Ill-starred captains : Flinders and Baudin

by Anthony J. (Anthony Jarrold) Brown, 1927-

Paperback, 2000

Status

Available

Call number

SHIP BRO

Local notes

Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders were major figures in the early exploration of Australia, between them completing the mapping of the coastline. They had much in common: both were naval officers whose conventional careers were becalmed, and both led government-sponsored expeditions. But one was French and the other was British - and their countries were at war. Although they behaved with scientific objectivity towards each other when their paths crossed, the enmity of their two countries was to lead them into disaster, by coincidence both coming to grief in the French colony of Mauritius. Seeking help after a dramatic shipwreck, Flinders was refused the status of a non-belligerent and was held as a prisoner for six years until the British captured the island in 1810; but even then his ill-treatment caught up with him, and he died the day after the publication of his charts and the account of his voyage. If anything, Baudin fared even worse at the hands of his own countrymen, and he died in disgrace, leaving his enemies to publish a biased and malicious narrative of his work.Relying heavily on their own words, the author reconstructs the achievements and tragic conclusions of these two explorers, revealing the relationships and tensions aboard their cramped and leaking ships, and the rivalries between the expeditions.

Publication

Hindmarsh, S. Aust. : Crawford House Publishing, 2000.

Description

' Anthony Brown's ingenious interweaving of the tales of these two very different expeditions brings the story of Australia's exploration to life in a riveting and insightful new narrative.' Tim Flannery Amid the Napoleonic Wars, France and Britain launched rival voyages of discovery to the Antipodes. Led by the outstanding naval captains Nicolas Baudin and Mathew Flinders, these expeditions were seen as vital for gathering geographical and scientific knowledge, yet both expeditions ended in personal disaster for their commanders. Drawing extensively on original eye witness accounts, logs and journals, Ill Starred Captains brings to life the tragic histories of the two men for whom 'Fortune had changed seemingly beyond recall, from smiling goddess to right whore.' With a foreword by Tim Flannery, Ill-Starred Captainstells the riveting story of a remarkable competition between two warring colonial nations and provides a major contribution to Australian, British and French history.… (more)

Original publication date

1999

Barcode

479
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