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Mutiny on the Spanish Main: HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy's Revenge
Mutiny on the Spanish Main tells the dramatic story of HMS Hermione, a British frigate which, in 1797, was the site of the bloodiest mutiny in British naval history, which saw the death of her captain and many of her officers. Though her crew handed her over to the Spanish, Hermione was subsequently recaptured in a daring raid on a Caribbean port two years later. Drawing on letters, reports, ship's logs and memoirs of the period, as well as previously unpublished Spanish sources, Angus Konstam intertwines extensive research with a fast-paced but balanced account of the mutiny and its consequences.
Illustrated with maps and diagrams tracing the events as they unfolded, and supported by informative inserts on the technical and tactical nuances of seamanship and naval warfare in the period, this book is both a fascinating narrative retelling and an informative guide to one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy.
Illustrated with maps and diagrams tracing the events as they unfolded, and supported by informative inserts on the technical and tactical nuances of seamanship and naval warfare in the period, this book is both a fascinating narrative retelling and an informative guide to one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published October 29, 2020
9 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Angus Konstam
219 books61 followersAngus Konstam is a Scottish writer of popular history. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised on the Orkney Islands, he has written more than a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, historical atlases, with a special focus on the history of piracy.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 8, 2021
This was an amazing, amazing book. I bought it after listening to Angus Konstam's podcast on History Hit, and never having read or heard anything about the Hermione mutiny. There's the obvious mutiny on the Bounty, and the lesser known but still pretty infamous Spithead mutinies, but the Hermione incident has kind of become buried over time.
To which I say - this event would make an incredible blockbuster movie. This entire non-fic book was incredibly exciting and fast-paced, brilliantly written, and extremely accessible even if you know nothing about this era.
One of the things I loved was Angus Konstam's brief but helpful scene-setting. I've been reading a lot about the Age of Sail but it is ALWAYS helpful to get a quick run-down of the workings of the ships, and the naval administration, and the contemporary place in British (and world) history. The Hermione was pretty much your bog-standard British frigate at the time - used for smaller operations which required speed and manouvreability. She was stationed primarily in the West Indies, and her story shows a microcosm of contemporary naval life. The sailors were fed, clothed, and given their rum rations (quite a firm persuasion for some to join up, if they weren't pressed, that is), but life aboard could also be pretty brutal - and even more so depending on what kind of captain they had.
From the very start of Captain Pigot's command, you can see this line of fire getting closer and closer to the powder keg. Konstam showed him as a man who was content to shift blame, and have favourites onboard - and for all those who weren't in that clique, the lash was frequently (and I mean FREQUENTLY) employed. I was just cringing at the tyrannical treatment he gave to the Hermiones - from the deaths of the topmen falling from the yards after he threatened to whip whoever was last down, to his disrating and public humilation of Casey, the midshipman.
But Konstam also makes it clear that mutiny wasn't just something that happened on a whim. Even if a commander was cruel, and the service was similarly brutal, a lot of crews seemed to just get on with it. Mutiny meant being forever on the run and being unable to return safely home (the later executions of many of the mutineers shows just how harsh their punishments were). But when the Hermione is overtaken by a small number of her crew, Konstam writes it with a narrative that would not be out of place in a fictional adventure book on the high seas.
And it isn't just the ship getting overtaken. This mutiny was utterly vicious. Nearly all of the officers were slaughtered, including Captain Pigot, in an almost Julius Caesar assassination-like fury. The horror of the bloodshed is not shied away from, and completely shows that this wasn't good against bad, but a treatise on what men can do when pushed to the limit and under extreme circumstances (on both sides of this event). It's made even more shocking by the treason which took place, by handing the Hermione over to the Spanish, where she was re-named the Santa Cecilia.
The whole description of the build-up to the mutiny, and the mutiny itself, was amazing. Rarely am I so engaged with a non-fiction book in the way that I was. Sure, I find non-fiction history books really interesting, but this had an absolute drama to it that I've not seen very often. It lost a bit of steam with the political wrangling after the event, but it showed just how close the mutiny came to causing an international incident between Britain and early America (not long after the colonies were lost either). Essentially, America took issue with the impressment of some of the men who turned into mutineers, claiming them as American citizens, and there was a furore over the extradition of the men for trial in Britain. All fair enough, but I did find it kind of funny how the American 'fake news' came VERY early on in their history, when they refused to accept that one of the men was ACTUALLY a mutineer and turned him into some martyr for the next election campaign.
After that interlude though, you get an amazing few chapters with Captain Hamilton's cutting-out of the Hermione/Santa Cecilia from under the noses of the Spanish. Those were absolute rushes of chapters, so well written and exciting (but also unquestionably brutal again). What a mad lad.
The Spanish looking out over their harbour be like:
Overall, an amazing, amazing book about a little-known event in naval history. I highly recommend the podcast as well!
To which I say - this event would make an incredible blockbuster movie. This entire non-fic book was incredibly exciting and fast-paced, brilliantly written, and extremely accessible even if you know nothing about this era.
One of the things I loved was Angus Konstam's brief but helpful scene-setting. I've been reading a lot about the Age of Sail but it is ALWAYS helpful to get a quick run-down of the workings of the ships, and the naval administration, and the contemporary place in British (and world) history. The Hermione was pretty much your bog-standard British frigate at the time - used for smaller operations which required speed and manouvreability. She was stationed primarily in the West Indies, and her story shows a microcosm of contemporary naval life. The sailors were fed, clothed, and given their rum rations (quite a firm persuasion for some to join up, if they weren't pressed, that is), but life aboard could also be pretty brutal - and even more so depending on what kind of captain they had.
From the very start of Captain Pigot's command, you can see this line of fire getting closer and closer to the powder keg. Konstam showed him as a man who was content to shift blame, and have favourites onboard - and for all those who weren't in that clique, the lash was frequently (and I mean FREQUENTLY) employed. I was just cringing at the tyrannical treatment he gave to the Hermiones - from the deaths of the topmen falling from the yards after he threatened to whip whoever was last down, to his disrating and public humilation of Casey, the midshipman.
But Konstam also makes it clear that mutiny wasn't just something that happened on a whim. Even if a commander was cruel, and the service was similarly brutal, a lot of crews seemed to just get on with it. Mutiny meant being forever on the run and being unable to return safely home (the later executions of many of the mutineers shows just how harsh their punishments were). But when the Hermione is overtaken by a small number of her crew, Konstam writes it with a narrative that would not be out of place in a fictional adventure book on the high seas.
And it isn't just the ship getting overtaken. This mutiny was utterly vicious. Nearly all of the officers were slaughtered, including Captain Pigot, in an almost Julius Caesar assassination-like fury. The horror of the bloodshed is not shied away from, and completely shows that this wasn't good against bad, but a treatise on what men can do when pushed to the limit and under extreme circumstances (on both sides of this event). It's made even more shocking by the treason which took place, by handing the Hermione over to the Spanish, where she was re-named the Santa Cecilia.
The whole description of the build-up to the mutiny, and the mutiny itself, was amazing. Rarely am I so engaged with a non-fiction book in the way that I was. Sure, I find non-fiction history books really interesting, but this had an absolute drama to it that I've not seen very often. It lost a bit of steam with the political wrangling after the event, but it showed just how close the mutiny came to causing an international incident between Britain and early America (not long after the colonies were lost either). Essentially, America took issue with the impressment of some of the men who turned into mutineers, claiming them as American citizens, and there was a furore over the extradition of the men for trial in Britain. All fair enough, but I did find it kind of funny how the American 'fake news' came VERY early on in their history, when they refused to accept that one of the men was ACTUALLY a mutineer and turned him into some martyr for the next election campaign.
After that interlude though, you get an amazing few chapters with Captain Hamilton's cutting-out of the Hermione/Santa Cecilia from under the noses of the Spanish. Those were absolute rushes of chapters, so well written and exciting (but also unquestionably brutal again). What a mad lad.
The Spanish looking out over their harbour be like:
Overall, an amazing, amazing book about a little-known event in naval history. I highly recommend the podcast as well!
May 26, 2024
Once again, another story I was unfamiliar with. I learned about this book from listening to the History Hit podcast by Dan Snow which I recommend.
Anyway - in 1797, a British frigate, serving in the Caribbean Sea during the war against revolutionary France, was captained by a tyrannical commander named Pigot. He gets out of hand one day and some of the crew had had enough. Mutiny ensues. This was only 8 years after the mutiny on the Bounty and 4 years after the Spithead / Nore mutinies.
I had read one other book by Konstam, an illustrated monograph on Civil War monitors under the Osprey imprint. Hence, I was initially skeptical he could write an effective book length treatment about a long-forgotten incident. That skepticism was misplaced as Konstam does a good job of setting the scene about how a British frigate was run, doing a particularly good job on the various roles played by the crew. He also sets the scene for the naval actions in the Caribbean against the French and their Spanish allies.
The middle of the book where the mutiny occurs is quite engaging as it is peppered with first hand accounts that provide quite a bit of color to the mutineers as well as the officers. Let's just say rum figures prominently. Not to mention the cat-o-nine-tails. And, yellow fever. Oh, and axes.
As you can see from the title, the Royal Navy, upon learning of the mutiny, was none too pleased and towards the end of the book, the details of that revenge off the coast of Venezuela (called the Spanish Main at the time) were equally engaging to the reader. Vocabulary lovers will be reacquainted with the word gibbet.
Four maps and several contemporary color engravings aid the reader. It was a painting (featured on the cover) that inspired Konstam to write this book.
While it's not the sort of book that you'll read cover-to-cover in one day, and there's no movie `a la "Mutiny on the Bounty" , it was still interesting and not at all dry. You get a pretty good sense of what it was like to be a sailor on a frigate in the late 18th century. Lastly, there's a connection between the mutiny and the election of Jefferson over Adams in the 1800 election.
Is it as good as The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder? No, because Grann is a better writer. But, if you're interested in mutinies and like stories of sailing ships, you won't be disappointed.
Fans of Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forester should enjoy this.
Anyway - in 1797, a British frigate, serving in the Caribbean Sea during the war against revolutionary France, was captained by a tyrannical commander named Pigot. He gets out of hand one day and some of the crew had had enough. Mutiny ensues. This was only 8 years after the mutiny on the Bounty and 4 years after the Spithead / Nore mutinies.
I had read one other book by Konstam, an illustrated monograph on Civil War monitors under the Osprey imprint. Hence, I was initially skeptical he could write an effective book length treatment about a long-forgotten incident. That skepticism was misplaced as Konstam does a good job of setting the scene about how a British frigate was run, doing a particularly good job on the various roles played by the crew. He also sets the scene for the naval actions in the Caribbean against the French and their Spanish allies.
The middle of the book where the mutiny occurs is quite engaging as it is peppered with first hand accounts that provide quite a bit of color to the mutineers as well as the officers. Let's just say rum figures prominently. Not to mention the cat-o-nine-tails. And, yellow fever. Oh, and axes.
As you can see from the title, the Royal Navy, upon learning of the mutiny, was none too pleased and towards the end of the book, the details of that revenge off the coast of Venezuela (called the Spanish Main at the time) were equally engaging to the reader. Vocabulary lovers will be reacquainted with the word gibbet.
Four maps and several contemporary color engravings aid the reader. It was a painting (featured on the cover) that inspired Konstam to write this book.
While it's not the sort of book that you'll read cover-to-cover in one day, and there's no movie `a la "Mutiny on the Bounty" , it was still interesting and not at all dry. You get a pretty good sense of what it was like to be a sailor on a frigate in the late 18th century. Lastly, there's a connection between the mutiny and the election of Jefferson over Adams in the 1800 election.
Is it as good as The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder? No, because Grann is a better writer. But, if you're interested in mutinies and like stories of sailing ships, you won't be disappointed.
Fans of Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forester should enjoy this.
March 23, 2021
In September 1797, the crew of the Royal Navy’s frigate Hermione revolted against their captain. This crime was so heinous that even two years later efforts were launched to bring the entire crew to trial and hang those found guilty. Another plan was formed to vanquish the foul deed of the mutineers giving the ship to Britain’s Spanish enemies.
The author’s description of the events reads like a novel, one that will seem far-fetched to most readers and is reminiscent of C.S. Forester or Patrick O’Brian. To his credit, Angus Kostam writes this text as if it were, in fact, fiction. In real time, the telling of the incidents, which led the crew to mutiny and the description of the mutiny itself, is both exciting and appalling.
Before beginning the tale, he describes frigates and their importance to the navy and war effort. The status of the French Revolutionary War in the Caribbean is detailed. The service history of Captain Hugh Pigot and the activities involving the ship and her crew before he was appointed to command her are also told.
The ship was known to be a “happy ship.” The previous commander had rarely ordered a flogging and knew his crew to be loyal and well-trained. That changed when Pigot came aboard.
In an era when there were rigid social classes, his family’s standing as an aristocrat made it easy for him to look down upon his crew and attach less value to their lives. He used brutal discipline to control them, exceeding the norms for the number of flogging episodes and of strokes doled out each time.
An incident between Midshipman Casey and the captain resulted in Pigot ordering Casey to kneel and beg his pardon, which Casey refused to do. The enraged captain ordered Casey seized-up and given a dozen lashes. Then Casey was demoted to ordinary sailor.
With the crew already unhappy, tensions ran higher. One more incident could push them past their breaking point.
Men were aloft taking in sails when threats by Pigot caused three men to hurry, which ended in tragedy. Rather than showing concern he showed contempt.
Groups of sailors started discussing mutiny. The next night, at 11:00 p.m., men armed with swords rushed the captain’s cabin. The mutiny had begun.
The next morning the ship headed south, away from any populated islands or cruising warships. Hermione sailed to La Guaira in modern-day Venezuela. The Spanish authorities were happy to accept the frigate without asking many questions.
It was not long before the Royal Navy learned of the mutiny and pledged to bring all the mutineers to trial and reclaim their ship. As men were spotted in places around the world, the bulk of them were transported home and court-martialed in Portsmouth.
Over a year later, Hermione had been moved west to Puerto Cabello and remained ready to sail with her Spanish crew aboard. Before she could leave, Admiral Parker sent a frigate captain to the area with orders to recapture the ship.
The “cutting out” of Hermione is one of the most daring episodes in the Age of Sail. Konstam explores this in detail and does a great job capturing the various actions of the men as they fight to seize the moment and the ship.
This book includes illustrations, several maps, and endnotes identifying all sources. A bibliography and index are also found.
Mutiny on the Spanish Main has broad appeal to anyone interested in naval history or sea stories. This classic portrayal of man’s inhumanity to man makes this an exciting tragedy from the pages of history, which I heartily encourage you to read.
The author’s description of the events reads like a novel, one that will seem far-fetched to most readers and is reminiscent of C.S. Forester or Patrick O’Brian. To his credit, Angus Kostam writes this text as if it were, in fact, fiction. In real time, the telling of the incidents, which led the crew to mutiny and the description of the mutiny itself, is both exciting and appalling.
Before beginning the tale, he describes frigates and their importance to the navy and war effort. The status of the French Revolutionary War in the Caribbean is detailed. The service history of Captain Hugh Pigot and the activities involving the ship and her crew before he was appointed to command her are also told.
The ship was known to be a “happy ship.” The previous commander had rarely ordered a flogging and knew his crew to be loyal and well-trained. That changed when Pigot came aboard.
In an era when there were rigid social classes, his family’s standing as an aristocrat made it easy for him to look down upon his crew and attach less value to their lives. He used brutal discipline to control them, exceeding the norms for the number of flogging episodes and of strokes doled out each time.
An incident between Midshipman Casey and the captain resulted in Pigot ordering Casey to kneel and beg his pardon, which Casey refused to do. The enraged captain ordered Casey seized-up and given a dozen lashes. Then Casey was demoted to ordinary sailor.
With the crew already unhappy, tensions ran higher. One more incident could push them past their breaking point.
Men were aloft taking in sails when threats by Pigot caused three men to hurry, which ended in tragedy. Rather than showing concern he showed contempt.
Groups of sailors started discussing mutiny. The next night, at 11:00 p.m., men armed with swords rushed the captain’s cabin. The mutiny had begun.
The next morning the ship headed south, away from any populated islands or cruising warships. Hermione sailed to La Guaira in modern-day Venezuela. The Spanish authorities were happy to accept the frigate without asking many questions.
It was not long before the Royal Navy learned of the mutiny and pledged to bring all the mutineers to trial and reclaim their ship. As men were spotted in places around the world, the bulk of them were transported home and court-martialed in Portsmouth.
Over a year later, Hermione had been moved west to Puerto Cabello and remained ready to sail with her Spanish crew aboard. Before she could leave, Admiral Parker sent a frigate captain to the area with orders to recapture the ship.
The “cutting out” of Hermione is one of the most daring episodes in the Age of Sail. Konstam explores this in detail and does a great job capturing the various actions of the men as they fight to seize the moment and the ship.
This book includes illustrations, several maps, and endnotes identifying all sources. A bibliography and index are also found.
Mutiny on the Spanish Main has broad appeal to anyone interested in naval history or sea stories. This classic portrayal of man’s inhumanity to man makes this an exciting tragedy from the pages of history, which I heartily encourage you to read.
July 21, 2020
The book is first and foremost a thrilling adventure story. It is every bit as action packed as an Aubrey/Maturin or Hornblower novel, made all the more gripping by being based on a true story in all its horrific detail.
Indeed, anyone thinking of starting Patrick O’Brian’s or C.S. Forrester’s classics might do well to start with Angus Konstam’s book, which goes to some lengths to introduce the modern reader to the structure and social order of the Royal Navy of the period.
The book charts the circumstances leading up to the mutiny, the mutiny itself, the international manhunt that followed and the daring recapture of the frigate, so vividly depicted in the Nicholas Pocock painting on the book’s cover.
Angus Konstam brings this all to life with a pacy narrative, exposing the failings of favouritism and brutality that underpin this story – and even weaving in the role of fake news in the 1800 US presidential election.
Recommended.
Indeed, anyone thinking of starting Patrick O’Brian’s or C.S. Forrester’s classics might do well to start with Angus Konstam’s book, which goes to some lengths to introduce the modern reader to the structure and social order of the Royal Navy of the period.
The book charts the circumstances leading up to the mutiny, the mutiny itself, the international manhunt that followed and the daring recapture of the frigate, so vividly depicted in the Nicholas Pocock painting on the book’s cover.
Angus Konstam brings this all to life with a pacy narrative, exposing the failings of favouritism and brutality that underpin this story – and even weaving in the role of fake news in the 1800 US presidential election.
Recommended.
January 10, 2021
A Cracking Read on the Spanish Main
In his many books Angus Konstam always brings historical subjects to life in an approachable manner. In this fascinating true-life pirates-of-the-Spanish-Main tale, he turns his particular expertise in all matters briny to illuminating one of the most extraordinary episodes in British naval annals. In 1797 the crew of the British frigate Hermione mutinied against the ship’s captain and senior officers and the uprising sparked a massive hunt for the ringleaders and their followers, willing or reluctant.
In an era before photography, it might seem almost impossible to recognise and capture so many guilty ratings across the seas and continents British seamen roved, and yet the Admiralty managed with remarkable success to bring to justice the conspirators and hang them from yardarms as far apart as Jamaica and Portsmouth. If this were just a salty swashbuckling Sea Hawk (with Korngold accompaniment) Mutiny on the Spanish Main would be an enjoyably blood-soaked romp, but much greater depth comes in the form of investigation into the underlying social and political upheavals of the time, from the appalling treatment of naval ratings to the toppling of an American presidency.
Without ever condoning the mutineers’ murderous actions, Konstam manages to rouse a flicker of sympathy in the reader’s breast for the conditions under which the ‘Hermiones’ toiled. Those not in Captain Hugh Pigot’s favour were lashed with the cat o’ nine tails, often several times, to within inches of their lives and often enough for no good reason. Yet in spite of his unreasoning cruelty, Pigot comes across as a capable seaman, and it’s a pity that history has not left us with more insight into what drove him to the brink of insanity. Fortunately, however, thanks to the many eye witness testimonials, Konstam can reconstruct with reasonable certainty the events which led to the uprising and the horrid details of what happened after Pigot’s dead or dying body was hurled overboard for the sharks to finish him off – the fate of lieutenants and young midshipmen not reckoned to be favourable to insurrection.
And then there are the politics following the mutineers’ strategy of fleeing to the enemy and handing Hermione over to the Spanish. It all adds up to a cracking read and the basis of a film that Michael Curtiz could have turned into a blockbuster…maybe there is a director out there ready to do just that (preferably without Jack Sparrow) and a latter day Erich Wolfgang Korngold ready to write the scor
In his many books Angus Konstam always brings historical subjects to life in an approachable manner. In this fascinating true-life pirates-of-the-Spanish-Main tale, he turns his particular expertise in all matters briny to illuminating one of the most extraordinary episodes in British naval annals. In 1797 the crew of the British frigate Hermione mutinied against the ship’s captain and senior officers and the uprising sparked a massive hunt for the ringleaders and their followers, willing or reluctant.
In an era before photography, it might seem almost impossible to recognise and capture so many guilty ratings across the seas and continents British seamen roved, and yet the Admiralty managed with remarkable success to bring to justice the conspirators and hang them from yardarms as far apart as Jamaica and Portsmouth. If this were just a salty swashbuckling Sea Hawk (with Korngold accompaniment) Mutiny on the Spanish Main would be an enjoyably blood-soaked romp, but much greater depth comes in the form of investigation into the underlying social and political upheavals of the time, from the appalling treatment of naval ratings to the toppling of an American presidency.
Without ever condoning the mutineers’ murderous actions, Konstam manages to rouse a flicker of sympathy in the reader’s breast for the conditions under which the ‘Hermiones’ toiled. Those not in Captain Hugh Pigot’s favour were lashed with the cat o’ nine tails, often several times, to within inches of their lives and often enough for no good reason. Yet in spite of his unreasoning cruelty, Pigot comes across as a capable seaman, and it’s a pity that history has not left us with more insight into what drove him to the brink of insanity. Fortunately, however, thanks to the many eye witness testimonials, Konstam can reconstruct with reasonable certainty the events which led to the uprising and the horrid details of what happened after Pigot’s dead or dying body was hurled overboard for the sharks to finish him off – the fate of lieutenants and young midshipmen not reckoned to be favourable to insurrection.
And then there are the politics following the mutineers’ strategy of fleeing to the enemy and handing Hermione over to the Spanish. It all adds up to a cracking read and the basis of a film that Michael Curtiz could have turned into a blockbuster…maybe there is a director out there ready to do just that (preferably without Jack Sparrow) and a latter day Erich Wolfgang Korngold ready to write the scor
September 5, 2020
Mutiny on the Spanish Main: HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy's Revenge is a solid historical account of a dramatic, thrilling, and absolutely brutal event. Konstam's writing elucidates, and never gets in the way, of telling what is, after all, a dark, gripping, and horrific tale of violence and murder, both from the mutineers and from the powers that be.
The influence of the king of Age of Sail fiction, Patrick O'Brian, can be felt in the occasional mentions of his work (for example, noting the events surrounding HMS Surprise, which features prominently in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series); likewise, this book would be enjoyed by any fan of O'Brian's books, replete as they are in the rich technical and historical detail that Konstam outlines and explains. The book as a whole is well-written and well-framed. Technical aspects, like the rigging of a ship and the vast quantity of jargon needed to understand the historic events and documentation of it, are contextualized and explained clearly, and the human element is given similar scrutiny. A well-crafted work that I'd recommend to fans of O'Brian and similar authors or amateur historians interested in the period, with or without prior knowledge of the Royal Navy in Nelson's day.
Thank you to NetGalley and Osprey Publishing for the advance review copy.
The influence of the king of Age of Sail fiction, Patrick O'Brian, can be felt in the occasional mentions of his work (for example, noting the events surrounding HMS Surprise, which features prominently in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series); likewise, this book would be enjoyed by any fan of O'Brian's books, replete as they are in the rich technical and historical detail that Konstam outlines and explains. The book as a whole is well-written and well-framed. Technical aspects, like the rigging of a ship and the vast quantity of jargon needed to understand the historic events and documentation of it, are contextualized and explained clearly, and the human element is given similar scrutiny. A well-crafted work that I'd recommend to fans of O'Brian and similar authors or amateur historians interested in the period, with or without prior knowledge of the Royal Navy in Nelson's day.
Thank you to NetGalley and Osprey Publishing for the advance review copy.
September 21, 2024
This was a very interesting book about a piece of history that I had never heard about before. It covers three different events, the mutiny on the HMS Hermione; the search for, capture and court martial of the mutineers, and eventual recapture of the ship. Well worth reading!
October 13, 2025
very engrossing, SOOO much dense detail about the ship and its history and the captain and the humiliation of the crew, the actual mutiny probably takes up 2 or 3 pages (hyperbole). psychologically hypnotic, loved it.
March 15, 2021
I thought this book was excellent it was an interesting story and Angus Konstam picked a great topic to write about I look forward to reading his other books.
June 2, 2023
Great adventure about true events. I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews