Mutiny On The 'Bounty': A Novel Of The Bounty

352 pages

Published March 10, 2008 by Black Swan.

ISBN:: 978-0-385-61167-1

(1 review)

The story of the mutiny on the Bounty told from a fresh and original perspective.December 23, 1787, Portsmouth.A 14-year-old boy, John Jacob Turnstile, has got into trouble with the police on one too many occasions and is on his way to prison when an offer is put to him - a ship has been refitted over the last few months and is about to set sail with an important mission. The boy who was expected to serve as the captain's personal valet has been injured and a replacement must be found immediately. The deal is struck and he finds himself onboard, meeting the captain, just as the ship sets sail.The ship is HMS Bounty, the captain is William Bligh, and their destination is Tahiti.Mutiny on the Bounty is the first novel to explore all the events relating to the Bounty's voyage, from their long journey across the ocean to their …

The story of the mutiny on the Bounty told from a fresh and original perspective.December 23, 1787, Portsmouth.A 14-year-old boy, John Jacob Turnstile, has got into trouble with the police on one too many occasions and is on his way to prison when an offer is put to him - a ship has been refitted over the last few months and is about to set sail with an important mission. The boy who was expected to serve as the captain's personal valet has been injured and a replacement must be found immediately. The deal is struck and he finds himself onboard, meeting the captain, just as the ship sets sail.The ship is HMS Bounty, the captain is William Bligh, and their destination is Tahiti.Mutiny on the Bounty is the first novel to explore all the events relating to the Bounty's voyage, from their long journey across the ocean to their adventures on the island of Tahiti and the subsequent 48 day expedition towards Timor. A vivid recreation of the famous mutiny, the story is packed with humour, violence and historical detail, while presenting a very different portrait of Captain Bligh and Mr Christian than has ever been shown before.

13 editions

Sean Randall reviewed Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne

Review of 'Mutiny on the Bounty' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I checked this out of the library with only a passing familiarity with the Bounty and was pleasantly surprised. John's narrative is very easy to read and most expert at pulling you in; you really get a sense of the times in the text, which is important for any sort of historical frame of reference. I could easily see it appealing to younger readers, and it seems to serve as a relatively accurate account of things with a healthy dollop of hero-worship for Bligh included.