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Beautiful Bodies
I never saw so many fine and beautiful bodies. The French and English wept together at such a horrible loss of life." (As reported in London's The Standard, 1 September 1833)
In August 1833, the Amphitrite, a small convict ship bound for the colonies of Australia, was wrecked in a terrible storm on the coast of France. She carried 102 female prisoners, 12 of their children, along with the captain, the crew, a medical officer and one passenger – the medical officer's wife. Only three people survived.
It was the convict era's first major shipwreck. The death of so many women and children, largely due to the incompetence and blind bigotry of those responsible for their safety, was a scandal that threatened to rock the very foundations of the transportation system. The reaction of the British Government was to cover it up, refusing to release even the names of the dead, depriving those tragic women and children of their very identity, even in death.
Gerald Stone, bestselling author and acclaimed journalist, has written a brilliant narrative recreation of the voyage and its disastrous end that brings these lost women back to life, revealing the world they lived in, their crimes, their loves, their hopes, their fears, and their final tragedy. Beautiful Bodies is a masterful and compelling work of living, breathing history.
In August 1833, the Amphitrite, a small convict ship bound for the colonies of Australia, was wrecked in a terrible storm on the coast of France. She carried 102 female prisoners, 12 of their children, along with the captain, the crew, a medical officer and one passenger – the medical officer's wife. Only three people survived.
It was the convict era's first major shipwreck. The death of so many women and children, largely due to the incompetence and blind bigotry of those responsible for their safety, was a scandal that threatened to rock the very foundations of the transportation system. The reaction of the British Government was to cover it up, refusing to release even the names of the dead, depriving those tragic women and children of their very identity, even in death.
Gerald Stone, bestselling author and acclaimed journalist, has written a brilliant narrative recreation of the voyage and its disastrous end that brings these lost women back to life, revealing the world they lived in, their crimes, their loves, their hopes, their fears, and their final tragedy. Beautiful Bodies is a masterful and compelling work of living, breathing history.
- GenresHistory
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 28, 2013
This is a compelling recreation of a true story.
The shockingly vivid and horrifying events which occurred in August 1833, where a small convict ship called "Amphitrite", carrying a full complement of over 100 female convicts and their children bound for the Australian Colonies, was wrecked in a storm of the coast of france and sank in clear view of the shore... drowning all but three of its crew and passengers.
This is a very compelling story which will haunt you for many reasons, but especially because of the absolute senseless loss of life.
Gerald Stone has done a fine job of realistically recreating this horrible truth.
Highly recommended for its historical significance.
May 9, 2012
This was a chilling story, presenting the facts of this disaster while imaginatively interpreting the characters and their behaviours leading up to the shipwreck. An interesting and horrifying read.
December 17, 2015
Really enjoyed this book - horrible that this happened to these women. So many errors in judgement and corruption resulting in so many deaths of mainly innocent, if misguided women and children.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews