Entries from the diary of british royal navy officer and colonial governor william bligh recount the infamous events that took place on the hms bounty in 1789. Bligh served on three of the same ships on which fletcher christian also. And the subsequent voyage of part of the crew, in the ship s boat. Under the command of the now infamous captain bligh, the ship left dock in december of 1787 for its arduous tenmonth journey at sea, during which time bligh demoted his sailing master and replaced him with fletcher christian, a move he would surely come to regret. Jul 28, 2019 three weeks into a journey from tahiti to the west indies, the hms bounty is seized in a mutiny led by fletcher christian, the masters mate.
No monster on the high seas has equaled the infamous ship captain. Captain blighs other mutiny dando collins stephen marlowes. The ship had spent half a year in tahiti in the late 1780s. Captain william bligh and 18 of his loyal supporters. Captain blighs other mutiny by stephen dandocollins. Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to timor, 3,618 nautical miles 6,701 km. Viceadmiral william bligh frs 9 september 1754 7 december 1817 was an officer of the royal navy and a colonial administrator. Discover book depositorys huge selection of william bligh books online. Stephen dandocollins shares the story of blighs house arrest for a year on the site that is now the museum of sydney, his blockade on a ship off the coast of tasmania for. Rob mundle has created an excellent rebuttal to the many films and popular myths about william bligh. Disaffected crewmen, led by masters mate fletcher christian, seized control of the ship from their captain lieutenant william bligh and set him and 18 loyalists adrift in the ship s open launch.
Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more. However, glatton was seriously damaged, and bligh was given command of hms monmouth, which he returned to britain. Apr 03, 2018 captain bligh s epic voyage with a handful of loyal crew in an open raft across the east timor sea to the dutch east indies, where he sought help and then traveled back to england also makes fascinating reading. Some books or novels lend themselves to movie adaptation. Mutiny on the bounty is the first novel to explore all the events relating to the bountys voyage, from their long journey across the ocean to their adventures on the island of tahiti and the subsequent fortyeightday expedition towards timor. Bligh is not only a splendid reappraisal of the bountys misunderstood captain.
Voyage to the south sea first edition william bligh. The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch. Narrative of the mutiny on board his majestys ship bounty rare book for sale. William bligh and others everymans library apr 1, 1981. The true story of the the 1789 mutiny on the bounty is far more complicated than suggested by film versions of the event, which have emphasized the gratuitous cruelty of the ship s captain, william bligh. Sep 21, 2003 bligh was a victim of snobbery and spin. His sailing career began in 1762, when, at the age of seven, he was entered on the books of the monmouth as captain s servant. Heroes were hard to come by, ship stealing in no way prepares one for starting their own government, and the whole affair was full of details that you wouldve never heard in grade school.
After six years as a midshipman, he was promoted to sailing master of the resolution and served under. Royal naval biographybligh, john wikisource, the free. Bligh accepted christian on the ship s books as an able seaman, but granted him all the rights of a ship s officer including dining and berthing in the officer quarters. But theres another story, captain bligh, of ten cocoanuts and two cheeses. Jul 16, 2019 william bligh september 9, 1754december 7, 1817 was a british mariner who had the bad luck, timing and temperament to be aboard two shipshms bounty in 1789 and the hms director in 1791on which the crew mutinied. Captain william bligh s firsthand account of the last voyage of hms bounty. The bounty left england on december 23, 1787, on a course for tahiti around the southern tip of south america. Since the historical mutiny aboard the bounty in 1789, there have been three highly successful books about the incident. The names william bligh, fletcher christian, and the bounty have. Captain bligh in this narrative does not try to explain the mutiny, merely does not understand it. Dangerous voyage of captain bligh in an open boat, over. The bounty mutiny by william bligh, edward christian. Bligh was a victim of snobbery and spin uk news the.
The full title of blighs own account of the famous mutiny is. Mar 12, 2017 bligh had served as captain cooks gifted young sailing master on cooks last voyage and it was the memory of those charts he drew upon when so expertly navigating the bounty launch through. Mutiny on the bounty captains unexpected resting place. Apr 27, 2018 there are a lot of things wrong with the popular view of captain bligh.
Bligh was subsequently made captain of hms irresistible 74 guns, which he commanded until may. Captain blighs cursed breadfruit travel smithsonian. See all books authored by william bligh, including the mutiny on board hms bounty, and a narrative of the mutiny on board his majestys ship bounty, and more on. The mutiny that took place on the voyage has excited the popular imagination for. William bligh was an officer in the royal navy and was the victim of a mutiny on his ship, the. Bligh appears to have written the book for cartographers and other sailors as much as he did for anyone else interested. William bligh what happened to captain bligh of the bounty. Captain bligh and loyal crew members turned adrift from the bounty by robert dodd. The bounty mutiny by william bligh, paperback barnes. Captain bligh, youve told your story of mutiny on the bounty, how men plotted against you, seized your ship, cast you adrift in an open boat, a great venture in science brought to nothing, two british ships lost. William bligh 9 september 17547 december 1817 was an english officer in the british navy. Mar 24, 2017 another fort in the harbour, and the ship, being the next objects of captain blighs attention, the theseus entered the port with the assistance of the boats.
William bligh simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The mutineers variously settled on tahiti or on pitcairn island. A voyage to the south sea by captain william bligh 1754 1817 a complete and unabridged telling of the most famous mutiny of all times the mutiny of the bounty told by captain william bligh. Read about the bountys medical book, held in the library at national. Vice admiral of the blue william bligh, frs, rn was an officer of the british royal navy and a colonial administrator.
William eventually becomes a captain of a vessel called the hms bounty. The others in the drama are largely incidental and two dimensional. He sailed with captain james cook on his third and final voyage in 1776. Blah, was a domineering man with a uniform resembling the historical figure, william bligh. Captain bligh mr christian, first edition abebooks. The bounty, under the command of captain william bligh, was a british ship whose mission was to bring breadfruit plants from tahiti to the west indies to provide cheap food for the african workers of the british empire. What caused blighs crew to lead a mutiny on his ship, the bounty, in 1789.
Meet a twentyfouryearold master bligh as he witnesses the demise of his captain and mentor, cook. He never expected the most dastardly dead that men can do on a ship would happen to him especially by the one man he trusted most fletcher christian. But few people know that bligh was the centre of a later, much larger mutiny, when he lost not just a ship but the entire continent of australia. Biography of william bligh, captain of the hms bounty. Captain bligh was meticulous in maintaining accurate records of every event that happened. A voyage to the south sea by william bligh free ebook. In 1787 bligh was made captain of hms bounty and sailed to tahiti to collect breadfruit trees. The majority of the book is the epic voyage across the pacific. In 1787, he was given command of an expedition to transplant breadfruit plants from tahiti to the west indies aboard the bounty.
William bligh was born near plymouth, england, in 1754. Dr vyse presenting him with the above book, november 1811. Bligh was, it so happened, a brilliant navigator captain james cook personally selected bligh to perform navigation duties on his third voyage to the south pacific and christians responsibilities on the bounty, it so happened, included assisting in navigation of the ship. The hms bounty was just a small merchant vessel on its way to tahiti to collect breadfruit. After all, this is the one nonliterary, contemporary, factual evidence by the captain of the ship. Indeed, it is a laconic description, and nothing more.
David marquet as the captain of a nuclear submarine, david marquet created intentbased leadership. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting lieutenant fletcher christian, seized control of the ship from their captain lieutenant william bligh and set him and 18 loyalists adrift in the ship s open launch. Sep 16, 20 a voyage to the south sea by captain william bligh 1754 1817 a complete and unabridged telling of the most famous mutiny of all times the mutiny of the bounty told by captain william bligh. So why not give the man a chance to defend his reign as captain of his ship.
A voyage to the south sea, undertaken by the command of his majesty, for the purpose of conveying the breadfruit tree to the west indies, in his majestys ship the bounty, commanded by lieutenant william bligh. Despite his adventurous career under captain james cook and horatio nelson, british royal navy officer and colonial governor william bligh 17541817 is now remembered for his harsh treatment of his crew that triggered their mutiny in. In the mutiny on the bounty, christian seized command of the ship from bligh on 28 april 1789. Like anyone who wants to visit the place, i contacted the islands high commissioner, who resides in oakland, new zealand and i filled in a questionnaire. This book makes it clear that the mutineers were swept away with passion for women they had met in tahihi and that bligh was a reasonable ships captain who truly cared for his crew. Mutiny on the bounty captains unexpected resting place draws fans. William bligh books list of books by author william bligh. Captain blighs cursed breadfruit travel smithsonian magazine. The journal of bountys launch a sea adventure paperback.
Anne salmond has produced an extraordinary account of bligh s voyage that simultaneously offers new perspectives on biography, exploration, encounters, and the vast pacific itself. Captain william blighs firsthand account of the last voyage of hms bounty. William blighs most popular book is the bounty mutiny. Mutiny on the bounty by william bligh, paperback barnes. Mutiny on the bounty from terra australis to australia stories. On april 28, 1789 a small and unremarkable merchant vessel became one of the. Bligh acquitted himself well in the battle, and was commended by nelson for his actions. Narrative of the mutiny on board his majestys ship bounty. Mutiny on the bounty is the title of the 1932 novel by charles nordhoff and james norman hall, based on the mutiny against lieutenant william bligh, commanding officer of the bounty in 1789. Blighs ship providence had arrived at port royal, kingston, to some fanfare, its floating forest, according to an officer of the ship, eagerly visited.
With a part of the crew of his majestys ship bounty, in an open boat 1824 by. Captain blighs other mutiny shares the story of two powerful and colourful men captain bligh and john macarthur bent on mutual destruction, a goal both achieved. The mutineers, led by fletcher christian, sailed off with the bounty in other pursuits. Nov 25, 2008 bligh was, it so happened, a brilliant navigator captain james cook personally selected bligh to perform navigation duties on his third voyage to the south pacific and christians responsibilities on the bounty, it so happened, included assisting in navigation of the ship. Bligh was a victim of snobbery and spin uk news the guardian. William bligh september 9, 1754december 7, 1817 was a british mariner who had the bad luck, timing and temperament to be aboard two shipshms bounty in 1789 and the hms director in 1791on which the crew mutinied. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Despite his adventurous career under captain james cook and horatio nelson, british royal navy officer and colonial governor william bligh 17541817 is now remembered for his harsh treatment of his crew that triggered their mutiny in 1789, an account that is told in bligh s own words in this volume. The crazy reallife story of the mutiny on the bounty. A historic mutiny occurred during his command of hms bounty in 1789. And no movie fan can forget the scene in which charles laughton, the definitive bligh in the 1935 film, instructs. Mutiny on the bounty book by john boyne thriftbooks. The men and the mutiny by hough, richard alexander and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
Captain blighs remarkable 3,600mile voyage to timor in the ships open launch. The mutiny on the bounty occurred during his command of hms bounty in 1789. There was also no such ship as hms bounty as the bounty was an armed auxiliary vessel and thus should be referred to as hmav bounty his majestys. Dangerous voyage of captain bligh in an open boat, over 1200 leagues of the ocean, in the year 1789, was published in dublin in 1820. Log of the proceedings of his majestys ship bounty. Dangerous voyage of captain bligh in an open boat, over 1200 leagues of the ocean. Christian was an officer that bligh had taught everything to he was going to be his successor. Mutiny on board hms bounty adlard coles maritime classics di bligh, captain william e una grande selezione di libri, arte e articoli da collezione disponibile su abebooks. With a part of the crew of his majestys ship bounty, in an open boat, over twelve hundred leagues of the ocean. The mutiny on the royal navy vessel hms bounty occurred in the south pacific on 28 april 1789. As they neared cape horn in march, the weather turned atrocious, with wave after wave battering the ship. The true story of the mutiny on the bounty telegraph.
Mutiny on the bounty is a collection of early detailed documents of the voyage of the bounty. William bligh is famous as captain of the bounty, the ship he lost to mutineers led by fletcher christian. A narrative of the mutiny on board his majestys ship bounty. The men and the mutiny bluejacket books by hough, richard isbn. Anne salmond has produced an extraordinary account of blighs voyage that simultaneously offers new perspectives on biography, exploration, encounters, and the vast pacific itself. On a second voyage to jamaica with bligh, christian was rated as the ship s second mate. This first edition by william bligh is available at bauman rare books. Largely in part to the effort of bligh to maintain an accurate log before, during, and after the actual mutiny, even the bountys crew list is well chronicled. To begin with, captain bligh wasnt even a captain during the famous 1789 bounty voyage but only a commanding lieutenant. That morning, william bligh and eighteen surly seamen were expelled from the bounty and began what would be the greatest openboat voyage in history. William bligh, english navigator, explorer, and commander of the hms bounty at the time of the celebrated mutiny on that ship. Mutiny, on channel 4 in the uk, charts a recreation of bligh s journey to timor. The son of a customs officer, bligh joined the royal navy in 1770.
A master mariner, navigator and cartographer, bligh will be forever linked to the mutiny on his ship the bounty and to a lesser extent, his volatile stint as the fourth governor of the fledgling colony of australia. Dec 07, 2014 history channel documentary looking into captain bligh the royal navys most infamous mariner, but was he really the nasty brute that popular culture portrays. Mutiny on the bounty is the thrilling account of the strange, eventful, and tragic voyage of his majestys ship bounty in 1788 1789, which culminated in. Pitcairns island they still hate captain bligh books. Mutiny on the bounty by charles nordhoff librarything. It also contains an appendix, containing an account of otaheite, and of some productions of that island. Mar 20, 2020 as is often the case, though, the truth is hazier, and the story of the mutiny on the bounty more befits an hbo prestige drama than a silverscreen romance. Bligh had himself been discharged from the royal navy and was now a merchant captain. Captain william blighs firsthand account of the last voyage.
Bligh had no choice but to steer the bounty on a 10,000mile detour past africa and australia amazingly, no trouble with the crew was noted until theyd reached tasmanias. Captain bligh, said christian, sounding much like miltons satan, that. Dangerous voyage of captain bligh in an open boat, over 1200 leagues of the. The psychological drama that played out in the south seas starring bligh, the efficient disciplinarian, and. A narrative of the mutiny, on board his majestys ship bounty. His sailing career began in 1762, when, at the age of seven, he was entered on the books of the monmouth as captains servant. I decided to read captain blighs diary after rereading the mutiny on the bounty and the seed of mccoy. Viceadmiral william bligh frs 9 september 1754 7 december 1817 was an officer of the. William bligh s most popular book is the bounty mutiny.
No monster on the high seas has equaled the infamous ship captain william bligh. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He is a nationally recognized speaker and authored the amazon bestseller turn the ship around. William bligh has 31 books on goodreads with 6337 ratings. Undertaken by command of his majesty for the purpose of conveying the breadfruit tree to the west indies in his majestys ship the bounty commanded by lieutenant william bligh. Bligh had served as captain cooks gifted young sailing master on cooks last voyage and it was the memory of those charts he drew upon when. Movies based on the mutiny on the bounty cliffsnotes. Often, these books are romantic or adventure stories, such as the three musketeers or mutiny on the bounty. The actual mutiny is a surprisingly brief part of the book, and the motivation and characters. A voyage to the south sea, undertaken by command of his majesty, for the purpose of conveying the breadfruit tree to the west indies, in his majestys ship the bounty, commanded by lieutenant william bligh. Fletcher christian 25 september 1764 20 september 1793 was masters mate on board hms bounty during lieutenant william blighs voyage to tahiti during 17871789 for breadfruit plants. Captain blighs epic voyage with a handful of loyal crew in an open raft across the east timor sea to the dutch east indies, where he sought help and then traveled back to england also makes fascinating reading.
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