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Batavia

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Batavia

By: Peter FitzSimons
Narrated by: Richard Aspel
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About this listen

The story begins in 1629, when the pride of the Dutch East India Company, the Batavia, is on its maiden voyage en route from Amsterdam to the Dutch East Indies, laden down with the greatest treasure to leave Holland. The magnificent ship is already boiling over with a mutinous plot that is just about to break into the open when, just off the coast of Western Australia, it strikes an unseen reef in the middle of the night.

While Commandeur Francisco Pelsaert decides to take the long-boat across 2000 miles of open sea for help, his second-in-command Jeronimus Cornelisz takes over, quickly deciding that 250 people on a small island is unwieldy for the small number of supplies they have. Quietly, he puts forward a plan to 40 odd mutineers how they could save themselves, kill most of the rest and spare only a half-dozen or so women, including his personal fancy, Lucretia Jansz - one of the noted beauties of Holland - to service their sexual needs. A reign of terror begins, countered only by a previously anonymous soldier Wiebbe Hayes, who begins to gather to him those are prepared to do what it takes to survive...

©2011 Peter FitzSimons (P)2011 Bolinda Publishing Armed Forces Engineering Expeditions & Discoveries Historical Military Naval Forces World Scary
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Thoroughly enjoyed learning about a very early episode in the Australian continents foray onto the world stage.

I did find some of the Dutch characters very similar sounding names (sometimes the same) confusing at points. Although the author does make attempts explain this in the prologue I still found it mildly confusing.

Although I greatly enjoyed this book, and it may in fact be integral to the story, I feel the book becomes very monotonous and bogged down in the slaughter of victims on Batavia’s graveyard.

All in all a very interesting, little known story, told by a easy to listen to narrator.

Very interesting piece of history.

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I love the story of the Batavia and have been fascinated with it since I was first introduced to it at the Freemantle Maritime Museum.

Peter Fitzsimmons telling of the story is detailed, fascinating and gripping.

An often overlooked part of Australia’s history it’s a story all Australians should become familiar with.

I highly recommend

Loved Every Minute

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Brilliant and unbelievable this can happen! Couldn't stop listening! I want to go to the Abrolhos to see this now!

Great

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best book ive read in a long time. it reads like a novel. you have to keep reminding yourself that this stuff really happened

epic bit of history!

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A must read to all. insane to think how brutal it was back in those days. best read

mind blowing

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Amazing story of the evil in men and the qualities of leadership. Well researched and beautifully told. Well read by the narrator apart from his heavy Dutch pronunciation that made some characters unrecognisable to their actual names.

Cracking good story

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Russell Crowe has the rights to this I believe and has been trying to film it for several years, he has gone quiet since Covid ended, hope he does make it, he would be wonderful as the villain. This story is just staggering in that its true, Peter's research into the Batavia deserves the highest praise possible.

Awesome and horrifying

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Had trouble doing anything other than listen once I got started. Fantastic tale. Highly recommend you listen.

Great story well told.

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I will be honest I struggled in sone chapters to persevere with this one, not in part to the author or story teller but purely because of the brutality of the history left me feeling sick that humans could be so cruel. Really well written and the narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life.

Incredible story of largely unknown Australian history

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fascinating and awful part of our history. not usually a fan of peters books, but this one was riveting.

stunning and horrifying

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