takes the reader on a journey back into history with his writing in The Sawdust House. The author places the reader in first row seats as you transcend back in time following the life story of James “Yankee” Sullivan as recorded by newspaper writer Thomas Crane. I must admit, I needed patience to begin with, to get used to the authors use of historical terms and words, the reward was a true feeling of being back in history. A unique Australian talent well worth a read. Keith, VIC, 4 Stars
This historical fiction novel which provides a story of resilience and courage and demonstrates the class differences of the 1800’s and has its own power. Whilst I can see the research and detail that David Whish-Wilson has placed into this book, I personally found the conversational style of the novel to occasionally make it hard to differentiate the perspectives that you were reading. But overall content of the novel was interesting and enjoyable. David, TAS, 3 Stars
The Sawdust House tells the true story of James Sullivan. The story is told through conversations between the boxer and the journalist Tom Crane. This book would make a great Fathers Day present. Anne, VIC, 3 Stars
The Sawdust House is a strong work of historical fiction that slowly pulls you in and takes you on a interesting journey through the life of James “Yankee” Sullivan. What a read, I really enjoyed the poetic way The Sawdust House is written however the conversational interview style of writing had me pause at times and it took until about a quarter of the way into the book to get used to the writing style. I recommend reading The Sawdust House for anyone who wants to be transported into that dark and dingy prison cell as Yankee writes about his triumphs and tragedies. Simone, WA, 3 Stars
The Sawdust House is a fictionalised story of the real life boxer James “Yankee” Sullivan. In 1856 in San Francisco, Sullivan is in prison awaiting sentence by the Committee of Vigilance whose aim is to rid America of Australian criminals. To this committee, just being Australian is enough to be considered a criminal! Newspaperman Thomas Crane is set the task of interviewing Sullivan to ascertain his story. The book covers five days of interviews during which Sullivan gradually shares his story – from his early years in Ireland, the family move to London, his transportation to Australia (and the eight years of servitude there), before he manages to escape to America. Here, he eventually manages to realise his dream of owning The Sawdust House, a small public house. Eventually though, he falls foul of the Committee of Vigilance and his life takes an abrupt downward slide. Whish-Wilson’s writing style is unusual and took a little getting used to. Each chapter (some only a sentence long), is told in the first person, alternating between Sullivan and Crane. Elva, QLD, 3 Stars
The Sawdust House is a uniquely presented narrative on the introduction of pugilism in American society. The author has given in-depth descriptions of events while leaving a sense of intrigue about the true identity of the pugilist. While it was an interesting read, I found the formatting difficult. While the interview style itself isn’t bad, not knowing who was talking and having clear changes in this was confusing at times. Lauren, QLD, 3 Stars
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