Killing for Country: David Marr in-conversation with Lyndall Ryan

A gripping reckoning with the bloody history of Australia's frontier wars.

David Marr was shocked to discover forebears who served with the brutal Native Police in the bloodiest years on the frontier. Killing for Country is the result – a soul-searching Australian history.

This is a richly detailed saga of politics and power in the colonial world – of land seized, fortunes made and lost, and the violence let loose as squatters and their allies fought for possession of the country – a war still unresolved in today's Australia.

"This book is more than a personal reckoning with Marr's forebears and their crimes. It is an account of an Australian war fought here in our own country, with names, dates, crimes, body counts and the ghastly, remorseless views of the 'settlers'. Thank you, David."—Marcia Langton

David Marr has written for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian and The Monthly, and has served as editor of The National Times, reporter for Four Corners and presenter of ABC TV's Media Watch. His books include Patrick White: A Life, The High Price of Heaven, Dark Victory (with Marian Wilkinson), Panic and six bestselling Quarterly Essays: His Master's Voice, Power Trip, Political Animal, The Prince, Faction Man and The White Queen. His most recent book is My Country.

Professor Emerita Lyndall Ryan AM, FAHA, University of Newcastle is the lead Chief Investigator in the ground-breaking digital map project, colonial frontier massacres in Australia 1788-1930. https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres.  She is the author of 3 books on the history of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and co-editor of 2 books on frontier violence. In 2023 she is Australia’s leading expert on colonial frontier massacres and their significance in understanding frontier violence in Australia’s colonial history.