Mutiny : A History of Naval Insurrection - Hardcover

Nothing is more terrifying to a seagoing captain than the specter or mutiny, and nothing more riveting than a tale of mutinous deeds. In this fascinating book, Leonard Guttridge provides a casebook of mutinies that have occurred over the past two hundred years, beginning with the mutiny on the Bounty. Peopled with colorful characters and filled with suspense, Mutiny brings these dramatic and often bloody events to life, alternately exciting our horror and arousing our sympathy. Guttridge examines the world's famous and not-so-famous mutinies-the bloody uprising aboard the Potemkin, the racial disturbances on the Constellation, the rebellion at the Nore, the hijacking of the Storozhevoy, to name but a few-and asks what these incidents, occurring in different navies and in different ages, have in common. His findings are both startling and illuminating. In his search for a single definition of mutiny, Guttridge came upon muddy waters. Contrary to popular belief, there is more to mutiny than solely the effort to seize control of a ship. Legal opinions are inconclusive. Some courts have ruled that simple disobedience qualifies. Some military legalists insist that a mutiny must be a cooperative act, others hold that one person can make a mutiny. As a result, the word "mutiny" has been laid to acts as diverse as the murderous violence of the Hermione's men and the hunger strikes of the Friedrich der Grosse's crew. Guttridge claims that discipline often depends more upon the crew's decision to obey than upon the officers' will to lead. Why, then, does mutiny occur only rarely in naval history? What are the forces that maintain discipline and sustain morale? And what are the factors that cause sailors to rebel against their officers? Guttridge's answers are sure to fascinate historians and naval leaders alike, suggesting that only communication between all levels of command can prevent mutiny, the greatest naval catastrophe of all.