Mutiny on the Bounty

by Classics Illustrated, Kenneth W. Fitch (Adapted by), Charles Bernard Nordhoff

Sail the seas in good weather and bad on the H.M.S. BountyFlounder in a hurricane as you try to round Cape Horn. Sail to the South Seas the long way, around the Cape of Good Hope and through the Indian Ocean. Enjoy the idyllic island life and decide for yourself if the men on the Bounty should have mutinied against Captain Bligh. Find out what happens when the Captain and his men are put off the Bounty in a small rowboat with little food or water. Do they make it? Mutiny on the Bounty details a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the commanding officer, William Bligh. According to most accounts, the sailors were attracted to the idyllic life on the Pacific island of Tahiti and repelled by the harsh treatment from their captain. Beautifully illustrated, this classic tale will capture children's interest and spark their imagination inspiring a lifelong love of literature and reading.Optimized for Kindle devices and featuring Panel Zoom facility.

Genres: Comics, Classics

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Classics Illustrated is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Les Miserables, Moby-Dick, Hamlet, and The Iliad. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1941 and finished its first run in 1969, producing 169 issues. Following the series' demise, various companies reprinted its titles. Since then, the Classics Illustrated brand has been used to create new comic book adaptations.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike most of the other classic works of literature, “Mutiny on the Bounty” is based on a true story. The descendants of some of the mutineers still live on Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific, the area where the mutiny took place. It was a time when a common sailor on a ship led a hard life, and the captain’s word was law. Transgressions could be punished by being placed in irons and even being flogged, sometimes to the death. Therefore, being on a ship was tantamount to being a temporary slave.
While there were many instances of desertion, situations of actual mutiny were rare. It took a great deal of courage and bad actions by the captain before members of the crew revolted. Furthermore, if the captain lived and a mutineer was found, death by hanging was a common fate.
The most famous mutiny took place aboard the ship called “Bounty” and it had been sent to the Pacific Island of Tahiti to bring back young breadfruit plants so that they could be transplanted to other locations with a climate suitable for growing them.
This comic captures the essence of the background circumstances of the ship, the sadistic nature of Captain Bligh and the circumstances behind the mutiny. Having spent a long time on the island paradise of Tahiti and getting to know the people, the crewmembers were reluctant to leave. It could serve as a reference book for a classroom discussion of the story as well as the social context of life on a ship as well as why the breadfruit plants were considered so valuable.