America’s industrial heartland is not a story of individual enterprise, but the work of corporations, government agencies, political parties, and industry institutions, such as the Lake Carriers Association. That said, the book’s connections to Atlantic maritime history are less nuanced. His assertion that, “a thread that runs through the entire history of the Great Lakes navigation is the reluctance of saltwater sailors to take seriously the power of the inland seas,” remains open to debate. In practice, before the full industrialization of Great Lakes shipping in the 20th century, the Great Lakes remained a regional manifestation of the globalizing Atlantic maritime system and culture. By contrast, Karamanski’s coverage of the important differences and conflicts between fresh and saltwater maritime systems and cultures during the 20th century is engaging and historically well-grounded. Crucial for understanding the modern Great Lakes, later salt/freshwater conflicts underscore Karamanski’s lessons about the unintended negative results of transformative infrastructure, particularly the St. Lawrence Seaway. The realization of the dreams of nearly a century of maritime industrialists, the Seaway brought not universal regional prosperity, but local economic dislocation and tremendous ecological damage through the introduction of non-native species in the ballast water of ocean vessels. In summary, Mastering the Inland Seas is a valuable contribution to the growing body of Great Lakes maritime historiography by a master public historian. The book provides a valuable introduction into longterm institutional and political forces that shaped the world’s most important freshwater system and influenced the direction of North American history. It provides a useful example for new public historians who, to make a living, must produce useful, professionally vetted scholarship under a tight budget and time constraints. It is a welcome addition to any student of Great Lakes history. John O. Jensen, PhD Pensacola, Florida
Chasing the Bounty: The Voyages of the neither a willing participant in Christian’s Pandora and Matavy, edited by Donald plot nor a supporter of his captain). He, in A. Maxton (McFarland, Jefferson, NC, spite of several midshipmen—technically 2020, 200pp, illus, notes, biblio, index, officers—became the tacit leader of the 15 isbn 978-1-476-67938-9; $39.95pb) men who remained in Tahiti when Almost everyone knows the story of Christian sailed off in Bounty to parts the mutiny on the Bounty: Captain Bligh unknown (Pitcairn Island). He describes along with 18 of his loyal men and officers in some detail the efforts made to cohabitate are put into a ship’s launch with the natives, keep peace with the chiefs, and cast adrift while the and secure their aid in the construction of ringleader, Fletcher Chris- the ship, including sourcing timber, cutting tian, and 25 of his followers it, making rope (from palm leaves and sail the ship back to Tahiti vines), and ultimately moving the 30-ton to be reunited with their vessel 600 feet to the water from the site island “wives” and sweet- where she was built. hearts. Fewer people know Representing the “other side” of the about the story of what story, we have Dr. George Hamilton, surhappened afterwards. The geon in HMS Pandora, whose own journal Bounty Trilogy, written in was published contemporaneously with the The Glencannon Press the 1930s by Nordoff and return of the survivors to England, titled 4 col. inches (2.25 x 4.5 inches) Hall, covers a fictionalized A Voyage Round the World in his Majesty’s Prefer right hand page, bottom right.His remarkably complete account of the plight of Frigate Pandora. both Bligh and his men, as well as the fate observations and commentary, from the of the mutineers. Others have offered sim- Pandora’s departure from England to the ilar treatment of the subject, including this wrecking of the ship off Australia and the reviewer, with some more closely following ultimate return to England, provide further the history than others. Multiple films have insight and detail missing from some of been made, of course, but little mention the other scribes. was made in them regarding the final outcome. Mr. Maxton, seeing a void that THE GLENCANNON needed filling, has produced the quintesPRESS sential NON-fiction volume filled with the words of five of the eyewitness participants Maritime Books in this heinous crime. Direct excerpts from Midshipman Peter Heywood’s correspondence with his NEW! mother and sister offer telling detail and The Ferryboat Berkeley surely a mindset of one of the reluctant by participants (he was kind of “stuck,” remaining in Bounty as there was no more Patricia Shannon Anderson room in Bligh’s boat). He accepted his predicament with a fatalistic attitude after The complete history of this providing a factual and succinct account historic craft now located at of the mutiny itself. Reproductions of parts the Maritime Museum of San of his letters are offered within the text. Diego. More than 200 pages, A segment from bosun James Morrison’s lengthy journal describes the 29 in full color. construction of the mutineers’ 30-ton Available May 1, 2020. vessel, which they named Resolution and which Captain Edward Edwards renamed FREE Catalog 1-510-455-9027 Matavy, in recognition of Matavai Bay Online at where the mutineers were captured. His www.glencannon.com insight into the habits of the natives and the way he handled his fellow mutineers (his role appeared to be quite neutral—
G P
SEA HISTORY 173, WINTER 2020–21 49