[2] The book took a very sympathetic point of view towards Kelly and was highly critical of the police.
[3][4] Kenneally claimed the book was plagiarised by newspapers leading to court action.
[10] The book inspired Sidney Nolan's famous series of paintings of Kelly.
The Kellys are driven to horse stealing, cattle duffing, murder and robbery in just protest against intolerable persecution by the police.
The latter are all knaves or fools, and most of them cowards into the bargain...An adventure into sheer sensationalism, the book seems to have no particular reason for existence, though the author’s constant reference to the terror inspired in the outlaws by the black trackers brought from Queensland is of interest.