Mutiny, Mayhem, Mythology: Bounty's Enigmatic Voyage

In 1789, as the Bounty was sailing through the western Pacific Ocean on its return voyage with a cargo of Tahitian plants, disgruntled crewmen seized control of the ship from their captain. The mutineers set their captain and the 18 men who remained loyal to him adrift in one of the ship's boats, with minimal food supplied and navigational aids, and only four cutlasses for weapons.

For the past 225 years, the story of the Bounty's voyage has captured the public's imagination. Two compelling ...