Set against a backdrop of Australian pubs and politics, The Story of Danny Dunn is a family saga spanning three generations. It is a compelling tale of love, ambition and the destructive power of obsession at a time of great change in Australia's history.


In the aftermath of the Great Depression few opportunities existed for working-class boys, but at just eighteen Danny Dunn has everything going for him- brains, looks, sporting ability - and an easy charm. His parents run The Hero, a neighbourhood pub, and Danny is a local hero.

Luck changes for Danny when he signs up to go to war. He returns home a physically broken man, to a life that will be changed forever. Together with Helen, the woman who becomes his wife, he sets about rebuilding his life.

Set against a backdrop of Australian pubs and politics, The Story of Danny Dunn is an Australian family saga spanning three generations. It is a compelling tale of love, ambition and the destructive power of obsession.

'This classic Aussie story is vintage Courtenay.' Sunday Mail

'Courtenay's enthusiasm for his story is hard to resist. And he's a pro.' The Age

'From gritty pre-war Balmain to the death camps of Singapore and back to '70s Sydney, this is an epic from a superlative storyteller ...' Harper's Bazaar

'A great sweeping novel to lift the spirit.' Weekly Times