Batavia: from the author of The Opera House, Ned Kelly and Mutiny on the Bounty Kindle Edition

Mr Fitzsimons does a wonderful job weaving in a well crafted story with fact. What evilness lies adjacent to Australia! People are evil, even today, but this was a different kind of evil.

A bit slow to start and seems a little far fetched as the author sets the scene for the coming events. However all theearly reasoning is later shown to be sound and very believable, well researched and logical. I like the way he tells the storyas a dispassionate observer and from the shipwreck on, the book becomes hard to put down. My wife and I both readthe book just after visiting the island groups where the shipwreck occurred and actually snorkelling off East Wallaby island in early summer. The islands are dead flat barely above the sea and have only shrubs as protection from the normally prevailing SW winds, the Batavia wreck was in June the start of winter and though cold, they did get rain. I'm sure if the wreck had been in summer most would have died. When you put the book down you are left questioning how you would have handled the same situation and how those that survived felt as they lived out the rest of their lives.

Batavia  While a 'Wikipedia' article criticises Peter Fitzsimons for not respecting the disciplines of scholarship as a historian, this 'weakness' in his work in my view may be forgiven easily. He has written an atmospheric and engrossing account based on fact, and drawn liberally on a creative imagination to enliven the account with entirely credible character development, and impressive description of nautical practice and life in the early 17th century. My only caution is that this is not a book for the squeamish, for as he successfully builds a compelling horror centred on the Mutineers and Jeronimus as a character in particular, the graphic description of mindless violence will offend and nauseate some. This is not done to be self serving however, as the evidence increasingly unfolds that the 'reign of terror' on Batavia's Graveyard was disturbingly real. The counterpoint to Jeronimus' cynical evil is skilfully woven, focussed on another major character, Wiebbe Hayes, whose innate decency and emotional intelligence is sensitively described.A compelling read, showing regular flashes of dark humour, particularly for those interested in nautical life in wooden ships, the development of trade in the Dutch East Indies, social mores, greed and power and notions of justice in the 17th century.

This book grabs you by the throat and never lets you go. It is well documented and historically accurate.A fascinating lesson in the rich, and not so charitable history of the Netherlands , Indonesia and Australia in the 1600's. (That is where it became a bestseller.)The book is not for the faint of heart and paints a very graphic picture, including maps and archival photographs, of the life and times of the Dutch seafarers in the "Golden Age" of Holland as well as the events that followed the tragic shipwreck off the Australian coast.The reasons the Dutch were successful in those years is that they outfought, out-sailed, out-killed and outsmarted the major completion from Portugal, England, Spain. Their management of the Indonesian islands was less that "cordial" to say the least.In our modern times, it is a valuable retrospect of the harsh world that our ancestors had to survive.Don't miss it!

I saw the Batavia exhibition, among others, at the shipwreck museum in Fremantle maybe ten years ago and found it chilling. What a story. Hannibal Lecter has nothing over the bad guy, and I just love a story with a truly evil bad guy. It makes me wonder why Hollywood producers waste their time doing remakes of comic books when material like this is available. The Batavia story, if done well, could make one of the best movies there ever was, but I digress....Taking this book as a story based on the facts available I found it to be very effective. I didn't want to concentrate too much on facts, but would rather be able to imagine what it might have been like to be there and thats how it worked out for me. That is not to say this version of the story uses a lot of licence. Subsequent reading makes me feel the author has filled the gaps in knowledge in a similar fashion to the way pieces are reconstructed at the museum, adding a minimum of material so we have something more or less complete to look at.I can't get enough of this story in any of the versions. The Mike Dash work Batavia's Graveyard is very good also.A good read, give it a go.

I found the story of the Batavia gripping! What happens to people under extreme duress and challenge? Reading about the collisions between duty and ambition, faith in divine mercy and psychopathic greed fascinated me. It's a sad and tragic story that's hard to put down for long.

Batavia is a great read that falls a little flat here and there as the writer tries to synthesize story from chronological historical documents. Sometimes it works and other times it seems a bit sophomoric.

While you might not agree with Peter Fitzsimmons’ views on an Australian Republic or Rugby Football, he is, without a doubt, a gifted writer. His meticulous research and the use of literary licence to string the facts together in a readable form, bring history to life. The story of Batavia is a previously little-known chapter in history - the almost unbelievable chain of events and the insight into the imperious officialdom of the Dutch East India Company make for a read which is hard to put down. I have read “Kokoda” and “Batavia”, both excellent accounts of significant historical events, and I certainly intend to read more of his books. Highly Recommended.

I had no knowledge of the story of the Bratavia. If it had not been supported by documentary and other evidence, the truth of this account would be hard to accept. It is a gobsmacking read very well told.

Fascinating story with many twists and turns. Well-researched and well-explained, though some parts of the story are a only probable recreation. Not for the faint-hearted though: many, many people are killed during the book.

What an intriguing tale of Australian history. The story records the true evil of many of the participants and at times it is hard to imagine the inhumanity that actually took place. There have been other books recording the demise of the Batavia but I believe that this version is the best after methodical research with some logical imagination thrown in. Could not put it down.

This is a fascinating bit of history related at times in an excruciatingly cute style by Australian journalist Peter Fitzsimons. I assume Mr. Fitzsimons doesn't want to be viewed as an intellectual (not a positive title to be bestowed in Australia which still dislikes anyone supposedly showing off) and so writes like one of the lads. Too bad. However, read this book for the amazing historical events that attended the shipwreck of the Dutch "Batavia" off the west coast of Australia.

Well written, enjoyed this book