Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86522 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
The "Bounty" set out in 1788 to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies as a cheap source of food for slaves. But the combination of the tough discipline of Bligh and the attractions of life in the South Sea Islands drove Fletcher Christian and part of the crew to mutiny, and Bligh along with those loyal to him were set adrift in the ship's launch. Their remarkable 3,600-mile, open-boat voyage to Timor is one of the great feats of navigation, while the story of the mutineers' discovery of the uninhabited island of Pitcairn and their attempt to fashion a community away from the pursuing ships of the Royal Navy is as tense as it is horrific. This drama of mutiny, courage, remarkable voyages, human deceit and treachery, first published in 1972, provides an account of this episode of maritime history.

Customer Reviews

Forget the Hollywood nonsense.
After decades of watching and believing the Hollywood version of events here is a chance to find out the real story. And what a story it is. The upshot of it all is that Capt. Bligh wasn't really so bad after all. The Mutiny can be attributed to one single mistake on Bligh's part rather than continuous foul behaviour throughout the voyage. The nitty gritty of everyday life at sea in the 18th century is always interesting and sometimes enthralling as described by Hough. The book includes details of previous voyages made by Bligh and Christian, the outward voyage, the time on Tahiti, Bligh's epic voyage home, the mutineers on Pitcairn and of course the mutiny itself. Our views of Bligh and Christian are turned on their heads as shown in the movie 'The Bounty' which i believe was loosely based on this book. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read.