Two books on two mutinies available to library patrons in Deltaville and Urbanna

by Kip Campbell and Carrie Dos Santos – 

Many books in the Middlesex County Public Library (MCPL) system can be paired, read in close succession, to explore a particular topic in depth. Two such volumes involve 18th-century mutinies aboard British warships and the far-reaching effects of each.

In late April 1789, off the central Pacific island of Tofua, on the far side of the world, acting-lieutenant Fletcher Christian and much of the crew of the armed transport ship HMS “Bounty” mutinied.

An altogether different mutiny occurred that same year, 1797. It was the bloodiest, most savage in the history of the Royal Navy, made all the more dire as it erupted in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. 

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The Urbanna library is due for a slight update. Starting on Monday, Aug. 23, the heating and air conditioning system will be replaced. The job is so big that the library will need to be closed from Aug. 23-26.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate the public’s patience. Please call MCPL at 804-758-5717 (Urbanna) or 804-776-7362 (Deltaville) for information.

(Kip Campbell serves as board chairman of the Middlesex County Public Library. Carrie Dos Santos is MCPL executive director.)