When the warm summer sun finally swallows up the chilly gloom here in Northern California (except in SF proper, which is eternally doomed), I always get a yearning to pick up a water-themed book with a tropical or adventurous air. While I read plenty of new books every year, there are three books in particular that I always find myself returning to when the weather gets hot: Michener’s epic classic Hawaii, the 1970‘s summer blockbuster Jaws, and everyone’s favorite mutiny story The Bounty Trilogy.
Each of these books is, for good reason, a classic in its genre, but they do share the one thing that makes a great summer read: a thumping, well-written story. If you enjoy reading, you could do a lot worse than picking up one of these titles this summer.
Hawaii
I read this book every time I go to Hawaii. Aside from providing some good historical context, I find the book consistently gives me insight into why native Hawaiians are a bit testy. More importantly, it reminds me to not paddle out into any break until I’ve adopted a reasonable attitude. The book is a good read that takes you from the volcanic processes that created the islands (thankfully brief) to its peopling by Polynesian seafarers. My favorite part of the book is Michener’s tale of the bravery and spirituality of the Polynesian migration from Tahiti. As a ha’ole, the most troubling parts to digest are the plagues brought upon the natives by the misguided, bigoted missionaries and greedy land grabbers. To paraphrase a common saying in Hawaii, the missionaries came to good, and they did very well indeed. Regardless, this is a timeless water book that you’ll want to read each time you visit the islands.
Jaws
In February of 1974, Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws took the book world by storm, instantly becoming a 40-week national bestseller. Today, I don’t know any surfer or serious water enthusiast who doesn’t know about the book, or who hasn’t at least seen the movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Oddly enough, however, I don’t know a single person below the age of 60 who has actually read the book. So, given that the film is a much quoted, top-five all-time movie for me, I finally picked up the book and started to read. The book starts off as compelling as the movie, with the shark viciously attacking a drunken, nude, female swimmer. From there, the book takes dramatically different turns away from the plot and action of the movie. While the characters are all the same, their personalities and actions are almost completely different. I won’t get into the details, but it is suffice to say that marine biologist Hooper is not the small, whiney character played so adroitly by Richard Dreyfus. And Brody’s wife Ellen? Well, let’s just say that the woman’s got some serious midlife issues. Is the book as good as the movie? In my opinion, no. But it is good, and it’s a lightning quick read. Ultimately, Jaws ruined a nation’s summer, and then the movie ruined the next one. So, for thinning the coast’s line-ups for two years and providing the world with one of the creepiest, well-known movie mnemonics, Jaws is a recurring choice for my summer reading.
The Bounty Trilogy
I hadn’t read this series in years, but my dad gave me his ancient copy of the trilogy (includes the books Men Against the Sea and Pitcairn’s Island) complete with an original piece of the keel from the actual ship, the Bounty. The first book in the trilogy, Mutiny on the Bounty, is a piece of historical fiction that tells the story of the famous mutiny from a young crewmember’s perspective. The protagonist, Roger Byam, is based on actual crewmember Peter Heywood. Byam tells the story of Fletcher Christian’s mutiny while under the command of the infamous William Bligh, the lieutenant and commander of the Bounty. The authors do an excellent job of portraying the events leading up to and beyond the mutiny. While there is no doubt that Bligh was an irrational, abusive captain, the authors never really pass clear judgment on whether his behavior is worthy of mutiny. After all, it’s not as though ships in the latter part of the 18th century were crewed by well-behaved gentlemen.
The second book, Men Against The Sea, picks up the story immediately after Fletcher Christian’s mutiny, and describes the incredible journey undertaken by Captain Bligh and the other overthrown crew members. Left with little food, water or means of defense, Captain Bligh and 19 members of his loyal crew are set adrift in the Bounty’s 23-foot open launch. With Bligh at the helm, the men begin their 3,600 mile journey for the Dutch settlement at Timor. Living on little more than a couple ounces of bread and fresh water a day, Bligh and his crew sail the launch through heavy seas, bailing water 24 hours a day. With numerous close calls with hostile natives along the way, including a near massacre at the hands of the not-so-friendly Islanders, the book portrays Bligh as a resolute, heroic figure worthy of a place in the annals of maritime lore.
The third and final novel in the Bounty trilogy, Pitcairn’s Island describes the disturbing events that unfold as Fletcher Christian and his mutineers attempt to settle a lonely island in the Pacific. Along with a group of Maori men and Tahitian women, this hodgepodge of settlers begins the noble work of creating a new society on the edge of paradise. Unfortunately, most of the founding fathers in this saga lacked the brains, character and selflessness needed to pull off the whole paradise-building thing. Efforts start well enough, but a combination of 18th Century English bigotry and home-brewed alcohol wind up destroying much of the good work that had been accomplished. As you read the book, it’s not hard to see that the mutineers were doomed from the start. After all, who builds paradise with 17 horny men and only 12 women? Like that’s going to work. As events unfold, there is plenty of drama and it becomes clear how the settlement’s inauspicious beginnings inevitably built a foundation for a highly dysfunctional society. Regardless of the modern inhabitants’ fall from grace, Nordoff & Hall’s series is a classic.
