In 1834, six Dorset farm labourers were arrested and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. Their crime? To set up a 'friendly society' to bargain for better wages and escape appalling poverty. This book follows the story of the youngest 'Martyr', James Brine, from his boyhood in Tolpuddle, to the terrors of convict life in Australia, and the triumphant return to England after public outcry forced the sentences to be quashed, and the 'Tolpuddle Martyrs' became popular heroes. It also introduces colourful characters such as James Frampton, the ruthless landowner who framed the Martyrs, and the mythical superhero, Captain Swing, who inspired poverty riots across England.