Rascals in Paradise, published in 1957 by Random House, is a nonfiction collection of ten historical adventure stories about infamous and overlooked individuals in the Pacific islands. Co-written by James A. Michener and A. Grove Day, the book is praised for its exciting narrative style and extensive research.
Summary
The book presents portraits of ten audacious adventurers who sought escape, power, or riches in the South Pacific over a span of four hundred years. These real-life "rascals" include mutineers, pirates, a marquis, an explorer, and even a painter on velvet. The authors combine historical scholarship with engaging storytelling to explore the motivations and experiences of these figures, many of whom are little known to the general public, with the exception of Captain William Bligh of the HMS Bounty fame.
Key Figures
The ten stories in the collection feature the following individuals:
The Globe Mutineers: A group of sailors, led by the nineteen-year-old Sam Comstock, who mutinied in pursuit of an island kingdom, which became a nightmare.
Charles I, Emperor of Oceania: A French marquis who attempted to establish a settlement on an island off New Guinea, leading to a death trap for settlers.
Coxinga, Lord of the Seas: A powerful Chinese pirate who nearly overthrew the great Manchu dynasty.
Gibson, the King's Evil Angel: A figure in Pacific history who served as an adviser to a local king.
Bligh, Man of Mutinies: A re-examination of the notorious Captain William Bligh, portraying a more nuanced story than the traditional "monster" legend.
Doña Isabel, the Lady Explorer: A woman who set out from Peru in 1595 to win a Pacific empire for herself.
Bully Hayes, South Sea Buccaneer: A classic South Sea pirate and adventurer.
Louis Becke, Adventurer and Writer: An adventurer who later became a writer, contributing to the South Seas genre.
Will Mariner, the boy Chief of Tonga: A fourteen-year-old English boy who survived a shipwreck and became a chief adviser to the King of the Tonga Islands.
Leeteg, the Legend: A modern-era painter on velvet in Tahiti, known for his eccentric behavior.
Reception
The book received generally positive reviews, with The New York Times calling it "The best book about those far-scattered islands that has appeared in a long time". Reviewers often praise how the book blends Michener's gift for storytelling with A. Grove Day's meticulous research, making history engaging and accessible. Some readers note that while the stories are fascinating and well-researched, the non-fiction narrative style can feel less "novelistic" than Michener's typical works.