The Genesis of Rebellion

Steven Pfaff serves on the board of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics and Culture. He studies sociology, political science, and economic history, and has received book prizes from the Social Science History Association and the European Academy of Sociology. Michael Hechter is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Foundation Professor of Political Science at Arizona State University. He is the author of various books, including Alien Rule (Cambridge, 2013).

• 1. The genesis of rebellion; 2. Governance and social order in the Age of Sail; 3. One and all: the anatomy of mutiny; 4. Why seamen rebelled: the causes of mutiny; 5. Insurgency and solidarity: the mass mutinies at Spithead and the Nore; 6. Discipline, punishment and the fear of insurrection; 7. The consequences of mutiny; 8. Conclusion and implications.

'This brilliant book captures all the high drama of the Age of Sail, while providing invaluable lessons on the maintenance and failure of social order. Pfaff and Hechter's powerful analysis of how mutinies arose in the tight societies aboard British navy ships is a great read, and essential for everyone aiming to understand the nature of legitimacy, good governance, and rebellions against unjust authority.' Jack A Goldstone, George Mason University, Virginia