Description

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From renowned author and naval historian Angus Konstam, this is a gripping account of one of the Royal Navy's bloodiest and most dramatic mutinies.

Mutiny on the Spanish Main tells the dramatic story of HMS Hermione, a British frigate which, in 1797, was the site of the bloodiest mutiny in British naval history, which saw the death of her captain and many of her officers. Though her crew handed her over to the Spanish, Hermione was subsequently recaptured in a daring raid on a Caribbean port two years later. Drawing on letters, reports, ship's logs, and memoirs of the period, as well as previously unpublished Spanish sources, Angus Konstam intertwines extensive research with a fast-paced but balanced account of the mutiny and its consequences.

Illustrated with maps and diagrams tracing the events as they unfolded, and supported by informative inserts on the technical and tactical nuances of seamanship and naval warfare in the period, this book is both a fascinating narrative retelling and an informative guide to one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy.

About the Author

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Angus Konstam is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has written widely on naval history, with well over a hundred books in print. He is a former Royal Navy officer, maritime archaeologist and museum curator, who has worked in the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. Now a full-time author and historian, he lives in Orkney.

Praise For…

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“A vivid account of a forgotten chapter of British naval history.” —Dan Snow, Historian, TV Presenter and Broadcaster

“Angus Konstam is a master of meticulous maritime research and has brilliantly reignited this stirring tale of mutiny, savage murder, treason and subsequent Royal Navy daring and gallant retaliation and retribution. It is a cracking good read.” —Admiral Sir Jock Slater, Royal Navy (rtd.), former First Sea Lord

“Angus Konstam has delivered a masterful work. Fast moving, fascinating intrigue, incredible action, and heroic retribution by the Royal Navy. Meticulous research includes a surprising impact on US history. Patrick O'Brian would love this book. I couldn't put it down!” —Admiral Jay L. Johnson U.S. Navy (rtd.), former Chief of Naval Operations

“Mutiny on the Spanish Main has everything such a history should have: a story which no novelist would dare put before his readers, an exploration of the depths to which unconfined humans can sink… [and] a graphic style which places the reader in the action – and there is action aplenty. What more could any reader want?” —Peter Padfield, Author of Nelson's War

“Konstam's detective work in archives across the world reveals the astonishing story of what really happened, the characters of the men involved and the convoluted mixture of geopolitics and personality which led to one of the bloodiest chapters in British naval history.” —Siân Rees, Author of The Floating Brothel

“Angus Konstam starts in the homely surroundings of a pub in Greenwich with two lamented and larger-than-life characters, and takes us to the Caribbean in one of the navy's worst-run ships, in a period of great unrest. He provided a moving and terrifying picture of mutiny and its aftermath in one of the Royal Navy's darkest hours, combined with a thorough understanding of the customs and techniques of the navy of the day.” —Brian Lavery, Curator Emeritus, National Museum, Greenwich and author of Nelson's Navy