The incredible true story of the Tham Laung Thai cave rescue of a boys’ soccer team trapped for days with no supplies and decreasing oxygen levels. From joint Australians of the Year Richard Harris and Craig Challen. Now in a special edition for young readers.

A young readers’ edition of the incredible true story of the Tham Luang Thai cave rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team. Portrayed in the major motion picture Thirteen Lives directed by Ron Howard and starring Colin Farrell, Viggo Mortensen and Chris Hemsworth, and in the National Geographic documentary, The Rescue.

In June 2018, for seventeen days, the world watched and held its breath as the Wild Boars soccer team were trapped deep in a cave in Thailand. Marooned beyond flooded cave passages after unexpected rains, they were finally rescued, one-by-one, against almost impossible odds, by an international cave-diving team that included Australians Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris and Dr Craig Challen.

Harry and Craig were chosen for their medical expertise and cave diving knowledge, but this dangerous rescue asked so much more of them. They had to remain calm under extreme pressure and intense scrutiny, adapt to constantly changing circumstances and, most importantly, build trust among the rescue team and with the young boys and their coach, whose lives were in their hands.

An astonishing and moving story of courage, determination and compassion told by two Aussie heroes, who were made joint Australians of the Year for their key role in the rescue.

This Young Readers’ edition has been specially edited and condensed for a younger audience and includes new maps and diagrams explaining the rescue as well as photographs, a timeline and glossary, and a new introduction especially for young readers written by the two authors.

Captain Thunderbolt was known as the ‘gentleman bushranger’. He didn’t like violence, was always polite, and even paid back most of the money he stole. In Captain Thunderbolt’s Recital, author Jane Jolly retells the true tale of one of the bushranger’s most famous robberies with comic effect. When Thunderbolt held up Wirth’s German brass band, he took their money, asked them to play some music for him and promised to pay the money back. Sure enough, when the men returned home, there was a postal order waiting for them, with the exact amount he had stolen.

Illustrations by Liz Duthie perfectly capture the funny text, bringing to life the quirky band members as well as the impish Captain Thunderbolt. Captain Thunderbolt was known as the ‘gentleman bushranger’. He didn’t like violence, was always polite, and even paid back most of the money he stole. In Captain Thunderbolt’s Recital, author Jane Jolly retells the true tale of one of the bushranger’s most famous robberies with comic effect. When Thunderbolt held up Wirth’s German brass band, he took their money, asked them to play some music for him and promised to pay the money back. Sure enough, when the men returned home, there was a postal order waiting for them, with the exact amount he had stolen.

Illustrations by Liz Duthie perfectly capture the funny text, bringing to life the quirky band members as well as the impish Captain Thunderbolt.