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Bad Ground: Inside the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue
Bad Ground is the exclusive, authorised story of the 14-day entombment and rescue of Beaconsfield miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell and the fascinating aftermath. The blast and rock fall which occurred one kilometre underground on Anzac Day, 25 April 2006, killed their fellow worker, Larry Knight, leaving their shift manager certain they were dead. Tony Wright's enthralling, often spine-chilling narrative begins with a masterfully rendered portrait of the small Tasmanian mining township where the drama unfolded, a township that revealed its deepest secrets to him. Full of portent, Bad Ground reads like a psychological thriller as it follows the many intriguing and moving developments surrounding its central characters and their families, above ground and deep below. Russell and Webb, who were wary colleagues before becoming trapped in a cramped and crushed cage, share explicit details of their gruelling 14-day ordeal. They give an uncensored account of the darkest first five days during which little hope was held finding them, dead or alive, and the profoundly changed world they re-joined when rescued via the tunnel that served as their lifeline for nine agonisingly slow days. Bad Ground sets a new standard for this genre. Beautifully crafted, complex and, in parts, explosive, in the finest storytelling tradition, Tony Wright has written a compelling yarn that will stay with you long after the event itself has been forgotten.
- GenresNonfiction
351 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2007
About the author
Tony Wright
3 booksTony Wright is a national affairs editor of the Bulletin. Before that he was a chief political correspondent of the Melbourne Age.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 21, 2018
Excellent book! True story of miners trapped one kilometre underground for 14 days ... and rescued. Well written, reads like a novel, a real page-turner. Happened in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia.
4 Stars = It touched my heart, and/or gave me much food for thought.
4 Stars = It touched my heart, and/or gave me much food for thought.
April 5, 2013
I've always wanted to know more about this true story. Like many Australians, I watched with baited breath all the news updates regarding the rescue of these two men, mourned the loss of Larry Knight and Richard Carlton. This was a great book, but I wish some parts of it had been cut; the author loves going off the subject, giving us random poems about Mako sharks, random descriptions where none were necessary, and in depth background stories about characters when ll I wanted to do was read about Brant and Todd and their families. Apart from that, the book was really good, so five stars anyway!
March 19, 2012
An Australian friend sent me this for Christmas a few years ago, and I got right into it and couldn't put it down!!! What a truly amazing true life story!! It really puts the reader right into the mine with those men who survived the incredibly terrifying conditions. The language is rough and tough at times, and the descriptions are graphic, but here that's all part of the realism of the story. This is a man's book through and through, not for the faint of heart. I would recommend it very highly for anyone who wants an awesome true life survival epic.
October 20, 2017
crazy story but hard to understand really as I don't know anything about mining
June 20, 2018
Australia as a whole is immensely proud of the work of rescuers in this absolutely amazing event. This book provides the background that more than justifies that pride. Again I found the physical format of this book made reading somewhat unpleasant but well worth the perseverance.
April 29, 2012
‘Gold is that most treacherous combination: beautiful and rare.’
On the 25th of April 2006, at 9.26 pm, a small earthquake at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine caused a rock fall. Fourteen miners escaped, one miner, Larry Knight, was killed and two other miners, Brant Webb and Todd Russell, were trapped for two weeks.
This book tells the story of the rescue, as well as some history of the gold mining operation at Beaconsfield where gold was first discovered in 1847. The gold mine was closed in 1914 because of regular flooding, and was re-opened in 1999. The mine is currently slated to close at the end of June 2012 because it is not viable to mine below the current depth (1210 metres) at current gold prices.
This book is primarily about the men who were trapped and their rescue and was first published in late 2006, well before the coroner’s report into Larry Knight’s death was released. And so the focus is on the emotion and drama after the rock fall, rather than a detailed analysis of the events and practices before the disaster. A telemovie has been made about the event, and it was viewing that a few days ago that prompted me to (finally) read this book.
‘In the deepest dark…’
It’s a moving and courageous story: mine workers and paramedics willingly risked their own lives to save Brant Webb and Todd Russell. It was a rescue accompanied by risk, to both the two trapped men and those who were attempting the rescue.
I read the book with very mixed emotions. I enjoyed the way that Tony Wright provided background information about the mine, the community of Beaconsfield and the people involved. This information was (quite rightly) not part of the intensive media coverage given at the time, but it is important – six years after the tragedy – in understanding how the rescue was undertaken. In reading the book, I had a greater appreciation of the risks involved in the rescue, and nothing but admiration for those involved in what was a complex and difficult rescue. So many courageous people, so many extraordinary acts involved in assembling the right people, and getting the right equipment to Beaconsfield. So much joy when Brant Webb and Todd Russell walked out at the end of their ordeal, tempered with sadness for the death of Larry Knight.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On the 25th of April 2006, at 9.26 pm, a small earthquake at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine caused a rock fall. Fourteen miners escaped, one miner, Larry Knight, was killed and two other miners, Brant Webb and Todd Russell, were trapped for two weeks.
This book tells the story of the rescue, as well as some history of the gold mining operation at Beaconsfield where gold was first discovered in 1847. The gold mine was closed in 1914 because of regular flooding, and was re-opened in 1999. The mine is currently slated to close at the end of June 2012 because it is not viable to mine below the current depth (1210 metres) at current gold prices.
This book is primarily about the men who were trapped and their rescue and was first published in late 2006, well before the coroner’s report into Larry Knight’s death was released. And so the focus is on the emotion and drama after the rock fall, rather than a detailed analysis of the events and practices before the disaster. A telemovie has been made about the event, and it was viewing that a few days ago that prompted me to (finally) read this book.
‘In the deepest dark…’
It’s a moving and courageous story: mine workers and paramedics willingly risked their own lives to save Brant Webb and Todd Russell. It was a rescue accompanied by risk, to both the two trapped men and those who were attempting the rescue.
I read the book with very mixed emotions. I enjoyed the way that Tony Wright provided background information about the mine, the community of Beaconsfield and the people involved. This information was (quite rightly) not part of the intensive media coverage given at the time, but it is important – six years after the tragedy – in understanding how the rescue was undertaken. In reading the book, I had a greater appreciation of the risks involved in the rescue, and nothing but admiration for those involved in what was a complex and difficult rescue. So many courageous people, so many extraordinary acts involved in assembling the right people, and getting the right equipment to Beaconsfield. So much joy when Brant Webb and Todd Russell walked out at the end of their ordeal, tempered with sadness for the death of Larry Knight.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
April 27, 2016
(Audiobook) One of those books that you can't put down. 10 years after this disaster, the story returned to the media and I had to purchase this book. I remember during the incident being glued to the TV waiting like all of Australia asking "are they out yet, are they out yet?" A lot of the community couldn't understand why this rescue took so long. This book tells it as it was in great detail, giving the reader the intimidate knowledge of the delicate operation it was. We all knew how terrifying it would've been for the trapped men. However this story gives us the insight into the constant torture they also experienced 1 km underground. We also hear about the rescuers and what fear, courage, strain and anguish they were under to rescue the men. The people who put their heads together to get the men out of their predicament did a remarkable job.
September 23, 2015
Like most of us, I watched this true story evolve on the news, I then visited the Beaconsfield mine and finally listened to this ebook. Found the ebook amazing as it takes you right into the lives of the miners and their families
during this terrible time. It also goes on to tell you what happened after the rescue and how Beaconsville and its residents are doing now.
during this terrible time. It also goes on to tell you what happened after the rescue and how Beaconsville and its residents are doing now.
September 15, 2015
I came upon this book quite by accident. I just jumped into my hands at the library. I knew nothing about goldmining, nothing about Tasmania, nothing about Australian culture, nothing about the Beaconsfield mine disaster. What a great story. Kept me with it all the way through.
August 15, 2012
Gripping, everyone involved got their story told. I rushed to the last page just so the two men would be freed and i no longer endured with them.
July 30, 2013
What a terrifying ordeal. An amazing story of courage and endurance. Hats off to all those involved in the rescue mission and condolences to the Knight family.
July 20, 2017
what these guys went through. I was feeling claustrophobic just reading about their lack of space. brilliant story of courage.
December 28, 2022
Was working underground when I first started reading this in a mine similar in size and seismicity.
Some would say that makes me insane, but it gave me a really unique perspective and understanding for how the guys were feeling.
Even though this is one of the reasons I decided to leave the underground mining game I have no regrets in picking it up a really unique story only 2 people can really fully appreciate and only few can fathom from real life underground experience.
Some would say that makes me insane, but it gave me a really unique perspective and understanding for how the guys were feeling.
Even though this is one of the reasons I decided to leave the underground mining game I have no regrets in picking it up a really unique story only 2 people can really fully appreciate and only few can fathom from real life underground experience.
April 12, 2019
Could not put this one down
A great read, especially when half way thru you realise an old friend is one of the head rescuers. Good on you Jeremy
A great read, especially when half way thru you realise an old friend is one of the head rescuers. Good on you Jeremy
January 30, 2022
After 3 men are trapped in a mine, their co workers strive for many days to get them out.
December 14, 2022
I remember watching the media coverage of this event. Hard to believe it has been 16 years already.
Brant & Todd were incredibly lucky.
Brant & Todd were incredibly lucky.
October 11, 2020
Such a well written book. I was almost brought to tears at some points when the book took the perspective of the miners' families and loves ones. I may be biased because I followed the events in the newspapers and I live so close to where it happened, but I highly recommend this book anyway.
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August 7, 2011Don't bother
July 14, 2021
Brilliant
March 14, 2024
After visiting Beaconsfield i had to read this book
Very well written, I just wish there were chapters written by the men. But I understand they are not writers
Very well written, I just wish there were chapters written by the men. But I understand they are not writers
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews