About this episode

This episode explores the great naval mutinies of 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars, focusing on the collective resistance within the Royal Navy and the choices made under intense stress.

In this episode, we explore the great naval mutinies of 1797. This was during the French Revolutionary Wars, when Britain was fighting France at sea and relying heavily on the Royal Navy to maintain its power, security, trade routes, and global empire. But on British shores at a time when invasion of England seemed highly likely, the fleets mutinied at the great anchorages of Spithead and the Nore. The mutinies represent two of the most serious manifestations of collective resistance in eighteenth century Britain. It's a story set against a backdrop of tension and shifting loyalties. This isn't just the story of rebellion; it's a study of what happens when order begins to fracture from within. It's about what happens when people are driven to the edge and the choices they make under intense stress, when resistance and survival are intrinsically linked, like a ship and its keel. To find out more, Dr Sam Willis spoke with Callum Easton. He is the author of the brilliant book, The 1797 Naval Mutinies and Popular Protest in Britain which won the 2025 Sir Julian Corbett Prize in Modern Naval History. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Dr Sam Willis

Guest: Callum Easton

Topics covered

• naval history
• mutinies
• collective resistance
• eighteenth century Britain
• Royal Navy
• French Revolutionary Wars
• tension and loyalty

Keywords

• naval mutinies
• Royal Navy
• French Revolutionary Wars
• collective resistance
• eighteenth century
• Callum Easton
• Dr Sam Willis
• Spithead
• Nore
• British history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Society for Nautical Research, Lloyds Register Foundation

Books & works: The 1797 Naval Mutinies and Popular Protest in Britain

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