The Thorn Birds

The Thorn Birds is a 1977 novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. Set primarily on Drogheda—a fictional sheep station in the Australian Outback named after Drogheda, Ireland—the story focuses on the Cleary family and spans 1915 to 1969. The novel is the best-selling book in Australian history and has sold over 33 million copies worldwide. The novel was also adapted into an eponymous television miniseries; during its 27–30 March 1983 run, it became the United States' second-highest rated miniseries of all time, behind Roots. Subsequently, a 1996 miniseries entitled The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years filled in a gap of 19 years in the middle of the novel. It was criticised for inconsistencies with the original series. The novel was also adapted into a musical in 2009, The Thorn Birds Musical. In 2022, The Thorn Birds was included on the Big Jubilee Read list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.