This book presents the diaries of eight people. They are preceded by a preface, introduction and note on editing policy written by Andrew Hassam. They are followed by a list of sources and by five appendices which include letters, songs and a report referred to in the diaries. Hassam states that his 'original purpose in publishing a collection of diaries kept by working people was to make available to a wider readership some of the rare and previously unnoticed manuscripts [he] had come across in the course of researching [his] earlier book, Sailing to Australia'.
