Fifteen fascinating stories—some iconic, many little known until now—of shipwreck, mutiny, piracy, and marooning in the region of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Filled with ripping, engaging stories from the age of sail and steam, this collection covers the gamut of human emotion and character: survival, courage, cowardice, and treachery, as well as humor, mystery, and the absurd. The stories featured include the wreck of the Batavia in the Abrolhos in 1629 and the psychopathic events that subsequently unfolded with more than 100 people murdered; Eliza Fraser cast away among the aboriginal population on Fraser Island, Queensland in 1836; the wrecks on the subantarctic islands near New Zealand that left people stranded for years before discovery; and the tragic wreck of the Loch Ard, a harrowing tale tragically ending with only two survivors.