About

CJ Ison has been an unabashed history nerd for as long as he can remember. Now retired from careers spanning the Australian Army and the news media, he indulges his passion for maritime heritage. He holds a PhD and a Master of Arts degree and uses his research skills to unearth stories long lost to history. His first research project was to catalogue the many shipwrecks that occurred along the Queensland coast. What he found was a rich trove of fascinating stories left behind by those who had survived their ordeal. The result was his first book, A Treacherous Coast. His second book, Bolters, tells the many fascinating and sometimes unbelievable stories of escape during Australia’s convict era.

CJ Ison lives on the Capricorn Coast in Central Queensland, Australia, and divides his time between photographing the natural world and writing about Australian history. His third book, Tales from the Quarter Deck, was released in December 2025.