captain's log

another great score from the ongoing "friends of the library" book shelf at our local library. the moby books edition "the mutiny on board h.m.s. bounty" based on the real life account of william bligh's writings at sea and later after returning successfully to england. although the story has been done multiple times by hollywood featuring sympathetic flether christians played by gable, brando and mel gibson, i feel bligh has always been over vilified. sure, he may have been a harsh taskmaster, but he was the captain. and only by wit and providence was he able to survive both the mutiny and the desperate open sea crossing in a small launch. that has to count for something, right?
anyway i loved these books as a boy. the invitation to high adventure on the high seas and mixed with an illustration on every other page, it was a perfect entry point into more classic literature. i read the moby dick version years ago on a long distance driving vacation and the memory of it still is perched in my brain. as we rode through the summer heat of texas i could smell the salt air from the gulf and imagined myself climbing the spars as the ship below me pitched and rolled. and at only 2 quarters for this one i look forward to boarding for another voyage.