At the age of 23, David Dickenson Mann was convicted of forgery, narrowly escaping the gallows and instead being transported to New South Wales in 1799. Just three years later, he received a full pardon and quickly found himself in the secretarys office of the colonial government. However, his fortunes shifted when he fell afoul of Governor William Bligh, leading him to prepare for a return to England. In a twist of fate, by 1808 he was back in favor with the rebel government that had overthrown Bligh. His work, The Present Picture of New South Wales, dedicated to the newly arrived Governor John Hunter, offers an insightful and detailed account of the colonys development. It features a brief history, an A-Z encyclopedia of its political and economic progress, and Manns own visionary ideas for the future of New South Wales. After returning to England in 1809, he published his book in 1811, sadly passing away the same year. - Summary by Phil Benson

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