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Title: Paradise in Chains

Subtitle: The Bounty Mutiny and the Founding of Australia

Author: Diana Preston

Narrator: Davina Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-07-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

Celebrated historian Diana Preston presents betrayals, escapes, and survival at sea in her account of the mutiny of the Bounty and the flight of convicts from the Australian penal colony.

The story of the mutiny of the Bounty and William Bligh and his men's survival on the open ocean for 48 days and 3,618 miles has become the stuff of legend. But few realize that Bligh's escape across the seas was not the only open-boat journey in that era of British exploration and colonization. Indeed, nine convicts from the Australian penal colony, led by Mary Bryant, also traveled 3,250 miles across the open ocean and some uncharted seas to land at the same port Bligh had reached only months before.

In this meticulously researched dual narrative of survival, acclaimed historian Diana Preston provides the background and context to explain the thrilling open-boat voyages each party survived and the Pacific Island nations each encountered on their journey to safety. Through this deep dive, listeners come to understand the Pacific Islands as they were and as they were perceived, and how these seemingly utopian lands became a place where mutineers, convicts, and eventually the natives themselves, were chained.

Members Reviews:

Excellent way of learning about the history of Australia

The author accomplishes an interesting merger between factual correct documentation and an entertaining writing style, which makes this book an excellent read

A Clash of Cultures

Don't let my four stars fool you. My rating is based on my interest and understanding level on this subject matter. Author Diana Preston has done a remarkable job in putting together the story of the mutiny that took place on the HMAS Bounty and the founding of Australia and for that she rates five stars. This was a clash of cultures between the British and the natives of Australia and the islands that were visited such as Tahiti.

Passengers and convicts that took part in this story suffered a miserable existence due to the environmental differences from what they knew in England and what they needed to adjust to in these faraway lands. Not having the experience nor the skills needed in this environment led to disharmony and finally to the mutiny of Fletcher Christian and his supporters from Captain William Bligh. To give you a time frame this took place the same year George Washington became president of the United States in 1789.

This is a good book to be an arm chair witness to rather than to have been there personally. It has flared tempers, struggles in adaptation to the environment, second guessing of decisions some individuals made, and sexually transmitted diseases that took place with the females on Tahiti. The book contains sixteen pages of photographs and, in addition to doing a lot of research, the author also spent time in many of the areas she writes about in the book..