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.
Mutiny On The Bounty
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An excellent story...Written with a total command of naval expertise, without ever spilling over into pedantry, Mutiny on the Bounty is storytelling at its most accomplished (Independent )
A mesmerising tour-de-force... This is a remarkable and compelling piece of storytelling (Irish Times ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
A mesmerising tour-de-force... This is a remarkable and compelling piece of storytelling (Irish Times ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Book Description
A fresh and exciting new telling of a classic nautical adventure by the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The story begins with a nod to Oliver Twist: the orphan John Turnstile picks the pocket of a gentleman he sees browsing at a bookstall, is apprehended by the police and hauled up before the beak. However, the kindly gentleman turns out to be his saviour, offering him a chance to avoid a year in gaol by taking a job aboard the Bounty.
In John Boyne's version of events, Captain William Bligh is the hero, a kind-hearted (if a little pig-headed) man who is proud of his record of fairness and not having to discipline his crew. His nemesis Fletcher Christian, in contrast to the cinematic personifications of him courtesy of Messrs Flynn, Gable, Brando and Gibson, is portrayed as a vain, pompous dandy.
The story follows the Bounty as it sets sail from Portsmouth to Otaheite (Tahiti) where, after a hard and perilous journey, the sailors partake of the food, drink and other delights on offer from the very hospitable natives. A group of them, led by Christian, decide they would rather stay in this island paradise than return to Blighty, and the infamous mutiny takes place. Bligh and his ragtag band of 18 loyal supporters (including Turnstile) are forced to leave the ship and set sail in a tiny 'tub' on an 48 day journey which is beset by disease, hunger and madness, until they finally find salvation in the Dutch colony of Timor.
Turnstile (or "Turnip" as he is known aboard the ship, much to his disgust) is a very engaging character with an endearing line in cheeky banter and an optimistic outlook, despite his dreadful start in life as a child prostitute and pickpocket in the 'care' of the Faginesque Mr Lewis ("Him what brought me up"). He quickly earns the trust and confidence of Captain Bligh, paving the way for a touching, lifelong friendship based on mutual respect.
I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely colourful and at times very funny adventure story, which is now up there with my other two favourite sea-faring tales Star of the Sea and Sea of Poppies. It's very different in style and content from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which just goes to show what a diverse and talented author John Boyne is.
In John Boyne's version of events, Captain William Bligh is the hero, a kind-hearted (if a little pig-headed) man who is proud of his record of fairness and not having to discipline his crew. His nemesis Fletcher Christian, in contrast to the cinematic personifications of him courtesy of Messrs Flynn, Gable, Brando and Gibson, is portrayed as a vain, pompous dandy.
The story follows the Bounty as it sets sail from Portsmouth to Otaheite (Tahiti) where, after a hard and perilous journey, the sailors partake of the food, drink and other delights on offer from the very hospitable natives. A group of them, led by Christian, decide they would rather stay in this island paradise than return to Blighty, and the infamous mutiny takes place. Bligh and his ragtag band of 18 loyal supporters (including Turnstile) are forced to leave the ship and set sail in a tiny 'tub' on an 48 day journey which is beset by disease, hunger and madness, until they finally find salvation in the Dutch colony of Timor.
Turnstile (or "Turnip" as he is known aboard the ship, much to his disgust) is a very engaging character with an endearing line in cheeky banter and an optimistic outlook, despite his dreadful start in life as a child prostitute and pickpocket in the 'care' of the Faginesque Mr Lewis ("Him what brought me up"). He quickly earns the trust and confidence of Captain Bligh, paving the way for a touching, lifelong friendship based on mutual respect.
I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely colourful and at times very funny adventure story, which is now up there with my other two favourite sea-faring tales Star of the Sea and Sea of Poppies. It's very different in style and content from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which just goes to show what a diverse and talented author John Boyne is.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By T. F. Kerr
Format:Paperback
Anyone with an interest in historical fiction will surely enjoy this one. Boyne's writing is pretty solid - by the standards of the genre it is superb - and his portrayal of the major historical players breathes new life into a well-worn story. Most notable is that Bligh, so often the villain of the story, is cast as a well-meaning and generally kind officer whose chief concerns were the welfare of his men and the success of his mission. Highly recommended.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Omega Man
Format:Hardcover
Truly fascinating, with a fresh new angle on a well-known story -- yet, you'll keep turning the pages wondering what happens next? It's part coming-of-age story, part adventure story, never gets dull and so well-written. Mr. Boyne has written a masterpiece!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read
John Jacob Turnstile is a fully fledged three dimensional character who has the wit and wisdom of a street-wise boy of fourteen who choses not to go to prison but to be the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sean Frazer Williamson
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favourite books
This is a gripping page turner that has adventure on every page. The characters are interesting and there is a lot of humour from the main character that keeps you smiling as well. Read more
Published 4 months ago by ciara
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read but ...
First off, the plus side - this is a good read, any reasonably well researched narrative of the Bounty mutiny (1789) could hardly fail to be so. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Maurice Walsh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ideal introduction to the whole sorry tale
Really excellent book. Very engrossing and it is obvious that the author has gone out of his way to research the facts of the Bounty but hasn't burdened the reader with the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by SergiusT
5.0 out of 5 stars
A really great read
This is really a riveting book.
If you like historical fiction, then this is a must-read. Read more
If you like historical fiction, then this is a must-read. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Dan Crawford
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fair
I bought this book after reading and thoroughly enjoying 'The Absolutist'. I was a bit disappointed to see both the prose and the story less affecting than Boyne's other books. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Maglor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic read
Despite my normal aversion to any book with a "historical" or a "sea-faring" theme, I had a good feeling about this book. Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. Tolmie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, easy read
A marvellously entertaining read. John Jacob Turnstile is a pickpocket in Portsmouth who, to avoid going to prison for a year, accepts a berth as Captain Bligh's servant aboard... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2011 by John Hopper
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, but...
I bought this ages ago and it has sat on my "books waiting to be read" pile ever since. This week I picked it up and finally read it and I wasn't disappointed. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2010 by Hillplodder
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical fiction
An excellently written book - i just could not stop turning the pages. It portrays characters differently to the classic interpretations and i think this breathes new life into the... Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2010 by Mrs. S. Marshall
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