Book Review: "Batavia" By Peter FitzSimons.

Recent travel by air on a holiday to New Zealand prompted a need for something serious to read on the way over. FitzSimon's "Batavia" practically lept off the shelf at me: I'd read Hugh Edwards "Island of Angry Ghosts" on another hoilday as a youngster, so I was keen to see this rewardingly thick volume fill in a lot of the missing details from Edwards story of the mutiny.....

I was in no way disappointed in this respect alone.

FitzSimon's reconstructions are based on solid research, and a little deduction, bringing to life a fresh edge to this already riveting tale. The "Batavia" was, put simply, the most valuable cargo to ever leave the Republic's shores, (it probably has no modern rival.....her chests held fully one in every five of the VOC company's monetary assets). Her timbers were crafted from the very finest materials available to Dutch shipyards, her oak beams specially selected for optimum "shaping". She had every technological advancement available to Dutch mariners at the time. Even one of her passengers, Lucretia Jansz, was described as "one of the noted beauties of the Dutch Republic". Her skipper, Arien Jacobsz, the premier captain of his day, undone by greed and the subtle manipulation of 'Oonderkoopman' Jeronimus Cornelisz, the second in command to Fleet President Francisco Pelseart, the most glittering corporate poster boy of his generation....

All would meet their fate on a reef off Western Australia's "Houtman Abrohlos" islands, of terrifying reputation to every VOC 'Kaptein' looking to make the "turn" from "The Roaring Forties" nor' nor' East to Java and other Spice islands of the colony with the very name of the ship that takes them there....

FitzSimons makes for a compelling storyteller, reconstructing from rich source material, and has a bent for reconstruction of conversational realities that drove this mutiny, and it's eventual overthrow by the cunning and creativity of 'kompanie' soldier Weibbe Hayes, (assisted by a group of loyal supporting soldiers, and a group of bedraggled and thirsty survivors of the attentions of Jeronimus and his 'Brothers')

An exceptional read from all perspectives, and a 'jawdropping' story to boot.

 

Saw a documentary on this story a while back. Scary stuff, even for the 17th century.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

I, too, have viewed a television "reconstruction" of this fascinating yarn, that left a definate impression when I was a youngster. I purchaced Edward's book "Island of Angry Ghosts" on the profound memories I had of the program itself. The action was centered on the events post wreck. The full story supplied by Mr. FitzSimons makes it all the more compelling, and it simply begs a reconstruction 'remake', as the legendary vessel itself is now reconstructed and sailing the world again....