In the seventeenth century, the world's prime trade super-power was Holland. They fiercely and ruthlessly protected and controlled the passage from the East Indies to Europe, trafficking priceless spices back at enormous profit. And their flagship, Batavia, named after the Dutch stronghold port in Fiji, was the pride of the Dutch East India Company. But in the early hours of early June 1629, during its maiden voyage en route to the Indies, the ship struck the unseen and treacherous reef in the Abrolhos Islands, which lie just off the coast of Western Australia. And as the weather deteriorated and Batavia threatened to founder on the reef, Commander Francisco Pelsaert made the regrettable decision to strike out for help leaving behind Jeronimus Cornelisz, a traitor-in-waiting; a man of great delusion and greed. So as the Captain left with a small amount of crew, Cornelisz's plans started to take root: while the cat was away ,Cornelisz played.
Having muttered darkly about mutiny throughout the journey now his plans could come to fruition and with a loyal and bloodthirsty band of sympathisers, Cornelisz started a reign of terror over the remaining passengers and crew on the island.
Batavia, the flagship of the Company, was carrying treasure beyond belief. And the calculating Cornelisz planned for the treasure to be his. As too did he wish for the merchant's wife Lucrezia to be his. As he instructed his bloodthirsty, loyal brigands to execute the remaining survivors, he enslaves the proud Lucrezia and continues brutal mini-dictatorship, Cornelisz waits for the return of Pelsaert and the rescue boats, his plan to overthrown the ageing Commander and foolish skipper and claim the treasures and rescue boats for himself and his followers.
One man, however, stands in his way. Wiebbe Hayes, foolishly sent to an outlying island by Cornelisz to find precious fresh water, could be his undoing. Unless Cornelisz reaches him first...
Peter FitzSimons thinks this is the greatest story in Australia's history. He is the perfect man to write this bloody, chilling, stunning tale.
