This is the captivating account of the magnificent but doomed quest, led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William Wills, to be the first Europeans to cross the harsh Australian continent in 1860. Plagued with disputes and food shortages they battled the extremes - the searing desert heat, the boggy mangroves, the flooding rains... Only one man survived the expedition's dash to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria. Yet despite their tragic fates, the names Burke and Wills remain synonymous with perseverance and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.