Guttridge, Leonard F. Mutiny; a history of naval insurrection.

Berkley. 320p. illus. references index. c1992. 0-425-18321-1. $14.00. SA

The very word "mutiny" conjures up romantic images of sailing vessels, buccaneers, and--inevitably--the colorful tale of HMS Bounty. Yet all navies throughout history have experienced sporadic disobedience and outright rebellion, and a crew's refusal to obey orders is the latent nightmare of any commanding officer.

These stories of insurrection afloat will hold the interest of any reader with a passing interest in ships and the sea, Guttridge is an experienced writer of popular history, particularly exploration and maritime affairs, and knows how to hold an audience. Despite the temptations of his subject, his writing style is restrained rather than lurid, and there is enough detail to satisfy the thoughtful reader. Best of all, this collection is full of surprises. Few today have heard of the disgraceful affair on board the brig Somers in 1842, for which the son of the Secretary of War was hanged, but the scandal rang through the young American republic. The Royal Navy has had its own share of mutinies through the years, most notably in the 18th century when an entire flotilla went on strike at Spithead, yet the most recent such event happened at Panama during WW II. And most of the readers who devoured The Hunt For Red October will be surprised to learn that an equally dramatic, but much less successful, event happened aboard a Soviet missile frigate in 1975. Guttridge does full justice to the Bounty affair, of course, but he is equally thorough with the shameful racial "incidents" that took place aboard two U.S. aircraft carriers during the Vietnam era. Recommended to high school libraries and public collections. Raymond L. Puffer, Ph.D., Historian, Edwards Air Force Base, CA