Black Mutiny: Revolt on the Schooner Amistad [Paperback]

William Owens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997

Set in 1839, this is the true story of a revolt on the Spanish slave ship "Amistad", whose cargo of 53 Africans rebelled against their captors. Captured off the coast of Connecticut when their desperate attempt to sail home failed, the Africans are forced to stand trial for the murder of the crew that had held them prisoner. To win their freedom, they find themselves taking on not just the Spanish, but the entire American justice system. They are joined in their fight by a young attorney, former U.s. President John Quincy Adams, and a fiery abolitionist.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Here's yet another volume on the Amistad affair (see Cable, above). Owens's 1953 title is the one upon which the current film supposedly is based. Take your pick.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

William A. Owens received his B.A. and M.A. from Southern Methodist University and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Before coming to Columbia University in 1947, where he was Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus, he taught at a number of schools and colleges, including the Lamar County, Texas, public schools. Mr. Owens was born in Pin Hook, Texas, and the author of several books, novels, and nonfiction. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Plume (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452279356
• ISBN-13: 978-0452279353
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written historical fiction of Cinque and the Amistad, October 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Mutiny: Revolt on the Schooner Amistad (Paperback)

Black Mutiny is a well-written, highly interesting account of the events surrounding the Amistad. It is an excellent companion piece to Spielburg's movie, AMISTAD (this is the book on which the movie was based). The reader should be cautioned, however, that this book is a work of historical fiction. It is not a scholarly account of events, albeit an interesting and -- most probably -- factual one. For me personally this did not detract from the book. But then I am only an amateur historian and enjoy historical fiction if it is done well and does not embellish extensively, and Owens did not. Nevertheless, if the reader is expecting a footnoted text, then this is not the book for you. William Ownes, the late folklorist and English professor, wrote "Black Mutiny" in 1953. To make the book more appealing to today's market, two brief essays by black activists/historians have been added. I recommend not reading either essay until after reading the text, or possibly not reading them at all. They add nothing to Owens' story of Cinque and the Amistad and both essays are bigoted, racially charged and are of interest to only a select audience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A historical retelling of the true story of 53 illegally enslaved, April 24, 2009

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Mutiny: The Revolt on the Schooner Amistad (Hardcover)

Heard BLACK MUTINY, a novel written by William Owens in 1953 . . . it
is a historical retelling of the true story of 53 illegally enslaved African
who revolted against their captors . . . when their ship was intercepted
and seized by the United States Navy, they were forced to stand trial
for mutiny and murder in a case that reached the Supreme Court.

If any of this sounds familiar, it is because you may have seen
ARMISTAD, a movie that was based on Owen's book . . . I found
the tale a fascinating one; however, its execution left
me wanting something more--perhaps a non-fiction account.

It was difficult to discern what exactly was fact and what was
fiction . . . in fact, after listening, I then went online
to research what actually happened.

Yet that said, BLACK MUTINY did make me more fully appreciate
the many Americans who did stand up to oppose slavery before
it was abolished . . . and, also, made me realize that there were
far too many others who stood by and did nothing.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It made me think more about America and slavery than ever, February 27, 1998

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Mutiny: Revolt on the Schooner Amistad (Paperback)

I set upon to read this book to read a real account of what happened on the Amistad before I saw the movie which I heard was historically flawed. I don't know if that is the case because I have not seen the movie, but this book enriched me in ways I never could have foreseen. This book made me question the "inherent morality" and goodness of America envisioned in the "City on a Hill" analogy invoked by so many people. This book described in vivid detail the plight of Africans that were captured by the Spanish along the Slave Coast and their transport to Cuba. In addition, the book speaks of the complicity of the United States in allowing and, in fact, looking away as the slave trade continued in Havana long after Spain and England had signed a treaty declaring the trade illegal. How ironic that the nation that the United States broke from because of tyranny was the nation almost soley responsible for rescuing captured Africans from their Spanish captors. Owens also tells in the book of how horribly blacks were treated IN THE NORTH being driven out of towns and neighborhoods by people claiming to be Christian. This book makes one take a look at the hipocrisy that fills the history of the United States and how the case of the Amistad underscored the American paradox of "all men are created equal" and the institution of slavery. This book taught me that America has much to be sorry for though HER PROMISE is inspiring. It also taught me why many black people wish to be called African-American...it is the only way to acknowledge a heritage that was lost when upon arrival in Cuba they were given Spanish names denoting a European heritage that is not theirs.