Book excerpt: Pitcairn Island is arguably the most isolated inhabited spot on Earth. Yet despite tricky ocean currents, often lethal surf and sudden gales, the island's standing as the home of the descendants of Fletcher Christian and his mutineer cohorts from H.M.S. Bounty has drawn thousands of ships to its shores. This maritime history of the island chronicles every ship that has called at Pitcairn from the time of the arrival of the mutineers in 1790 to December 2010. The ship's log format lists the date of each call, the ship's name and particulars, and brief reports of activities during the call, which often include matters of love, murder, survival, intrigue, shipwreck, romance, and much more. Since Pitcairn remains totally dependent on ships for its survival, this work offers the most thorough historical record of the island and its people.