Marked by the events of the Great Flood of 1893 and the formation of the first miners' unions, Over My Dead Body is an Australian epic; a literary feat exemplifying a writer's craftsmanship and dedication to bringing history alive. It puts Australia's current resource-driven prosperity into context by showing the day to day struggles of ordinary workers just trying to get by for themselves and their families at a time when the individual was virtually powerless against the arrogance of his employer, and expendable if work-related illness overtook him. With panoramic themes reminiscent of Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, this thoroughly researched, award-winning retrospective certainly reminds us of the important place unions have earned in today's society.