Horrible Shipwreck!: A Full, True and Particular Account of the Melancholy Loss of the British Convict Ship Amphitrite, the 31st August 1833, off Boulogne, When 108 Female

Naval historian Jampoler tells the story of the wreck of the British convict ship Amphitrite in 1833, off the coast of France. At the time, the disaster evoked outrage in England, partially because it may have been avoidable but more because of the one hundred thirty-three who died, one hundred and twenty were women and children. Jampoler intersperses the narrative with popular ballads and news reports about the wreck. He sets the background by describing the history of transportation as a criminal sentence and gives an excursus on the ship itself. The women convicts are named along with whatever information could be found on them. While many authors believed the women were largely prostitutes, Jampoler notes that most were convicted of theft and other non-sex-related crimes. He also mentions that women may have been selected for transport because they were of child-bearing age and intended for the use of male convicts and guards. The accident is described and the aftermath as bodies washed ashore. Accusations against the navy and the government were thrown by the press. Jampoler analyzes the investigation and concludes that most of the accusations were invalid. In writing this micro history of a tragedy, Jampoler gives a detailed picture of a moment in time and the conditions that created it. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)