The Bennett family whose letters form the guiding thread through this book lived lives that spanned the whole of the 19th century. The letters are not essays or dry official reports; they are full of gossip and good humour and tell of the ups and downs, joys and tragedies of family life during two long generations. The Bennetts lived in St Helena, England, and South Africa and from the letters we hear of their many and varied experiences during this period.

The letters have been drawn together for the first time from many different sources; some are in national archives; some in the hands of far flung family members; none, apart from a very heavily abridged extract from one of George Brooks Bennett's letters, have been published before.

The narrative that links the letters into a readable story includes a selection of other contemporary accounts from a range of sources. To maintain the freshness of the book most of these have been taken from little known works long out of print.

Whether a general reader of 19th century history or professional historian 'The Bennett Letters' will provide a new insight into this absorbing period of English colonial history.