I don't enjoy sailing. My interest in history generally begins with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and proceeds forward. And yet, I have now read not one, but TWO books dealing with 18th-century British sailors (Captains Cook and Bligh). The book on Cook was a travel novel, taking the reader along the path of Captain Cook in both the historical and current sense. But The Bounty deals from a purely historical perspective, interweaving sailors' journals, letters, and even court martial transcripts to provide a more accurate picture of Bligh. Contrary to popular image, Bligh was not only a fair and even-handed captain, but his sailing skills (successfully navigating a small boat containing the mutiny outcasts to the West Indies) were unparalleled in his time.

Reading this book, though, requires the reader to relive the same moments leading to, including, and following the mutiny repeatedly, through the words of the various sailors. And again, at the court martial, which acts as both a rehash of the events and an ending to the affair. Towards the last few chapters, readers grow weary of the entire story, and will find themselves disinterested with how sailors who returned lived out their lives. Again, an interesting book that brings light to Bligh's story, but perhaps overly done.