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Thomas Keneally, born October 7, 1935, in Sydney, Australia, is an Australian author renowned for his historical novels. His characters often grapple with their historical and personal pasts, and he portrays decent individuals in conflict with systems of authority.
At 17, Keneally entered a Roman Catholic seminary but left before ordination; this experience influenced his early works, such as The Place at Whitton (1964) and Three Cheers for the Paraclete (1968). His status as a historical novelist was cemented with Bring Larks and Heroes (1967), which explores Australia's early period as an English penal colony. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1972; adapted into a film in 1980) brought Keneally international recognition; it is based on the true story of a half-caste Aboriginal man who rebels against white racism through a murder spree. The Great Shame (1998), inspired by his own heritage, chronicles 80 years of Irish history from the viewpoint of Irish convicts sent to Australia in the 19th century.
While much of Keneally's work focuses on Australia, his scope is wide-ranging. Gossip from the Forest (1975) offers a perspective on the World War I armistice through the eyes of a reflective and humane German negotiator. He also earned praise for his depiction of the American Civil War in Confederates (1979). His later novels include A Family Madness (1985), To Asmara (1989), Flying Hero Class (1991), Woman of the Inner Sea (1992), Jacko (1993), Homebush Boy (1995), Bettany's Book (2000), The Tyrant's Novel (2003), The Widow and Her Hero (2007), and The Daughters of Mars (2012).
Keneally's most famous work, Schindler's Ark (1982; also published as Schindler's List; adapted into a film in 1993), recounts the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saved over 1,300 Jews from the Nazis. Like many of Keneally's protagonists, Schindler is an ordinary man who follows his conscience despite the surrounding evil. The novel earned him the Man Booker Prize, and Keneally collaborated with Steven Spielberg on the original drafts of the Schindler's List screenplay, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize on three additional occasions.
