The naval mutiny of 1797 is the most astonishing recorded in British history; by its management rather than by its results. Though it shook the country, it was largely ordered with rigid discipline, a respect for officers and an unswerving loyalty to the King. Moreover, it was so rationally grounded that it not only achieved its immediate end, the betterment of the sailor's lot, but also began a new and lasting epoch in naval administration.

The naval mutinies of 1797 were unprecedented in scale and impressive in their level of organisation. This volume focuses on new research, re-evaluating the causes and events which led to the seamen's revolts.