On the recommendation of a friend I checked out ***”Batavia’s Graveyard (The true story of the mad heretic who led history’s bloodiest mutiny”)|http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0609807161/qid=1082132840/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-1737192-3980660?v=glance&s=books***

The verbose title should be a warning for the story that is to follow. Mike Dash explores the true and harrowing tale of shipwreck, mutiny, and massacre that took place off the Western Coast of Austrailia in 1629. The story is by all means exciting, enthralling and macabre. I found myself longing to find out what would happen. Dash gives such detailed histories of the main players that it is statisfying to read the Epilogue that attempts to follow up with them at the end of the story.

Although I found the combining of Dutch history and the story of the ship “Batavia” very cumbersome to read I appreciated the history lesson. In most good American public school history classes the early 17th century is dedicated to the voyage and plight of the Pilgrims and puritan settlers in Massachusetts. There is passing mention of the Dutch and English East India Companies, but only in reference to the slave, rum and molassas trades.

Mike Dash fills in the blanks for those of us on this side of the pond. Detailed accounts and descriptions of the Dutch spice trade in the East Indies and the voyages of many of their “Indiamen” ships. The historian in me loves the facts and dates and such and the detail that Dash goes into to really gives the whole story.

Long story short, It was an interesting story, lots of history and my new favorite Dutch word… predikant–preacher.