Fragile Paradise: The Discovery of Fletcher Christian, Bounty Mutineer

by Glynn Christian

The mutiny on Bounty on 28 April 1789 was the revolt of one man against another-Fletcher The mutiny on Bounty on 28 April 1789 was the revolt of one man against another - Fletcher Christian against William Bligh. On that fateful day two friends became mortal enemies in a mighty clash of wills that rocked a nation. In Fragile Paradise, the great-great-great-great-grandson of the Bounty mutineer brings to life a fascinating and complex character history has portrayed as both hero and villain, and the real story behind a mutiny that continues to divide opinion more than 200 years later. The result is a brilliant and compelling historical detective story, full of intrigue, jealousy, revenge and adventure on the high seas. Glynn Christian shares the thrill of discovery as he follows the footsteps of his famous ancestor through family papers, contemporary accounts and, ultimately, on his own sailing expedition to Pitcairn Island where he finally solves the riddle of Fletcher Christian's death. Fragile Paradise sheds new light on Christian's actions and the question of who was the real villain of the mutiny. It also retraces the mutineers' extraordinary voyage to find sanctuary and reveals for the first time the pivotal role women played in this quest. Without the skills of the Polynesian women they kidnapped, the mutineers would not have survived on Pitcairn Island. The story of the first Englishman who found and lost paradise in the South Pacific and his descendant's personal odyssey to discover the truth, Fragile Paradise is a fitting finale to a great adventure.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

484 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on the entire mutiny experience, written by a descendant of Fletcher Christian. He details life and events on Pitcairn Island after the mutiny, which most authors do not. He includes some recent history as well as good maps and illustrations. I just love the Mutiny story!

[Sharon Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got very bogged down in parts of this book - the beginning, especially, with detail about Fletcher Christian's family (the author's ancestors) and their origins on the Isle of Man. I didn't find the "family tree" in the front of the book helpful, either - very confusing. It seemed obvious, too, that Glynn Christian was no historian! But that said, there is much interesting detail about customs in the South Seas among the islanders encountered by Fletcher Christian and the other mutineers. I had thought that, once he found out about Pitcairn, Christian headed straight there, but apparently he first tried to make a settlement on Tubuai. (A map of his journeys is included).

The book is divided into four parts and each is so filled with detail it easy to get lost in it. I would recommend reading a shorter account of the Pitcairn history first.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a book that is quite unique in my experience. I don't think I have ever read a book that has offered so much initial frustration, which has ended up turning out quite so well. In the first couple of chapters I was sure I was not going to be able to finish it. I put this down largely to poor editing, but I think there may be the added factor that this edition involved a major revision of an earlier work and that the two were not married very happily together. Yet the book soon strikes out on a new path, and on another level, as we leave the Manx and Cumbrian origins of Fletcher Christian behind, and begin to learn some of the details of that murky event known to history as the "Mutiny on the Bounty." One thing is obvious and it is to the author's credit, as he is a direct descendent of Fletcher Christian (and, something which will appear obvious given the nature of life on Pitcairn at the time of the first settlement, of several of the other mutineers): he makes a very bold attempt not to hoist Bligh on too high a yardarm, in spite of the man's obvious and well-established shortcomings. Indeed, he allows Bligh to hang himself in the book, which is something he seems to have tried very hard to accomplish in real life.

The book's last section of three concerns the personal odyssey by author Glynn Christian back to Pitcairn in search of traces of Fletcher and a greater understanding of some of the legend which grew up around him and his fellow conspirators of over 200 years ago. It is well done, and if we are a bit frustrated by the results, it's not because the author didn't try hard enough. In fact, this is a very successful project from every point of view, even if I did think at first that it was going to be "another island book," like the one on St-Kilda I read many years ago and still haven't digested to this day. Anyone interested in the Bounty story must read this and all those interested in the history of the Pacific, or even just plain family history, will probably enjoy this very much. After initially wanting to almost burn it, I now find myself giving it my highest recommendation. It's quite unique. By the by, it's interesting to reflect on the book's title. Ordinarily, one would think it referred to Pitcairn, the ancestral home as it were; but I rather fancy it refers to Tahiti instead, that fabled place from which some of Glynn Christian's other ancestors sprang.