.gif)
Mutiny on the Bounty (novel)
Encyclopedia
For the actual event described in this book, see Mutiny on the 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. It has been made into several films and a musical. It was the first of what became "The Bounty Trilogy", which continues with Men Against the Sea
, and concludes with Pitcairn's Island
.
. Byam, although not one of the mutineers, remains with the Bounty after the mutiny. He subsequently returns to Tahiti, and is eventually arrested and taken back to England to face a court-martial
. He and several other members of the crew are eventually acquitted.
A musical based on the same story appeared in the West End
during the 1980s. It was written by and starred David Essex
.
in 1879.
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
.
Mutiny on the Bounty is the title of the 1932 novel by Charles Nordhoff
Charles Nordhoff
Charles Bernard Nordhoff was an English-born American novelist and traveler.-Early life:Charles Nordhoff was born in London, England, on February 1, 1887, to American parents. His father was Walter Nordhoff, a wealthy businessman and author of The Journey of the Flame penned under the name...
and James Norman Hall
James Norman Hall
James Norman Hall was an American author best known for the novel Mutiny on the Bounty with co-author Charles Nordhoff.-Biography:Hall was born in Colfax, Iowa, where he attended the local schools...
, based on the mutiny
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
against Lieutenant William Bligh
William Bligh
Vice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...
, commanding officer of the Bounty
HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
in 1789. It has been made into several films and a musical. It was the first of what became "The Bounty Trilogy", which continues with Men Against the Sea
Men Against the Sea
Men Against the Sea is the second installment in the trilogy by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall about the mutiny aboard HMS Bounty. It is preceded by Mutiny on the "Bounty" and followed by Pitcairn's Island...
, and concludes with Pitcairn's Island
Pitcairn's Island (novel)
Pitcairn's Island is the third installment in the fictional trilogy by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall about the mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty. It is preceded by Mutiny on the "Bounty" and Men Against the Sea...
.
Plot introduction
The novel tells the story through a fictional first-person narrator by the name of Roger Byam, based on actual crew member Peter HeywoodPeter Heywood
Captain Peter Heywood was a British naval officer who was aboard HMS Bounty during the mutiny of 28 April 1789. He was later captured, tried and condemned to death as a mutineer, but subsequently pardoned...
. Byam, although not one of the mutineers, remains with the Bounty after the mutiny. He subsequently returns to Tahiti, and is eventually arrested and taken back to England to face a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
. He and several other members of the crew are eventually acquitted.
Characters in Mutiny on the Bounty
- Roger Byam – main protagonist, based on actual crew member Peter HeywoodPeter HeywoodCaptain Peter Heywood was a British naval officer who was aboard HMS Bounty during the mutiny of 28 April 1789. He was later captured, tried and condemned to death as a mutineer, but subsequently pardoned...
- William BlighWilliam BlighVice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...
– Lieutenant and commander of the Bounty - Fletcher ChristianFletcher ChristianFletcher Christian was a master's mate on board the Bounty during William Bligh's fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants...
– eventual mutineer
Film, TV and theatrical adaptations
- In the Wake of the BountyIn the Wake of the BountyIn the Wake of the Bounty was an Australian film exploring the story of the Bounty. It preceded MGM's more famous Mutiny on the Bounty by two years and featured the screen debut of Errol Flynn, playing Fletcher Christian. Mayne Lynton portrayed Captain Bligh and Charles Chauvel directed the film. ...
(1933) (notable as the first film to introduce Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
to movie audiences, as Fletcher Christian) - Mutiny on the BountyMutiny on the Bounty (1935 film)Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1935 film starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and directed by Frank Lloyd based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel Mutiny on the Bounty.The film was one of the biggest hits of its time...
(1935) - Mutiny on the BountyMutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1962 film starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard based on the novel Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. The film retells the 1789 real-life mutiny aboard HMAV Bounty led by Fletcher Christian against the ship's captain, William Bligh...
(1962) - The BountyThe BountyThe Bounty is a 1984 British historical film directed by Roger Donaldson, starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins, and produced by Bernard Williams with Dino De Laurentiis as executive producer. It is the fifth film version of the story of the mutiny on the Bounty. The screenplay was by Robert Bolt...
(1984)
A musical based on the same story appeared in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
during the 1980s. It was written by and starred David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
.
Further reading
- Caroline Alexander, The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, Viking Penguin, 2003, hardcover, 512 pages, ISBN 0-670-03133-X
- William Bligh, Meuterei auf der Bounty, Erdmann Verlag Tübingen. Description of actual travel logs by W. Bligh, published 1791 and 1793 by Georg ForsterGeorg ForsterJohann Georg Adam Forster was a German naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist, and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father on several scientific expeditions, including James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific...
and his father in Berlin as "Magazin von merkwürdigen neuen Reisebeschreibungen".
Other
A first Novel Les Révoltés de la Bounty (The Mutineers of the Bounty) was published by Jules VerneJules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
in 1879.
External links
- Hollywood history http://web.archive.org/web/20091027135107/http://geocities.com/mustavapint/history.htm Commentary on the novel and how it influenced the film(s) and popular perception of the actual events; comparison between three of the films.