Hell West and Crooked

This is a great true story about a 17-year-old English kid who becomes an Australian cowboy, horse breaker, buffalo and croc hunter, etc. in the 1920s and 30s. Those guys lived a hard life that made our early west trail drivers look like sissies. He was born in 1906 so is probably gone by now. Although my name is the same you can bet it wasn't me.

Tom Cole reveals the Northern Territory of Australia in all its untamed and raw delights. Amazingly we had barely encroached on this area just 50 years ago, a fact he bears witness to. He passed away just a few years ago, but left us several good books before he departed. This one relates the story of his life as a stockman (cowboy) and croc hunter, of the people & cattle stations which began to spread across the territory, and attests to the difficulty in establishing their viability.

Tom Cole was a larger than life true blue Australian adventurer--crocodile hunter, horse-breaker,buffalo-shooter,ranch manager and explorer.His autobiography is written with great humor.It is set in the last true frontier--the Australian outback.A marvellous book.

It is pleasing that one can still escape to different times and different settings to the environment we city dwellers live in today. Tom Cole gives us a no nonsense insight into a remarkable life of buffalo and crocodile hunting.