Record Details

Catalog Search

Search The Catalog


Captain's dinner : a shipwreck, an act of cannibalism, and a murder trial that changed legal history Cover Image Book

Captain's dinner : a shipwreck, an act of cannibalism, and a murder trial that changed legal history / Adam Cohen.

Cohen, Adam (Adam Seth), (author.).

Summary:

"On May 19, 1884, the yacht Mignonette set sail from England on what should have been an uneventful voyage. When their vessel sank in the Atlantic, Captain Thomas Dudley and his crew found themselves adrift in a tiny lifeboat. As days turned to weeks, they faced an unthinkable choice: starve to death or resort to cannibalism. Their decision to sacrifice the youngest, 17-year-old cabin boy Richard Parker, ignited a firestorm of controversy upon their rescue. Instead of being hailed as heroes and survivors, Dudley and his crew found themselves at the center of Regina v. Dudley and Stephens, a landmark murder trial that would establish the legal precedent that necessity cannot justify murder, a principle that continues to shape Anglo-American law today"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9798893310597
  • Physical Description: xviii, 357 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Authors Equity, [2025]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (page 253-334) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
The voyage begins -- The wreck of the Mignonette -- The Captain's proposal -- The cannibalism taboo -- A difficult homecoming -- A bad time to be a cannibal -- From sailors to criminal defendants -- The grand jury weighs in -- A special verdict -- The Lord Chief Justice rules -- Fading away.

Search for related items by subject

Subject:
Dudley, Tom, 1853-1900 > Trials, litigation, etc.
Stephens, E. (Edwin) > Trials, litigation, etc.
Mignonette (Boat) > History.
Trials (Murder) > England > London.
Murder > Law and legislation > Great Britain > History > 19th century.
Necessity (Law) > Great Britain > History > 19th century.
Shipwrecks.
Cannibalism.
Survival.
Murder.
Trials (Murder)
Genre:
Informational works.
True crime stories.

Available copies

  • 26 of 28 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 28 total copies.
Sort by distance from:
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Jacksonville Main Library 364.1523 COH (Text) 36015000755807 Adult Nonfiction Available -

Accessibility Features

Summaries & More

Awards, Reviews, & Suggested Reads

Shelf Browser

MARC Record

LDR 02958cam a2200469 i 4500
00115723648
003CARDINAL
00520251217132002.1
008250222t20252025nyuabf e b 001 0 eng d
010 . ‡a 2025943279
020 . ‡a9798893310597 ‡q(hardcover)
035 . ‡a(OCoLC)1500566943
040 . ‡aYDX ‡beng ‡erda ‡cYDX ‡dOCLCO ‡dBDX ‡dMJ8 ‡dOCLCO ‡dOCLCQ ‡dLPU ‡dOCLCO ‡dCHY ‡dCIB ‡dGL4 ‡dGRC ‡dCLU ‡dOCLCO ‡dIG#
043 . ‡ae-uk-en
050 4. ‡aKD372.D83 ‡bC64 2025
08204. ‡a364.1523 ‡223
1001 . ‡aCohen, Adam ‡q(Adam Seth), ‡eauthor. ‡0(CARDINAL)660759
24510. ‡aCaptain's dinner : ‡ba shipwreck, an act of cannibalism, and a murder trial that changed legal history / ‡cAdam Cohen.
250 . ‡aFirst edition.
264 1. ‡aNew York : ‡bAuthors Equity, ‡c[2025]
264 4. ‡c©2025
300 . ‡axviii, 357 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : ‡billustrations, map ; ‡c25 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (page 253-334) and index.
5050 . ‡aThe voyage begins -- The wreck of the Mignonette -- The Captain's proposal -- The cannibalism taboo -- A difficult homecoming -- A bad time to be a cannibal -- From sailors to criminal defendants -- The grand jury weighs in -- A special verdict -- The Lord Chief Justice rules -- Fading away.
520 . ‡a"On May 19, 1884, the yacht Mignonette set sail from England on what should have been an uneventful voyage. When their vessel sank in the Atlantic, Captain Thomas Dudley and his crew found themselves adrift in a tiny lifeboat. As days turned to weeks, they faced an unthinkable choice: starve to death or resort to cannibalism. Their decision to sacrifice the youngest, 17-year-old cabin boy Richard Parker, ignited a firestorm of controversy upon their rescue. Instead of being hailed as heroes and survivors, Dudley and his crew found themselves at the center of Regina v. Dudley and Stephens, a landmark murder trial that would establish the legal precedent that necessity cannot justify murder, a principle that continues to shape Anglo-American law today"-- ‡cProvided by publisher.
60010. ‡aDudley, Tom, ‡d1853-1900 ‡xTrials, litigation, etc.
60010. ‡aStephens, E. ‡q(Edwin) ‡xTrials, litigation, etc.
61020. ‡aMignonette (Boat) ‡xHistory.
650 0. ‡aTrials (Murder) ‡zEngland ‡zLondon. ‡0(CARDINAL)302598
650 0. ‡aMurder ‡xLaw and legislation ‡zGreat Britain ‡xHistory ‡y19th century.
650 0. ‡aNecessity (Law) ‡zGreat Britain ‡xHistory ‡y19th century.
650 0. ‡aShipwrecks. ‡0(CARDINAL)253350
650 0. ‡aCannibalism. ‡0(CARDINAL)232683
650 0. ‡aSurvival.
650 0. ‡aMurder. ‡0(CARDINAL)246838
650 0. ‡aTrials (Murder) ‡0(CARDINAL)256296
655 7. ‡aInformational works. ‡2lcgft ‡0(CARDINAL)351103
655 7. ‡aTrue crime stories. ‡2lcgft ‡0(CARDINAL)340776
901 . ‡a15723648 ‡bAUTOGEN ‡c15723648 ‡tbiblio ‡soclc