The Far Land: 200 Years of Murder, Mania and Mutiny in the South Pacific

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Description

In 1808, an American merchant ship happened upon an uncharted island in the South Pacific and unwittingly solved the biggest nautical mystery of the era: the whereabouts of a band of fugitives who, after seizing their vessel, had disappeared into the night with their Tahitian companions.

Seven generations later, the island is still inhabited by descendants of the original mutineers, marooned like modern castaways. In 2018, Brandon Presser went to live among its families; two clans bound by circumstance and secrets. There, he pieced together Pitcairn's full story: an operatic saga that holds all visitors in its mortal clutch - even the author.

Told through vivid historical and personal narrative, The Far Land goes beyond the infamous mutiny on the Bounty, offering an unprecedented glimpse at life on the fringes of civilization, and how, perhaps, it's not so different from our own.

'Brandon Presser's fascinating narrative of the relentless consequences of the Bounty mutineers asks: were they brave or damned They lived so very troubled ever after. You can't make this stuff up!' - Tom Hanks

Reviews

'A highly accomplished travel writer, Brandon Presser's The Far Land hits a lot of my pleasure centers: remote islands, then-and-now non-fiction, historical mysteries and forthright travelogues. The first night I started reading, I dreamed about Pitcairn Island.' - Maggie Shipstead, 2021 Booker Prize shortlisted and New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle

'Meticulously researched...Armchair adventurers will appreciate the author's sharp and sympathetic eye, showing us the mechanics of a truly remote civilization. Presser's detailed account provides a sense of authority to a story too bizarre to be anything but true.' - Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

Brandon Presser is a travel writer and 'rough-and-tough adventurer' (Entertainment Weekly). His writing has been featured in numerous publications including Bloomberg, Harper's Bazaar, Cond Nast Traveler and Lonely Planet.