Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Sailing the Graveyard Sea:
When nepotism gets you hung from the yardarm.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the U.S. Navy’s only recorded mutiny.
Fact for Non-History People:
The mutiny is one of the major drivers to the establishment of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. (Note: Go Army, Beat Navy.)
Fact for History Nerds:
Chi Psi, a fraternity the ill-fated Philip Spencer belonged to, was the 8th founded in America but the first to have an actual frat house in 1846.
My Take on Sailing the Graveyard Sea:
An entire U.S. Navy ship and not a single adult on board. This is the story of Sailing the Graveyard Sea by Richard Snow. It was the only U.S. Navy mutiny in history, and it is as bizarre as any seaborne tale I have ever read (and I have read quite a few).
I always feel that nautical narratives need to be economical. When an author tries to explain too many terms to us landlubbers, it usually comes off as a tangent at best and boring at worst. The best immerse you in the seafaring life and then get to the core of the story. Luckily, Snow nails this portion and I never felt taken out of the story. Snow keeps the action moving and adds flourishes when needed.
The actual mutiny itself lives up to the hype. I will avoid spoilers, but there are a lot of twists and turns where you may feel very conflicted when all is said and done. When some of the best authors alive at the time can’t agree, then you know this is truly a divisive event in history.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Scribner Books.)
Verdict:
It’s fantastic. Read it. Buy it here!
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