A review by wwatts1734
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff, James Norman Hall
5.0
There's something about a good story of adversity at sea to get the blood pumping. Robert Louis Stevenson figured that out. He made a name for himself by writing stories of pirates. In "Mutiny on the Bounty", Nordhoff and Hall have hit a home run by writing about mutiny. Their novel takes place in 1789 - 1794 on board the British armed merchantman "Bounty", which traveled from England to Tahiti to pick up a load of Breadfruit trees with the purpose of planting the trees in the West Indies to provide a cheap source of food for slaves in the new world. Although this is a novel, the story of the mutiny is a true story, with lots of drama to go around.
This story actually has five parts to it. The first part is the story of the voyage from England to Tahiti, which highlights the brutality of life in the British navy and the sacrifices of life at sea. The second part is the stay at Tahiti, which is a great description of the natives on the island and the paradise that is life in the South Pacific. The third part is the story of the mutiny itself, which is full of drama. The fourth part is the story of the trip back to England which involved imprisonment and a shipwreck and a desperate trek through thousands of miles of open ocean. The fifth part is the story of the trial of the mutineers, which was also full of drama. The story keeps the reader riveted. The characters are very well developed and the story has lots of twists and surprises.
It is interesting that Captain Bligh was such a tyrannical commander. I often find it interesting that naval officers in works of fiction tend to be so much more psychotic and controlling than officers of other services. Consider Captain Queeg in the "Caine Mutiny" and Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick". Bligh may actually be the worst captain of the lot, although Nordhoff and Hall make him a complex and interesting guy.
I would highly recommend "Mutiny on the Bounty" to anyone.
This story actually has five parts to it. The first part is the story of the voyage from England to Tahiti, which highlights the brutality of life in the British navy and the sacrifices of life at sea. The second part is the stay at Tahiti, which is a great description of the natives on the island and the paradise that is life in the South Pacific. The third part is the story of the mutiny itself, which is full of drama. The fourth part is the story of the trip back to England which involved imprisonment and a shipwreck and a desperate trek through thousands of miles of open ocean. The fifth part is the story of the trial of the mutineers, which was also full of drama. The story keeps the reader riveted. The characters are very well developed and the story has lots of twists and surprises.
It is interesting that Captain Bligh was such a tyrannical commander. I often find it interesting that naval officers in works of fiction tend to be so much more psychotic and controlling than officers of other services. Consider Captain Queeg in the "Caine Mutiny" and Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick". Bligh may actually be the worst captain of the lot, although Nordhoff and Hall make him a complex and interesting guy.
I would highly recommend "Mutiny on the Bounty" to anyone.