ABC Country Project. The Fatal Shore discusses the transportation of British felons to Australia & represents the start of its European colonization. Well-written, accessible but DENSE. I learned a lot - about British penal system, the development of longitude and latitude - & was reminded of the dire poverty in England. This book is 603 pages but my interest was 300 pages. I read up to pg 176 & then began to skim. Good intro; I cannot rate.