Editorial Reviews
Book Description
In the past one-hundred fifty years there has been only one armed mutiny aboard an American ship. This is the story of that incident which occurred on March 14, 1970. It is presented as a serious piece of journalism but told with the narrative drive of a novel, including dialogues solidly grounded in sworn testimony and buttressed by hundreds of interviews with the crew and investigators who were the first to arrive on the scene. The mutiny was carried out by two young crew members of an American tramp steamer transporting napalm to Thailand for the war in Vietnam. After casting most of the crew into the Gulf of Thailand in lifeboats, the mutineers--fireman Clyde McKay and bedroom steward Alvin Glatkowski--made their way to Cambodia, where after a tense impasse with the U.S. military, the Columbia Eagle was turned over to Prince Sihanouk's government, and the mutineers, declaring themselves antiwar revolutionaries, were granted asylum. But two days later the two were imprisoned when a coup put pro-US Lon Nol in power, with Sihanouk charging that the CIA had masterminded the mutiny to deliver weapons to Lon Nol.
A tale of idealism and risk-taking, madness and ultimate tragedy, the book not only chronicles for the first time the mutiny and the investigation and trials that followed, but looks at the psychological factors involved as well. Beneath the surface story of a selfless and grand political gesture, the authors find an incident with deeper, more complex motivations. As events unfold, the authors draw readers deeply into the adventure for a full appreciation of shipboard life and the vagaries of human relationships.
From the Inside Flap
"'The Eagle Mutiny' falls squarely into that rare category of important historical nonfiction that, through sheer talent of writing and arduous but irreplaceable firsthand research, is elevated to a gripping story that reads like a great novel. Its skillfully developed characters, its remarkable grasp of Cambodia during the 1970s, and its intimate understanding of the mindset of disillusionment by many of the warriors of the conflict in Indochina allow this important piece of history to be told with dignity, accuracy, and drama. The authors have succeeded brilliantly where many of us who write in this genre fail: They have made what could have been dense, obscure history highly readable. One need not have an interest in military or Cambodian history or politics to find ‘The Eagle Mutiny' a great read." Nate Thayer, journalist and author of “Sympathy for the Devil”
"A tale worthy of Conrad that reads like a Hollywood classic. ‘The Eagle Mutiny' resolves a historic mystery while mapping the mysteries of good and evil that fill ordinary men's souls." T. D. Allman, author of “Unmanifest Destiny”
"'The Eagle Mutiny' is a true story that reads like a thriller - a gripping narrative about two young merchant seamen on a vessel carrying napalm to Vietnam during the war. In a moment of truth, they found themselves drawn inextricably into the war in all its ugliest permutations and were forced to make a radical decision that would forever change their lives. A compassionate, vibrant account that looks deeply into the hearts of men in their darkest and most glorious hour." Kaylie Jones, author of “A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries”
"A gripping, interwoven tale. A surreal story of protest and piracy that climaxes in the never-to-grow-up country of dreams and nightmares . . . the big C -- Cambodia." Tim Page, combat photographer and author of “Derailed in Uncle Ho's Victory Garden”
The Eagle Mutiny
The Eagle Mutiny,Richard Linnett,Roberto Loiederman,Naval Institute Press,1557505225,Columbia Eagle (Ship),History,History - Military / War,Military,Military - General,Military - Naval,Military - Vietnam War,Mutiny,Naval History - Vietnam Conflict,Transportation,United States,Vietnam War, 1961-1975,Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
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