The Mutiny on the Bounty

Life sailing with the Royal Navy in the 1780's was particularly miserable: sailors slept in crowded hammocks, ate moldy cheese and maggoty bread, and were subject to very harsh discipline. So when the HMS Bounty arrived in Tahiti after 11 months at sea, the crew of the Bounty thought it was heaven on earth. Living on the island paradise made them lazy and careless.

As the return journey began, Captain Bligh's crew proved reluctant to leave. His temper began to flare, and his second-in-command and old friend Fletcher Christian suffered the worst of Bligh's outbursts. His honor at stake and a longing to return to the island, Christian led a mutiny, then set Bligh and 18 loyal crew members adrift in a launch.

A daring escape by Christian and the mutineers, paired with Bligh's amazing story of survival all make up one of history's most rousing true maritime tales, and Patrick O'Brien's 85 illustrations reach epic proportions of drama and realism.

PATRICK O'BRIEN is the author and illustrator of eleven books for children. After earning a degree in biology from the University of Virginia in 1982, he worked at a naval architecture firm before going to art school. He has been a prolific freelance illustrator for 20 years. Patrick lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and son.
www.patrickobrienstudio.com