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272nd out of 3,146 books
—
13,781 voters
Mutiny on the Bounty (The Bounty Trilogy #1)
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY is the thrilling account of the strange, eventful, and tragic voyage of His Majesty's Ship Bounty in 1788-1789, which culminated in Fletcher Christian's mutiny against Captain Bligh.
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
April 11th 1989
by Back Bay Books
(first published 1932)
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The British (and to a lesser degree the American) Navy in the age of sail has become a staple setting of modern English-language historical fiction, exemplified by the works of Patrick O'Brian and others. While Melville's Billy Budd and White Jacket are certainly forerunners of the trend, the main impetus to the subgenre was probably C. S. Forrester's Hornblower series; but this novel by Nordhoff and Hall was roughly contemporary with Forrester's work, and also well deserves a reading by fans of...more
Fascinating account of an open water journey across the south Pacific. Bligh's crew mutiny and send him off the ship with a small crew of faithfuls. An expert seaman, he demonstrates incredible leadership when he pilots this small rowboat and a handful of men across hundreds of miles of open ocean. Their bravery and resourcefulness are surpassed, in my opinion, only by Earnest Shackelton who made a similar trek under conditions even more trying.
This book documents the fictionalized tale of the true story of several crew members who led a mutiny against the Captain of the Bounty.
The book is narrated by Roger Byam, whose main job on the ship is to make a dictionary of the Tahitian language while they are on their trip to the West Indies aboard the ship Bounty. The boat sets sail in 1787, and you get to meet the crew. It becomes immediately obvious that Captain Bligh is not a particularly kind-hearted man, and the crew begin to suffer. Li...more
The book is narrated by Roger Byam, whose main job on the ship is to make a dictionary of the Tahitian language while they are on their trip to the West Indies aboard the ship Bounty. The boat sets sail in 1787, and you get to meet the crew. It becomes immediately obvious that Captain Bligh is not a particularly kind-hearted man, and the crew begin to suffer. Li...more
Aug 07, 2011
Todd
added it
One of the greatest pieces of work inspired by actual events and THE best sea-faring story ever. The genius of the story is that it is narrated by it's one invented character, a young midshipman who grows to manhood through his experience on the voyage, through the mutiny, his life on the island of Tahiti, and his forced return to England. This is my second time reading the work and I found it as much of a page-turner as the first time. It is followed by two lesser known but equally strong works...more
I had never read a seafaring epic story before the classic Treasure Island and having felt yet in the mood I continued on to the well known Mutiny on the Bounty. This is a far more serious novel dealing with much more mature themes. It took me a bit of time to get into the pacing of the narrative since it follows a much more patient pace than more modern novels. At times I felt myself wishing he would get to the point more quickly but tried to chalk that up to my contemporary attention span. The...more
The last time I took an ocean voyage through a book was when I read Moby Dick (everything I never wanted to know about the whaling industry). I was, therefore, reluctant to embark upon this hard life again, but was goaded into it by Mr. Laughlin, the 7th grade language teacher. So now I can say I made it to Tahiti and back and survived the harrowing trials of sea life and mutiny. I was interested to learn that this book is based on a real event. The narrative was compelling, but somehow I was ne...more
When i was about 10, i found the Bounty trilogy in a box full of my grandfathers old books. Out of all of his books, this one was my favorite and i have read it many times. The story that most people are familiar with takes place in the first book of the series. The third book, Pitcairn's Island is my favorite and can stand along side any top horror book. It is interesting to read the progression of the sailors mental downfall throughout the series. The only downside to the book is that the auth...more
This book turned me into a reader. I had to read it for English class at Pike School and I did. In fact, I read it ahead of the class requirements and found that it grabbed me. It took hold of me and wouldn't let me go. This was the first book that I read because I loved it, not because I had to read it. The story is so wonderful and captures the wanderlust in my heart. I felt I was on the voyage and siding with Fletcher Christian.
Certainly this novel also created my passion for literature of t...more
Certainly this novel also created my passion for literature of t...more
I read this book over and over . . . and over . . . and over, when I was growing up. I was endlessly fascinated by the romance of the sea, the details of shipboard life, the well-drawn personalities of each of the Bounty's officers and crew, the alluring Polynesian women, and of course by the brutality of captain Bligh, the tragedy of Fletcher Christian, and the buildup of suspense around the fate of poor, innocent Roger Byam.
I was shocked to learn, a few years ago, that historians have conclud...more
I was shocked to learn, a few years ago, that historians have conclud...more
I read this book a required reading between freshman and sophomore years of high school. Our school had a book fair each year where I picked this up, because I knew I HAD to read something that summer. I was/have always been a slow reader and to this point had no interest in reading in the least!
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY threw the switch to my love of reading. It transported me to a different time, an unknown world, a revelation in human experience. I now realize I have never gotten around to enjoyin...more
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY threw the switch to my love of reading. It transported me to a different time, an unknown world, a revelation in human experience. I now realize I have never gotten around to enjoyin...more
This used to be my favorite book. Exciting, historical, a touch of romance...
So why only four stars? Well, I've changed my opinion of the Bounty Mutiny since I read this book at age ten. The book portrays William Bligh as an oppressive tyrant, while Fletcher Christian is noble and kind. I disagree that the mutiny was all Bligh's fault. Certainly, there were things he could have done to avoid it, but I believe that the main responsibility lies with Fletcher Christian, who might not have been so g...more
So why only four stars? Well, I've changed my opinion of the Bounty Mutiny since I read this book at age ten. The book portrays William Bligh as an oppressive tyrant, while Fletcher Christian is noble and kind. I disagree that the mutiny was all Bligh's fault. Certainly, there were things he could have done to avoid it, but I believe that the main responsibility lies with Fletcher Christian, who might not have been so g...more
I got about halfway through this book before quitting. Granted, I should not give this a rating because my 11 year old self was not very enamoured with the topic in the first place, and I didn't even finish it. If I ever get around to reading books on my "finish later" shelf, then I'll read this book. Quite honestly, though, I do not see the point. I know the basic idea of this story thanks to Google, so I donát think I'll trouble myself with a book I do not like.
It's not horrible by any means,...more
It's not horrible by any means,...more
En 1787, la « Bounty », frégate de Sa Très Gracieuse Majesté britannique se voit confier une mission d'exploration dans le Pacifique Sud.
Le capitaine Bligh, un officier de la vieille école, fait régner à bord une discipline de fer.
Après une escale à Tahiti, où l'équipage découvre les merveilles de la vie sauvage; l'intransigeance de Bligh poussera les hommes à la mutinerie déclarée, sous les ordres du « second », le capitaine Christian un aristocrate ouvert aux idées nouvelles...
Le capitaine Bligh, un officier de la vieille école, fait régner à bord une discipline de fer.
Après une escale à Tahiti, où l'équipage découvre les merveilles de la vie sauvage; l'intransigeance de Bligh poussera les hommes à la mutinerie déclarée, sous les ordres du « second », le capitaine Christian un aristocrate ouvert aux idées nouvelles...
This is another one I read a long time ago—in 1985 I believe, the first summer I went to sea on a seismic boat. I brought books with me that were either nautical or “exotic” to my then 22 year old mind. I brought Mutiny, Moby Dick, a Borges story collection, and Guerillas by V.S. Naipaul. The latter two were “exotic” in my mind by virtue of being writers from little known (by me) third world countries. Anyway, Naipaul and Borges subsequently became two of my favorite writers. But I loved Mutiny...more
This is a classic historical novel that falls into the "can't-put-it-down" category. I've never seen the movie, but I can't see how it could ever be as good as the book. The story is told through the eyes of Roger Byam, a sailor on the Bounty, and tells of the sufferings of the crew of the Bounty at the hands of Captn Bligh ultimately leading to mutiny. The fate of Byam and the rest of the crew is captivatingly described in this excellent tale. The story is based on the actual history of the eng...more
I snuck this book into work with me so that I could read snatches of it while I waited for documents to load on the computer. By 3 PM, I couldn't take it anymore, so I left work early and walked to a coffee shop up the road so I could finish the story. When I finished it, I reread the ending. I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!
It isn't 100% fact (there's a lot of blank-filling), but it's mostly not fiction, which makes it so much better. AMAZING!!!
It isn't 100% fact (there's a lot of blank-filling), but it's mostly not fiction, which makes it so much better. AMAZING!!!
I read this when I was in high school, about 1944 and loved it. Then saw the movie with Clark Gable as Mr. Christian and Charles Laughton as the hated Captain Blye. However, I have since come to realize that the good guys and the bad guys may have been the other way around. Blye was an incredible mariner and it appears that the mutiny may have been due more to testosterone and the desirability of Tahitian women than on Byle's cruelty.
I never used to be interested in older, more classic books, but one day in eighth grade I ran out of newer books to read in my small school library, so I read this. I was captivated at the ease and enjoyment of reading. I had always thought that classics were hard to read and boring, but now they're most of what I read. I owe this book so much, and I suggest it highly.
True story of the British Naval Ship, Bounty. An officer aboard the ship, Fletcher Christian is placed in a difficult situation as he has to choose between honoring his Superiors officers and the code that they live by or protect the crew, most of them pressed into service against their will, from the verbal abuses and severe punishment handed out liberally by Captain Blye.
I could smell the salt of the sea water, the ever-so-slight zephers, the creaks and groans of the ship's plank bottom floor. Mr Fletcher Christian, rebellious yet kind hearted. Captain Bligh, so mean-spirited. But matey's, ya has to read all the way to Pitcairn's Island to get the whole truth - and every step of the way is worth it!
Excellent piece of historical fiction based on the events surrounding the mutiny on the HMS Bounty. The book is told through the eyes of a Midshipman named Byam who is asked to join the voyage of the Bounty to the Island of Tahiti to bring back Breadfruit tree specimens. Of course the crew, lead by Fletcher Christian, mutinies due to unfair treatment by Captain Bligh. The book depicts British Sea Law as both unfair and just, and shows sea life in a similar manner. Foremost it is a tale of surviv...more
Value Village find. Lovely edition with beautiful cover. Makes a nice addition to my collection. Also picked up a nice edition of Hunchback of Notre Dame in the same binding of a set I've begun to collect. Got them both for cheap and they look lovely on the shelf. Good day for treasure hunting!
was ok. feeling like i should research contemporary texts to see what i'm missing. was a simple plot of average description, with too much sea-faring language. i still have no idea what the ship looked like. cause i don't know what 89% of the parts of a boat are. and i'm too lazy to use a dictionary for 4 hours during the book. soooo... was ok. glad i finally read this classic.
This was a fascinating story, especially since it was based on real events. However, I found the authors' style of storytelling less than engaging and almost stopped reading the book before finishing. I finally got hooked on the story and was glad I finished.
Nice book. Enjoyed reading it. I have also read Bligh's acount of what happened and it doesn't differ too much. Just on the points where it would differ as this is seen from a different point of view. So I beleive it does stay true to the facts and is a compelling read because of that.
I think I am the last person in the world to have heard about the mutiny on the Bounty. The language was a little hard to understand and it was very detailed. Some parts were exciting and other parts were horribly boring. It’s worth reading once.
Pretty good tale of the mutiny against Captain Bligh. This book is told from the point of view of a young man who sails on the Bounty and is caught in Fletcher Christian's mutiny. Pretty entertaining and a really good but sad ending.
Interesting story based on letters, diaries and testimony about the 1789 mutiny on the HMS Bounty in the south pacific. I can see why they mutinied, Wow, Captain Bligh really was a jerk. This version was written by 2 English men in the 1920's, and the writing style reflects that, seems almost a bit Dickensian at times.
One of my favorite books (and book series) of all time. A super compelling tale on multiple levels and a generally fair assessment of the various personalities and situations.
This is one of the most compelling stories I've ever read. I am usually biased toward sea-based stories due to my love of sailing. I am also particularly fond of stories (books, movies or otherwise) that play on the virtues of honor, courage, and integrity. I also enjoy the occasional law drama (shout out to Law and Order.) This has it all. I've never read much historical fiction, but the fact that this was based in large part on a true story made it all the more engrossing. If you are a fan of...more
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Mar 21, 2009 09:33am