An essential collection of Henry Lawson's best-loved stories.

Rogues, larrikins and the lost people - these timeless stories range from inspired, laconic comedies to pathos and tragedy. this selection showcases Lawson's range as a fiction writer and highlights his profound influence on how Australians see themselves. Here are delightful tales, thrilling tales, tales of love, of strife and of adventure, tales full of humour - stories of every mood, all alive with the magic of Lawson's genius, a genius which ranks with that of the world's greatest short-story writers. Includes 'the Drover's Wife', 'the Union Buries Its Dead' and 'the Loaded Dog'.

'Lawson's genius remains as vivid and human as when he first boiled his literary billy' - the Bulletin

'A book of honest, direct, sympathetic, humorous writing about Australia from within is worth a library of travellers' tales ... the result is a real book - a book in a hundred. His language is terse, supple, and richly idiomatic. He can tell a yarn with the best.' - the Academy on While the Billy Boils