David Bianculli

Yes. And after that single proceeding about what it calls the wreck, everybody is let go. And it became, as one naval historian called it, the mutiny that never was.

Yes. And after that single proceeding about what it calls the wreck, everybody is let go. And it became, as one naval historian called it, the mutiny that never was.

Yes. And after that single proceeding about what it calls the wreck, everybody is let go. And it became, as one naval historian called it, the mutiny that never was.

And you say that the Navy behaved this way because the whole affair had just been a public relations disaster for them and the British Empire. What do you mean by that?

And you say that the Navy behaved this way because the whole affair had just been a public relations disaster for them and the British Empire. What do you mean by that?

And you say that the Navy behaved this way because the whole affair had just been a public relations disaster for them and the British Empire. What do you mean by that?

Yeah, so this expedition that it set out with nearly 2,000 men, more than 1,300 of them had died. It was really kind of a folly of imperialism. It was a mission kind of bungled from the start in planning the public clamor for war, but as so often with wars, didn't actually really want to pay for it, so they sent off their various people in many ways simply to die.

Yeah, so this expedition that it set out with nearly 2,000 men, more than 1,300 of them had died. It was really kind of a folly of imperialism. It was a mission kind of bungled from the start in planning the public clamor for war, but as so often with wars, didn't actually really want to pay for it, so they sent off their various people in many ways simply to die.

Yeah, so this expedition that it set out with nearly 2,000 men, more than 1,300 of them had died. It was really kind of a folly of imperialism. It was a mission kind of bungled from the start in planning the public clamor for war, but as so often with wars, didn't actually really want to pay for it, so they sent off their various people in many ways simply to die.

Thousands and thousands of other seamen had died during other battles during this war period. And the war was kind of a bloody stalemate. And the wager disaster was a reminder of that. But even more profoundly, it undercut that central claim that the British Empire always asserted to justify its ruthless expansion.

Thousands and thousands of other seamen had died during other battles during this war period. And the war was kind of a bloody stalemate. And the wager disaster was a reminder of that. But even more profoundly, it undercut that central claim that the British Empire always asserted to justify its ruthless expansion.

Thousands and thousands of other seamen had died during other battles during this war period. And the war was kind of a bloody stalemate. And the wager disaster was a reminder of that. But even more profoundly, it undercut that central claim that the British Empire always asserted to justify its ruthless expansion.

and conquering of other peoples, that its civilization was somehow superior to others. But here, when these castaways were on the island, these British officers and crew, these supposed apostles of Western civilization, they had descended into this Hobbesian state of depravity. They had behaved less like gentlemen and more like brutes. And so...

and conquering of other peoples, that its civilization was somehow superior to others. But here, when these castaways were on the island, these British officers and crew, these supposed apostles of Western civilization, they had descended into this Hobbesian state of depravity. They had behaved less like gentlemen and more like brutes. And so...

and conquering of other peoples, that its civilization was somehow superior to others. But here, when these castaways were on the island, these British officers and crew, these supposed apostles of Western civilization, they had descended into this Hobbesian state of depravity. They had behaved less like gentlemen and more like brutes. And so...

None of the stories that these seamen were telling, you know, the seamen were all battling over their stories, trying to prevail. But the British Navy and Empire was looking at these stories saying, I don't know if we like any of these stories.

None of the stories that these seamen were telling, you know, the seamen were all battling over their stories, trying to prevail. But the British Navy and Empire was looking at these stories saying, I don't know if we like any of these stories.

None of the stories that these seamen were telling, you know, the seamen were all battling over their stories, trying to prevail. But the British Navy and Empire was looking at these stories saying, I don't know if we like any of these stories.

So how did you first come across this story?

So how did you first come across this story?