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No Mercy: True Stories of Disaster, Survival and Brutality
Disaster strikes. A ship goes down, a plane crashes, a party of travellers is cut off.
But when the panic and confusion subside and the dead are counted, the survivors must find a way to keep surviving. And in desperation, unconstrained by law or conventional authority, the tactics they resort to can be both horrifying and ultimately self-destructive.
Learmonth and Tabakoff outline the physical and neurological changes that typically affect the victims of disaster. Then, using true stories from history as case studies, they investigate the scenario famously imagined by William Golding in Lord of the Flies and borne out by the extraordinary Robbers Cave experiments of the 1950s. As this fascinating book unfolds the awful truth becomes clear. In extremity, humans are capable of a descent into murderous savagery so swift and complete it could—literally—take your breath away.
But when the panic and confusion subside and the dead are counted, the survivors must find a way to keep surviving. And in desperation, unconstrained by law or conventional authority, the tactics they resort to can be both horrifying and ultimately self-destructive.
Learmonth and Tabakoff outline the physical and neurological changes that typically affect the victims of disaster. Then, using true stories from history as case studies, they investigate the scenario famously imagined by William Golding in Lord of the Flies and borne out by the extraordinary Robbers Cave experiments of the 1950s. As this fascinating book unfolds the awful truth becomes clear. In extremity, humans are capable of a descent into murderous savagery so swift and complete it could—literally—take your breath away.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2013
11 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Learmonth
1 book4 followersAfter a few decades of tromping around the world, I’m now stationed in my old hometown of Sydney, married with two children.
I’m working as a writer, snorkelling when I get the chance, and trying to shake off my (well-deserved) reputation as a disaster magnet.
I’m working as a writer, snorkelling when I get the chance, and trying to shake off my (well-deserved) reputation as a disaster magnet.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 28, 2014
I heard one of the authors being interviewed on 'Conversations with Richard Fidler' a podcast I had downloaded. This is a fascinating look at cases in history of how individuals react when in the midst of physical and psychological trauma brought about by shipwreck, being 'lost', members of a cult oas unwitting participants in a social experiment. The authors detail a range of incidents that, depending on how the survivors responded, had a range of outcomes. Either the survivors had a 100% positive outcome or, in the other extreme, the survivors were disorganised, murdered each other and made no effort towards being rescued. The historical accounts were fascinating and were successful in creating a picture of life in the age of exploration, sea travel and life at sea. A great read.
January 9, 2024
Love the comparisons to Lord of the Flies. Makes me want to learn more about some of the expeditions
December 13, 2014
No Mercy: True Stories of Disaster, Survival and Brutality by Eleanor Learmonth and Jenny Tabakoff is a very highly recommended, thought provoking look at how groups of people act and the extremes they will go to in order to survive during a traumatic event, such as a ship wreck or plane crash in a remote area. Why do some people work together and survive the disaster with fewer fatalities while other groups disintegrate into stupidity and violence?
Learmonth and Tabakoff note in the prologue that, "This book considers numerous such examples of the Lord of the Flies principle in history. We focus on predominantly adult groups who found themselves stranded and in conditions of extreme stress at dates between 134 BC and 2010 AD, in remote locations across the globe. Several of these episodes will be considered in depth; others will appear as we look at the factors that seem to dictate the survivor groups’ behavior and dynamics. We analyze the twisting path of social disintegration with reference to other failed groups—some famous, others relegated to the dusty, forgotten corners of history."
No Mercy looks at how William Golding in his book The Lord of the Flies presents us with a principle that can be used when observing any group that finds itself isolated and faced with the struggle to survive. "The Lord of the Flies principle 1. groups will inevitably fragment into factions. 2. leaders frequently become obsessed with maintaining control rather than leading. 3. if the strong are battling to survive, they will not waste care and resources on the weak. 4. morality, mercy and compassion are the expendable luxuries of civilization. 5. individuals will passively sanction evil actions by others to avoid becoming the next victim. 6. the rule of law will decay into a state of nature. 7. in the long run, there is only one rule: self-preservation." (Page xix)
I was engrossed in each tale of survival (or not) and the various actions each group took. "While almost every disaster has a degree of stupidity at its core, it is how the survivors behave and respond that often separates the living from the dead." The authors point out that some of the stupidity is actually the result of a built in neuro-chemical reaction that we have no control over.
Contents include:
A Location map
Prologue
The Lord of the Flies principle
HELL ON WATER: THE MEDUSA RAFT; Fear; Panic; Faith in command; Alcohol; Fairness
PROBLEMS IN PATAGONIA: THE WRECK OF THE WAGER; Fragmentation; Caring for the weak and injured; ‘Polar disease’; Starvation; Stupidity and inertia
CASTAWAYS IN THE SUB-ANTARCTIC; The shifting sands of authority; Compassion; The dogma of race; The dark; The beast
BLOODSHED IN VINLAND; Suicide; Abuse and violence; The last resort; Killing for food
A MORAL ABYSS: THE LIFEBOAT OF THE WILLIAM BROWN; Murder; Thrill kills; Last man standing; Scars; Implications
Avoiding the Lord of the Flies principle; Into the woods: the Robbers Cave experiment; Précis of Lord of the Flies
Acknowledgments; Sources; Illustrations; Index
The opening of each major section shows the title and other quick statistics. For example
Hell on Water: the raft of the Medusa
Location: Atlantic Ocean off the Sahara Desert
nationality: Primarily French
Date: 1816
Fatality Rate: 91%
Duration: 13 days
or
Castaways in the Sub-Antarctic
Location: Auckland Islands
nationality: Multinational crew
Date: 1864
Fatality Rate: 0%
DuRation: 600 days
"While the other case studies we have considered can easily be categorized as abject failures, this example shows that a group can sidestep the Lord of the Flies principle even in the harshest of circumstances." In this chapter it was also interesting that many survivors talk about an ‘unseen presence’, which felt malevolent for some and a comforting guardian angel to others. This has been named the Third Man Syndrome after Shackleton’s encounter.
This is really a compelling, fascinating, dramatic look back at the social decay and implosion that occurred in various groups of people under extreme stress. It proves "Golding’s overarching concept that the primary thing from which the group needs protection is itself."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of the Text Publishing Company for review purposes.
Learmonth and Tabakoff note in the prologue that, "This book considers numerous such examples of the Lord of the Flies principle in history. We focus on predominantly adult groups who found themselves stranded and in conditions of extreme stress at dates between 134 BC and 2010 AD, in remote locations across the globe. Several of these episodes will be considered in depth; others will appear as we look at the factors that seem to dictate the survivor groups’ behavior and dynamics. We analyze the twisting path of social disintegration with reference to other failed groups—some famous, others relegated to the dusty, forgotten corners of history."
No Mercy looks at how William Golding in his book The Lord of the Flies presents us with a principle that can be used when observing any group that finds itself isolated and faced with the struggle to survive. "The Lord of the Flies principle 1. groups will inevitably fragment into factions. 2. leaders frequently become obsessed with maintaining control rather than leading. 3. if the strong are battling to survive, they will not waste care and resources on the weak. 4. morality, mercy and compassion are the expendable luxuries of civilization. 5. individuals will passively sanction evil actions by others to avoid becoming the next victim. 6. the rule of law will decay into a state of nature. 7. in the long run, there is only one rule: self-preservation." (Page xix)
I was engrossed in each tale of survival (or not) and the various actions each group took. "While almost every disaster has a degree of stupidity at its core, it is how the survivors behave and respond that often separates the living from the dead." The authors point out that some of the stupidity is actually the result of a built in neuro-chemical reaction that we have no control over.
Contents include:
A Location map
Prologue
The Lord of the Flies principle
HELL ON WATER: THE MEDUSA RAFT; Fear; Panic; Faith in command; Alcohol; Fairness
PROBLEMS IN PATAGONIA: THE WRECK OF THE WAGER; Fragmentation; Caring for the weak and injured; ‘Polar disease’; Starvation; Stupidity and inertia
CASTAWAYS IN THE SUB-ANTARCTIC; The shifting sands of authority; Compassion; The dogma of race; The dark; The beast
BLOODSHED IN VINLAND; Suicide; Abuse and violence; The last resort; Killing for food
A MORAL ABYSS: THE LIFEBOAT OF THE WILLIAM BROWN; Murder; Thrill kills; Last man standing; Scars; Implications
Avoiding the Lord of the Flies principle; Into the woods: the Robbers Cave experiment; Précis of Lord of the Flies
Acknowledgments; Sources; Illustrations; Index
The opening of each major section shows the title and other quick statistics. For example
Hell on Water: the raft of the Medusa
Location: Atlantic Ocean off the Sahara Desert
nationality: Primarily French
Date: 1816
Fatality Rate: 91%
Duration: 13 days
or
Castaways in the Sub-Antarctic
Location: Auckland Islands
nationality: Multinational crew
Date: 1864
Fatality Rate: 0%
DuRation: 600 days
"While the other case studies we have considered can easily be categorized as abject failures, this example shows that a group can sidestep the Lord of the Flies principle even in the harshest of circumstances." In this chapter it was also interesting that many survivors talk about an ‘unseen presence’, which felt malevolent for some and a comforting guardian angel to others. This has been named the Third Man Syndrome after Shackleton’s encounter.
This is really a compelling, fascinating, dramatic look back at the social decay and implosion that occurred in various groups of people under extreme stress. It proves "Golding’s overarching concept that the primary thing from which the group needs protection is itself."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of the Text Publishing Company for review purposes.
December 30, 2015
Epically fascinating. The authors take a look at the group dynamics of (mostly) men who meet disaster and the neurological factors that play an important role into whether the group will survive or not. Starting off with "The Lord of the Flies Principle" and the "Robber's Cave Experiment" as examples of group survival decay they examine several shipwrecks from the 1700s and 1800s which all had atrocious survivor rates except one which had 100% success. They discuss how our brain reacts in these situations, typical feelings and almost always shared situations and problems. While discussing these topics many other survivor disastors are referenced, sometimes in full, as well. So while the book is very heavy on shipwrecks others are regularly mentioned such as the Andes Mountain Flight Disaster in '73 and the 2010 Chilean Miner Rescue. I found the book absolutely fascinating and unique. It's about 50/50 history of the disaster vs neurology/psychology of the brain and group dynmaics. Topics covered are fear, panic, alcohol, leadership, stupidity and inertia, race, suicide, cannibalism and murder to name a few. My only problem with the book is that it didn't seem to have a natural orderly organization, not chronological, not thematic. It went back and forth both in time and on themes and while the information held me engrossed forgiving this faux-pas, it would have been a much stronger treatise with a progressive order.
August 23, 2013
A truly fascinating book. As a person who rarely reads anything other than contemporary types of books I found it written in a style that brought the historical aspects of these stories very much to life and in the stories written about more recent events it made me realise that despite all the dramatic changes in modern society we haven't really evolved from our most primitive states.
September 29, 2013
The content is fascinating and I enjoyed the Lord of the Flies style premise. If you extrapolate it over to society it has some scary social lessons. But it is not as well written as it could be.
December 9, 2023
Challenge - Foil on the Cover, Dymocks Winter 2023
No Mercy tells the true stories by survivors of survival.
You just never know who the person you survive a disaster is truly like, including yourself.
The Batavia and The Medusa are really horrifying disasters where it was a very much, an in it for yourself. No wonder not a lot of people survived.
4 stars given.
No Mercy tells the true stories by survivors of survival.
You just never know who the person you survive a disaster is truly like, including yourself.
The Batavia and The Medusa are really horrifying disasters where it was a very much, an in it for yourself. No wonder not a lot of people survived.
4 stars given.
January 3, 2026
Horrifying at times, thought-provoking. A fascinating look into human behaviour and what is most likely to lie beneath the surface of all our grand ideas about how we think we would behave. The 13 key takeaways offered at the end have value in almost any context.
December 11, 2023
a bit repetitive; felt like it ended abruptly
July 1, 2018
A bit of a sensationalist title, but since more people die in this book than the entire series of Game of Thrones it probably works. Honestly, this is terrifying. Ghastly stories of survival on abandoned islands or out at sea are intertwined with chapters about what actually happens to your body when you start to starve, what leads to social collapse and why the night can seem so damn terrifying (and make you lose your mind and kill a bunch of people).
Ultimately I would call this a thoroughly educational experience. Here are some of the things I learned...
1. Never eat the liver (of anything)
2. Try not to resort to murder (probably a good lesson in general)
3. Never eat the liver
Ultimately I would call this a thoroughly educational experience. Here are some of the things I learned...
1. Never eat the liver (of anything)
2. Try not to resort to murder (probably a good lesson in general)
3. Never eat the liver
July 24, 2015
If you are working on a project about survival, cannibalism, shipwreck, group dynamics or 'Lord of the Flies' then I would seriously recommend you dip into this book. You don't need to read it all although I did and I liked the way the authors had explored the many issues involved.
Through the book we are invited to read about actual events and then the author's perspective of the issues involved, comparing one to another. The authors finish with a precis of 'Lord of the Flies' by which time the fictional events held a new perspective for this reader. Respect to Golding. You will be excused if you find some of the tales rather gory - humans without resources can react in terrible ways.
Recommended to Y11-13 working on survival topics or anyone who is interested in group dynamics. Bear Grylls never had to hold a group together!
Through the book we are invited to read about actual events and then the author's perspective of the issues involved, comparing one to another. The authors finish with a precis of 'Lord of the Flies' by which time the fictional events held a new perspective for this reader. Respect to Golding. You will be excused if you find some of the tales rather gory - humans without resources can react in terrible ways.
Recommended to Y11-13 working on survival topics or anyone who is interested in group dynamics. Bear Grylls never had to hold a group together!
July 7, 2014
I heard about the book on "Conversations with Richard Fidler". The book is quite interesting. It deals with grim topics but not in a gruesome way. I hope I never have to use the knowledge gained by reading this book but it should almost be required reading for people embarking on dangerous expeditions. Human nature unchecked is a scary thing. I found the content fascinating but thought that the book could have benefitted from another edit.
December 12, 2015
A fascinating look through history at how human beings cope when put into stranded disaster and privation situations. Real life situations are compared alongside the novel 'Lord of the Flies' in which the author, William Golding, imagines the social decline of shipwrecked boys.
Hard to believe that you could descend into complete and utter savagery and anarchy but history belies all claims to our thin layer of civility.
Hard to believe that you could descend into complete and utter savagery and anarchy but history belies all claims to our thin layer of civility.
April 3, 2015
A very engaging read. On the surface it's the ins and outs of some amazing tales of survival and loss, but under that is the essence of all conflict in relationships and society. This well written book is a collection of stories that reads like several short stories, making it very easy to get through.
August 23, 2013
Highlights how truly staggering human behavior can be. When I read it I found myself shaking my head and thinking how disgusting and barbaric but couldn't put it down. Does that make me barbaric too I wonder?
August 20, 2015
Not only was this book completely enthralling, but it's also one of those books that just keeps giving long after you've finished reading. It strikes a fine balance between sordid anecdote and scientific explication that at once compels the reading and enlightens the reader.
November 26, 2014
An excellent read, very thoroughly researched by journalists, but not as well written as I would like, eg references to events need to be dated to clarify for the reader. But using Lord of the Flies as a 'template' was an inspired idea, which works well.
August 20, 2014
if you enjoy survival stories and disasters, you'll love this.
September 9, 2014
Fascinating read. Gruesome at times as it explores human nature. Like many of the others I heard this about this book on radio, downloaded the podcast and then found the book.
December 14, 2014
Grim truth but too long and repetitious in parts.
April 22, 2017
By covering such a wide range of events, and not just disasters, the authors are able to cover numerous features of the human condition under stress. Indeed, this is their central premise, that when put under extreme stress, humans revert to their pre-civilised state alarmingly quickly. In order to have the best chance of surviving a disaster, humans must cling on to their civilisation, because in unity and order lie their best chance.
As a reader, I found that in covering so many events (about 20) I quickly lost the details in the blur of information. A week after finishing the book, I still recall most of the important features of the Batavia massacre and the lifeboat of William Brown, but not many others. I often found myself comparing this book to Wrecked on a Reef, which could be considered to be the handbook on what to do following a disaster. Wrecked was a more satisfying read, as it focussed solely on one event, and only five characters, allowing a greater immersion and enjoyment.
However, overall, No Mercy was pretty interesting and enlightening.
As a reader, I found that in covering so many events (about 20) I quickly lost the details in the blur of information. A week after finishing the book, I still recall most of the important features of the Batavia massacre and the lifeboat of William Brown, but not many others. I often found myself comparing this book to Wrecked on a Reef, which could be considered to be the handbook on what to do following a disaster. Wrecked was a more satisfying read, as it focussed solely on one event, and only five characters, allowing a greater immersion and enjoyment.
However, overall, No Mercy was pretty interesting and enlightening.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews