The author, a keen bibliophile, has selected 42 books which he believes represents the principal primary source of information concerning the Tasmanian Aborigines.

Detailed bibliographic descriptions are provided for each book together with biographical summaries of each author. Then, in chronological sequence, the content of each book is carefully examined with special emphasis on how it has contributed to our corpus of knowledge of the world's most primitive and isolated stone-age people. Frequent use is made of direct quotation from the original source. The book also contains an introductory description of the Tasmanian Aborigines (with a time line of important events) and a number of illustrations and tables supplement the text.