Mutiny on the Globe: The Fatal Voyage of Samuel Comstock
by Thomas Farel Heffernan
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Description
Moby Dick meets Mutiny on the Bounty in this thrilling story of violence, megalomania and high-adventure survival in the Pacific islands.Tags
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Member Reviews
Before I was even a small way into this tale of a man's lifelong descent into psychopathy culminating in near decapitation, mutiny and vain attempt to take over a Pacific atoll I went into Google looking to see where I could stream the movie treatment. Well, apparently there is none and that seems a missed opportunity for what would be something like Master and Commander meets Forensic Files. The tale from whaling Nantucket to Hawaii to the remote atoll is months-long crime investigated and pieced together from multiple primary sources, many of which are included in appendices.
Also, someone should reuse mad Samuel's murderous threat,
Also, someone should reuse mad Samuel's murderous threat,
While still on the Japan Ground the Globe had a gam with the 413-ton Enterprise, on the deck of whichshow more
something happened that was insignificant at the time but would come to life again during the mutiny and add one more bit of viciousness to the tragedy. A party from the Globe, including Third Mate Fisher and Boatsteerer Comstock, had gone on board the Enterprise. In a playful mood, which the spirit of the occasion encouraged, Samuel approached Fisher and challenged him to a wrestling match. Fisher was the more athletic of the two and had no difficulty winning the match. Samuel was enraged and punched Fisher, who easily went after him again and laid him on the deck. “I’ll see your heart’s blood for this,” Samuel said, but Fisher paid no attention to the threat, something that enraged Samuel even more. The humiliation never abated in Samuel’s mind.show less
I'm not sure what it was about this book that rubbed me the wrong way, but I just found it uninteresting and clunky. Lots of interesting material in the appendices, but the story just didn't seem to quite warrant the treatment.
A look at a now little-known mutiny of the early 1800's that occurred on a whaling ship out of Nantucket. The author relies heavily on primary sources to put together the story of what happened on the Globe, and the events that occurred afterward. Although the title speaks to the mutiny it is actually a very small part of the story, the focus being on the eccentricities of the mutineer, and then the experiences of the remaining stranded crew members. Enjoyable and well written with extensive notes and reproduced photographs and texts.
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Author Information
17 Works 248 Members
Thomas Heffernan lives in Garden City, New York.
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Mutiny on the Globe: The Fatal Voyage of Samuel Comstock
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, Travel, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 910.45 — History & geography Geography & travel modified standard subdivisions of Geography and travel Pirates & Shipwrecks Ocean voyages, pirates
- LCC
- G545 .H374 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Geography (General) Seafaring life, ocean travel, etc.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 161
- Popularity
- 202,924
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.60)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 3
