Böcker av James Grant

"This is a very timely book, as it addresses not only why there is a deepening moral abyss in this country, but also considers what Australia needs to do to avoid the pitfalls of other Western countries.Unlike many armchair theorists or disheartened clerics, the author has spent a lifetime at the coal face. He is therefore uniquely placed to understand why many denominations seek the wrong zeitgeist solutions to the religious inertia, apathy and disinterest which are threatening to overwhelm both churches and communities."

In 1800-2 the naval officer James Grant (1772-1833) sailed to Australia on board the Lady Nelson, a surveying ship that was the first in England to be built on the sliding-keel principle. In this 1803 publication, Grant assesses the merits of the design and documents various teething problems experienced during the voyage from England to Australia. He describes his stay at Cape Town, and his favourable impression of the living standard of the deported convicts at Sydney, which he found better than that of poor people in England. Grant records his experiences on the coast of New South Wales, his encounters with the Aborigines there, and the presence of coal deposits on the Hunter River, and even reports that the cabra grub is 'no bad apology for a better meal'. He also describes his return journey via Cape Horn, during which he was becalmed in the South Atlantic.

James Grant was an influential early Victorian journalist and newspaper editor. He published two books about London in 1838, and this two-volume work from 1839 was intended as a sequel. It reflects upon places, events, and people, mixing general observations and intricate detail. Volume 1 focuses on central London.