REVIEWS battleship Potemkin. He continues through to a sociological exami nation of the race- inspired revolts on board the American aircraft carriers Constellation and Kittyhawk during the Vietnam era. To the relief of the modern US Navy, Guttridge never refers to these as "m utinies," again leaving the nomenclature to the reader. An innocuous enemy of mutinies, especially the larger fleet types, emerges unbidden from Guttridge's text-it is time. Time wears down the cause, the spirit, and the unity of the perpetrators, as well as the patience of the authorities. From the Nore to the Potemkin to the present, time is the debilitating factor eating away at the heart of the energies that lead men with few or no rights to rebel against those who hold them in thraldom. But not all mutinies originate from the lower decks. Perhaps the greatest mutiny of all occurred in 1917 , when Admiral Hans Ludwig von Reuter disobeyed the orders of his govern ment, the dictates of hi s British captors, and the terms of the peace treaty ending WWI. The German High Seas Fleet of74 ships had steamed into captivity at Britain's Scapa Flow anchorage in the Orkney Islands: "what a mechanic's mate of the Prinzregent Luitpold called 'the saddest voyage ever made by an undefeated fleet. '" Months later, on June 17, 1918, von Reuter appeared in fu ll uniform on£mden'squarterdeck. At I OAM telegraphs signaled hi s orders. Within minutes a select group of officers and loyal enlisted men opened seacocks and scuttled the entire High Seas Fleet. By 5PM, every German ship lay on the bottom-the result of a mutiny by an admiral. Leonard Guttridge's book deserves to be called " landmark." Would that he wrote a similar treatise on dueling. The ed iting of Mutiny : A History of Naval Insurrection is well above average, and its 57 careful ly selected illustrations can be thoughtfully combined with the unusual array of quality movies devoted to mutinies. The author unabashedly ac know ledges cinematography's contributions to the crime's historiography by free ly mentioning Sergei Eisenstein's landmark movie "T he Battleship Potemkin ," the various Bounty fi lms, andWWII's"CaineMutiny,"allofwhich contribute significant visual exposition to hi s subject matter. In the end, however, it is you, the reader, who must decide. What is a muSEA HISTORY 64, WINTER 1992-93
tiny? Thanks to the talents of Leonard F. Guttridge, developing the answer has become considerably less burdensome. DR. W . M . P. D UNNE
Long Island University Southampton, New York Sails and Steam in the Mountains, by Russell P. Bellico (Purpl e Mountain Press, Fleischmann s NY, 1992, 400pp, illus; $45hb, $20pb) The secondary title of thi s book , " A Maritime and Military Hi story of Lake George and Lake Champlain ," promises much, and the work that follows delivers substantially on the promi se. As a series of fully packed chapters carrying the reader through the events that shaped the region-always linked to waterways and watercraft- it provides a thorough treatment of the naval and land engagements of the French and Indian War, the American Revolution , and the War of 18 12 as well as a broad chronicle of the canal and steamboat eras on the lakes. Voluminous hi storical fac t, otherwise overw he lming, is effectively garni shed with an informative blend of hi storic maps , retrospective illustration s, and modern photographs by the author. The presentation would benefit, however, from a modem reference map, inserted periodically as an index to the text. Given the dramatic topography surrounding the lakes, and the role terrain played in the logistics of war and the developments of peacetime, such a map could be an integral part of the presentation. The frequent linkage of the narrative to archaeo log ica l ev idence, appended to some chapters in the form of a brief summary, adds dimension to the work and draws, quite obviously , on the author's special interest, experience and expertise. On the author's unspoken agenda is the message that in sp ite of fascinating glimpses into our submerged maritime past, we have all , as citi zens, suffered heartbreaking losses through the selfish, and often mindless, activities of others. Given the dimension of thi s problem still today, one could only have wished for an even stronger condemnation of the motives that promote these activities. But thi s may be more by way of commentary than criticism. No one who claims interest in the hi story of the Lake George/ Lake Champlain region, who expresses a fascination with the richness of underwater history and a desire to see it preserved, or who just enjoys envi sioning the past
DOVER Books on Ships, Maritime History AMERICA'S LIGHT~~HOUSES, Francis Hol- ~ land, Jr. Illustrated his- I '""'"~~~~· tory describes founding ~ !~~HOUSES and operation of over ~ ;n nluStrated History 200 famous lights along ! U.S. coastal and inland (~ waters, 1716 to 1930s. ; Over 100 photos and illustrations_. Best book I 1til -~ . on the subiect. 240pp. ,., . - _ .- 8 x 10~. 25576-X Pa. $10.95 AMERICAN SAILING SHIPS, Charles G. Davis. Invaluable guide to schooners, frigates, clippers, other craft, 18th to early 20th centuries. 137 photos, plans show construction details, more. 240pp. 6% x 9J~. 24658-2 Pa. $6.95 SAILING VESSELS IN AUTHENTIC EARLY NINETEENTH-CENTURY ILLUSTRATIONS , Edward William Cooke. Masterwork of maritime art by famed English artist. 65 black-and-white illustrations portray English ships, ports in ea rly d eca d es of 19th century. 76pp. 818 x I m. 26141-7 Pa. $6.95 THE YANKEE WHALER, Clifford Ashley. Fascinating firsthand account published in 1926 of the whaling trade: ships, gear, shipboard routine, whales and whaling men, methods of attack, more. 150 photos and illustrations. 304pp. 6Jl x 9Jt 26854-3 Pa. $10.95 ADVENTURESAT SEAINTHEGREAT AGE OF SAIL, Elliot Snow (ed.). Five fascinating firsthand accounts of adventure on the high seas from 1790 to 1830s. Stories of pirates, shipwrecks, exploration, survival on uninhabited islands, more. 33 illustrations. 37lpp. 518 x 8%. 25177-2 Pa. $9.95 SAILING ALONE AROUND THE WORLD, Joshua Slocum. Exciting narrative of the first man to sail alone around the world in a small boat. Slocum's three year voyage on a 34' sloop, 1895- 98, covered 46,000 miles and many adventures. 67 illus. 20326-3 Pa. $4.95 318pp. 5% x 8. THE ART OF RIGGING, George Biddlecombe. 1848 classic is considered the best manual ever produced on rigging the sailing ship . Discusses and illustrates every aspect of the subject. Fascinating reading for sailing buffs, essential for ship model builders. 166pp. 518 x 8Jl. 26343-6 Pa. $5.95
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24 Full-Color Postcards, $3.95! HISTORIC SAILING SHIPS POSTCARDS, John Batchelor. Detailed, accurate full-color renderings of Santa Maria, U.S.S. Constitution, Cutty Sark , Flying Cloud, 20 other great ships on ready-to-mail postcards. 27099-8 Pa. $3.95 FREE Maritime/Social Science Book Catalog (59100-X) illustrates and describes over 300 books on maritime history, travel and adventure, more. No purchase necessary.
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