The twelve-day ordeal of one hundred men and women stranded on a raft off the coast of Africa in 1816 exposes the madness at the heart of humanity, documenting the mutiny, murder, factional warfare, and cannibalism that occured during this nightmarish ordeal. Reprint.

Review

In July 1816, a year after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, a French ship bound for the colony of Senegal foundered off the West African coast. Aboard were some 400 men, women, and children, some aristocrats, some Republicans, and all at the mercy of an incompetent captain who, a tribunal later found, had alienated his battle-tested officers and favored a shockingly incompetent and untried navigator.

That captain, writes Alexander McKee in this forceful work of historical reconstruction, did not wait to see the results of his incompetence; he abandoned his crew and set off on a longboat for the Senegalese shore. Other officers and crewmen left on the remaining lifeboats, taking most of the ship's provisions and leaving more than 150 passengers to brave the open sea on a raft. Within a few days, most of those castaways had been burned to death by the sun, providing food for the survivors. When rescuers arrived, they found only "fifteen men, almost naked, faces and bodies blotched and disfigured by the scorching sun"--a sight that would soon be reported to a horrified world.

McKee writes not only of the fate of the Medusa and its unfortunate passengers, but also of other terrible shipwrecks and kindred incidents. Along the way, he looks at the making of G�ricault's celebrated painting The Wreck of the Medusa, the effect of exposure and dehydration on the human body, and assorted questions of bravery and cowardice. His book makes for a vivid, highly readable--if sometimes repugnant--tale of disaster and terror. --Gregory McNamee

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

We are dedicated to providing customers with easy, flawless transactions and excellent books! We provide 100% customer satisfaction and are always here to answer any questions or concerns for our customers.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Farm For Books Inc
1734 Bellaire Street, Denver, CO, 80220, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Shipping Terms

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	4 to 14 business days	3 to 8 business days
First item	US$ 5.50	US$ 12.75

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.