William Bligh: A Stormy Story of Tempestuous Times (Michael Sedunary, illus by Bern Emmerichs, Berbay)

4 February 2016 Unlocked content from the archive. Books+Publishing

Both author and illustrator have brought the tempestuous story of William Bligh to life in this superb history book, which informs, intrigues and involves the reader by asking questions and upturning incorrect facts and prejudices. Bligh was an enthusiastic, ambitious and driven man and this book clearly describes the trajectory that saw him subjected to two mutinies—on the Bounty and the Rum Rebellion. Michael Sedunary’s narrative is interactive; he poses questions and points out modern parallels, describing the social media of Bligh’s times as ‘gossip, printed pamphlets and handbills’ and drawing similarities between the ship’s log and blogging. Bern Emmerichs’ illustrations are quite extraordinary; she captures the lively naïveté of the painting and drawings of that time with the sophisticated, clever techniques of illustration today. The illustrations are richly detailed and layered with patterns and texts from Bligh’s own writings. They are also slyly humorous, creating a subtext for anyone who is looking closely. It was no surprise to learn that the illustrator is a ceramic artist, but it was fascinating to read that the illustrations were all painted on large ceramic tiles that were individually fired between each layer of colour. This is a fabulous book for children aged nine and up.

Louise Pfanner is an author, illustrator and bookseller

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