The Wreck of the Batavia and Prosper

Condition: BRAND NEW ISBN: 9781863953269 Author(s): Simon Leys Format: Paperback Language: English Year: 2010 Publisher: Black Inc. Pages: 128

Description: In 1629, the Batavia was wrecked on a coral archipelago fifty miles from the Australian continent. Most of the people on board surtvived, only to become victims of a visionary psychopath who, with the help of a dozen followers, organised a methodical massacre of the hapless community.Following the wreak's discovery some forty years ago, Simon Leys travelled to the site. This is his riviting account of the shipwreck and its brutal aftermath. As well as a narrative of the disaster, it is also a subtle consideration of the nature of totalitarianism and our susceptability to its ideologues.This book also includes Leys' elegiac essay, Prosper, recalling a summer when he joined the crew of a tuna-fishing boat from Brittany, one of the last boats still working under sail. The remarkable piece vividly evokes the traditions, hardships and dangers of the oldest and finest form of seamanship.

BUYER OFFERS: We are a retail store with set pricing and unfortunately we can\t fulfil any requests to sell items for less than the listed price.