The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty Summary and Reviews

The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty
by Caroline Alexander

The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty
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Book Summary Information

Author: Caroline Alexander
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-05-25
ISBN: 0142004693
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Book Reviews of The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty

Book Review: The Best Bounty Book Available
Summary: 4 Stars

For an event that has been so thoroughly treated in print and on film (even on stage and in verse!) it is hard to imagine that there is room for another book on the topic. But this is it. Though not as lavishly produced as her excellent "Endurance", Alexander's latest book brings a fresh new perspective to the Bounty story and is not only an essential addition to any Bounty library, but is perhaps also the best first book on the topic.
What distinguishes this book is its exploration of the social and cultural web relationships in England that were ultimately responsible for shaping how we see events that occurred far away in what was then literally the end of the world with only a few surviving witnesses -- all of whom had vital interests in how those events were interpreted. Alexander's extensive use of primary sources brings authenticity and immediacy to the story, and here careful avoidance of trying to play detective engages the reader: she lays out quite a bit of evidence and we are left to puzzle out what it means. This is refreshing, as is her through coverage of not only the events on the bounty, but the evolution of the mutineer's settlement on Pitcairn, the voyage of the Pandora, the court marshal proceedings, and the ultimate fates off the entire Bounty crew.

Only one minor complaint, which is really not unique to this book, but ultimately makes it much harder to read than it ought to be: because of the tremendous expanse of space and time covered by the events of the Bounty saga, and especially because of the extensive treatment of the web of players, relations, patrons, and other interested parties in the mutiny story, this book could have benefited greatly from more and better maps (there are only three and these are sparsely labeled and mostly decorative) and from some tables (the closest one comes is a simple crew manifest) and charts depicting the social networks.

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by Walter Brodie
Whittaker & Co.; Published: 1851; Hardcover; Book
PITCAIRN ISLAND ImagePITCAIRN ISLAND
by David Silverman
World; Published: 1967; Unknown Binding; Book
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Mutiny of the Bounty and the story of Pitcairn Island,: 1790-1894, ImageMutiny of the Bounty and the story of Pitcairn Island,: 1790-1894,
by Rosalind Amelia Young
Pacific Press; Published: 1894; Hardcover; Book
The Saga of the Bounty ImageThe Saga of the Bounty
by Irvin, Ed. Anthony
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In Search of Paradise ImageIn Search of Paradise
by Paul L. Briand
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by Glynn Christian
Little, Brown & Co.; Published: 1982; Hardcover; Book
The Bligh Notebook ImageThe Bligh Notebook
by John Bach
Allen & Unwin; Published: 1987; Paperback; Book
What Happened on the Bounty ImageWhat Happened on the Bounty
by translator) Bengt Danielsson (Alan Tapsell
Rand McNally & Company; Published: 1964; Paperback; Book
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