Paradise in Chains

In her captivating account, celebrated historian Diana Preston explores the legendary mutiny of the Bounty and the remarkable survival journey of William Bligh and his crew across 3,618 miles of ocean. Simultaneously, she tells the lesser-known story of nine convicts, led by Mary Bryant, who undertook a perilous 3,250-mile voyage from the Australian penal colony to the same port Bligh reached. Through her meticulous research, Preston sheds light on the challenges faced by both parties and the evolving perception of the Pacific Islands as they encountered both hope and despair in their quests for freedom.