A Fortunate Life
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| Author | A.B. Facey |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Robert Juniper |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Autobiographical, Drama |
| Published | 1981 (Puffin, Hardcover Viking, Penguin Books Australia, Ltd.) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | |
| A Fortunate Life | |
|---|---|
| Based on | book by Albert Facey |
| Written by | Ken Kelso |
| Directed by |
Henri Safran Marcus Cole |
| Starring | Dominic Sweeney Nikki Coghill |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 x 2 hours |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Bill Hughes executive Ian Bradley |
| Budget | $6.3 million |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nine Network |
| Original release | 9 March 1986 |
A Fortunate Life is an autobiography by Albert Facey published in 1981, nine months before his death. It chronicles his early life in Western Australia, his experiences as a private during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I and his return to civilian life after the war. It also documents his extraordinary life of hardship, loss, friendship and love.
During the initial days of its publication, Albert Facey became a nationwide celebrity. Despite his renowned life, Facey considered his life to be simple and "had no idea what all the fuss was about". When asked on an interview, where the name of the book originated. He replied, "I called it 'A Fortunate Life' because I truly believe that is what I had".
After its great reception it has become a classic piece of Australian literature and is one of Australia’s most beloved books. Since its publication in 1981 it has sold over 800,000 copies and become a primary account of the Australian experience during World War I. It is also featured in many Australian primary and secondary schools as a reading book for young adults.
The autobiography begins at his birth. Albert Barnett Facey was born in Maidstone, Victoria, Australia, in 1894. His father died on the Goldfields of Western Australia in 1896 of typhoid fever and Albert's mother left her children to the care of their grandmother shortly afterwards. In 1899 he moved from Victoria to Western Australia in the care of his grandmother, Mrs. Jane Carr (born 1832 - died 1932), and three of his six older siblings: Roy, Eric and Myra. Most of his childhood was spent in the Wickepin area.
He started working on farms at the age of eight and had little education and therefore could not read or write. As a child he taught himself to read and write. By the age of 14 he was an experienced bushman, and at 18 a professional boxer. Badly injured at Gallipoli, he suffered severe problems which later were the cause of his death. In August 1915 during the First World War, in which two of his brothers, Joseph and Roy, were killed. While recuperating he met his future wife Evelyn Mary Gibson and they were married in Bunbury in August 1916. The Faceys lived in East Perth before returning to Wickepin six years later with their children, where they lived until 1934. His wife died in 1976. The couple had seven children — the eldest, Barney, was killed during the Second World War — and twenty-eight grandchildren.
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