On November 22, 1910, shouting out “End the chibata!” and “Long live liberty!” Brazilian sailors staged one of the most impressive naval revolts of the twentieth century (p. 197). For four days, some 2,000 men took command of four battleships, two of which were sophisticated dreadnoughts recently purchased from England by the Brazilian government. These men managed to skillfully maneuver these vessels on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, which was then the capital of the country, and threatened to destroy the city if their demands were not met. Their leaders were André Avelino, Francisco Dias Martins, Manuel Gregório do Nascimento, and João Cândido Felisberto—the last of whom, the most notorious of the group, was also known as the Black Admiral.
This book by Zachary R. Morgan tells the story of the event, which became known as the Revolt of the Lash (Revolta da Chibata). The book, which is very...
