Batavia's Graveyard
The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny
by Mike Dash · first published 2002
60% recommend40% neutral
From the bestselling author of Tulipomania comes Batavia's Graveyard, the spellbinding true story of mutiny, shipwreck, murder, and survival.It was the autumn of 1628, and the Batavia, the Dutch East India Company's flagship, was loaded with a king's ransom in gold, silver, and gems for her maiden voyage to Java. The Batavia was the pride of the Company's fleet, a tangible symbol of the world's richest and most powerful commercial monopoly. She set sail with great fanfare, but the Batavia and her gold would never reach Java, for the Company had also sent along a new employee, Jeronimus Corneli
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Batavia's Graveyard by Mike Dash is a book I'd highly recommend to anyone wanting to do a deep dive into this truly bizarre story.
on “Batavia shipwreck reveals a key to Dutch success in 17th-century world trade” ↗You may also be interested in Batavia's Graveyard. Fascinating & gruesome account of a Dutch ship's voyage to Java. The descriptions of the personalities and motivations of those willing to undertake such a risky voyage, were in many cases like a gamblers…
on “Ship found in Arctic 168 years after doomed Northwest Passage attempt” ↗Older books, bought secondhand and enjoyed: Batavia’s Graveyard - A brutal history of a shipwreck and subsequent mutiny that occurred off the coast of Australia in 1629 when Dutch traders were exploring a new route to the East Indies. Much better than expected from…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗Currently reading "Batavia's Graveyard" by Mike Dash based on a previous HN recommendation. A deep dive into the tragedy.
on “What a Shipwreck’s Tree Rings Reveal” ↗> The Dutch councils of state and war always included merchants who had experience of trading and living abroad [...] As eloquently described by Mike Dash in "Batavia's Graveyard" most Dutch explorer ships had merchants, sailors, soldiers and civilians on board — ranked in that order. That is, not the captain but the bean counter would have final say on important matters. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128824.Batavia_s_Graveya...
on “Age of Invention: How the Dutch Did It Better” ↗