Book description
When the Dutch East Indiaman Batavia struck an uncharted reef off the
new continent of Australia on her maiden voyage in 1629, 332 men, women
and children were on board. While some headed off in a lifeboat to seek
help, 250 of the survivors ended up on a tiny coral island less than
half a mile long. A band of mutineers, whose motives were almost beyond
comprehension, then started on a cold-blooded killing spree, leaving
fewer than 80 people alive when the rescue boat arrived three months
later. BATAVIA'S GRAVEYARD tells this strange story as a gripping
narrative structured around three strong principal characters: Francisco
Pelsaert, the cultivated but weak-willed captain; Jeronimus Cornelisz, a
sinister apothecary with a terrifying personal philosophy influenced by
Rosicrucianism who set himself up as the ruler of the island; and Wiebbe
Hayes, the only survivor with the courage to fight Jeronimuss band. The
background to these events, including the story of the Dutch East India
Company, and the discovery of Australia, is richly drawn. Mike Dash
read history at Cambridge and received his PhD from the University of
London. Having worked for the Fortean Times and The Ministry of Sound,
he is now setting up his own company.
