To Die a Dry Death
The True Story of the Batavia Shipwreck
by Greta van der Rol
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Pub Date 11 Feb 2014 | Archive Date 28 Feb 2015
Description
280 survivors. One tyrant. The true story of the Batavia shipwreck.
This novel tells the chilling, true story of the shipwreck of the
Dutch merchantman Batavia. The barbaric events that unfolded could so
easily have been the template for William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
In June 1629, the Batavia, laden with treasure and the riches of
Europe, smashed into an uncharted reef thirty miles off the coast of
Terra Incognita Australis—the unknown Great South Land. 200
survivors—women and children, sailors, soldiers and merchants—scrambled
ashore on a small group of uninhabited, hostile islands, with little
food or fresh water.
Desperately seeking help, the ship’s officers set out in an open
boat to make a two-thousand-mile journey to the nearest port. While they
were gone, from the struggle for survival on the islands there emerged a
tyrant whose brutal lust for power was even deadlier than the reef that
wrecked the Batavia.
"Utterly brilliant in every way. It’s hard to believe any book could
come closer to conveying the essence of this astonishing series of
events. If ever there was a five star read, this is it."
- Bill Kirton, Booksquawk.com
Advance Praise
"I was pulled down into the story as inexorably as the Batavia herself
was drawn down into the sea, and as the castaways of the shipwreck were
drawn helplessly under the control of a frightening despot who emerged
amongst them ... Brilliant writing and characterization."
- Kimberly Menozzi, Fourth Person Obscured
****
"I planned to read this novel over the course of a week. Instead, I
found myself staying up (far too) late and finished it in two nights. I
found it nearly impossible to put down ... I definitely enjoyed this
novel more than most. The pacing is fast, the characters believable,
and I would almost certainly read it again. Highly recommended."
- Spann of Time
****
"Greta's imaginative portrayal of Cornelisz is brilliant. She shows
how the desire to survive turns him into a monster and yet allows him
moments of strange tenderness when in love ... this is indeed a
compelling tale and Greta has been fascinated by the story for twenty
five years. Her writing skills are impeccable. One is drawn immediately
into the scenario and carried on by the sheer power of her depiction,
the characters she builds and the settings she creates. But it is an
unrelentingly dark tale, so be warned."
- Loretta Proctor, Books and Other Things
****
"The most intriguing aspect of this story is how the author
skillfully unravels one man’s motives for gaining power through use of
fear and examines to what lengths a person will go to preserve his own
life. With such complex and deeply motivated characters, conflict
abounds, creating a fast-paced and thrilling read ... Peppered
throughout are exquisite details: of vivid seascapes, clothing, work
implements, and nautical terminology. Readers who love to be immersed in
a historical period will appreciate the precise research that has gone
into this work; while those who enjoy an action-oriented and plot-driven
story will be riveted."
- Historical Novel Review
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781908824356 |
| PRICE | £2.99 (GBP) |
