Overview

Full Product Details

9798893310597

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Is killing one innocent person justified if it saves the lives of three others? Adam Cohen's answer--in this riveting account of Dudley and Stephens, one of the most famous cases in legal history--reads like a thriller. And it begs the question of each of us: what would you do?""--Antony J. Blinken, former U.S. Secretary of State ""Adam Cohen's book transports the reader to 1884 and a dingy with four shipwrecked British sailors who survive weeks at sea by becoming murderers and cannibals. In gripping descriptions, the book details the trial, popular response and the enduring legacy of this case for Anglo-American law. The story and its implications will engross you and make you think long and hard about what you might do to survive in extreme circumstances.""--Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania ""Cohen has a gift for creating compelling narratives that show us the troubles of real people long ago, and connecting ethical challenges of the past to current concerns. A wonderful read.""--Tia Powell, MD, Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry, Division of Bioethics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine ""Captain's Dinner is an enthralling and entertaining book about a gruesome subject: cannibalism. Adam Cohen brings to life one of the most important murder trials in history, and expertly sketches in the social and historical background. This is both an adventure story and a courtroom thriller. It is, above all, simply a fascinating read that asks the reader to consider what you would do in the extreme circumstances encountered by the shipwreck survivors.""--Max Boot, New York Times bestselling author of Reagan: His Life and Legend ""Thoroughly researched and impeccably argued, Captain's Dinner is both a terrific and an important story. It's a perfect enunciation of the classic philosophical conundrum: can you sacrifice one innocent life to save many? That is a moral dilemma as relevant today as it was in Victorian England."" --Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi ""Brilliant and profound, Captain's Dinner had me gripped from page one. Even as he takes on wrenching moral issues, Cohen brings humanity and wit to the most serious and ghastly of subjects. With vivid, fast-paced writing, extraordinary research, and incredible historical detail, Cohen takes us back to the scene of the crime--and brings it alive. No one can write like Adam Cohen. A masterpiece!""--Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Political Tribes and The Golden Gate

""Adam Cohen's book transports the reader to 1884 and a dingy with four shipwrecked British sailors who survive weeks at sea by becoming murderers and cannibals. In gripping descriptions, the book details the trial, popular response and the enduring legacy of this case for Anglo-American law. The story and its implications will engross you and make you think long and hard about what you might do to survive in extreme circumstances.""--Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania ""Cohen has a gift for creating compelling narratives that show us the troubles of real people long ago, and connecting ethical challenges of the past to current concerns. A wonderful read.""--Tia Powell, MD, Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry, Division of Bioethics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine ""Brilliant and profound, Captain's Dinner had me gripped from page one. Even as he takes on wrenching moral issues, Cohen brings humanity and wit to the most serious and ghastly of subjects. With vivid, fast-paced writing, extraordinary research, and incredible historical detail, Cohen takes us back to the scene of the crime--and brings it alive. No one can write like Adam Cohen. A masterpiece!""--Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Political Tribes and The Golden Gate

""Based on extensive primary research, this engaging legal and maritime history is highly recommended for all libraries.""-- ""Library Journal, Starred Review"" ""Adam Cohen takes on one of life's defining moral questions in this riveting historical exploration about a difficult choice at sea that led to a murder trial that set a new precedent.""--Barnes & Noble, Best History Books of 2025 ""Drama abounds on the high seas and in the courtroom . . . a gripping look at a foundational moral shift of the modern era.""-- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""Journalist and author Cohen strikes gold . . . A legal milestone and a good read."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""This was not the first act of cannibalism in the name of survival, but it was the first that changed the world. For students of legal history, this one's a must-read.""--David Pitt ""Booklist"" ""Is killing one innocent person justified if it saves the lives of three others? Adam Cohen's answer--in this riveting account of Dudley and Stephens, one of the most famous cases in legal history--reads like a thriller. And it begs the question of each of us: what would you do?""--Antony J. Blinken, former U.S. Secretary of State ""A briskly told, deeply researched study . . . While Mr. Cohen engages readers with a lively and suspenseful narrative, he is also interested in exploring the intricate logic of the legal decision.""--Donna Sanders ""The Wall Street Journal"" ""Captain's Dinner is an enthralling and entertaining book about a gruesome subject: cannibalism. Adam Cohen brings to life one of the most important murder trials in history, and expertly sketches in the social and historical background. This is both an adventure story and a courtroom thriller. It is, above all, simply a fascinating read that asks the reader to consider what you would do in the extreme circumstances encountered by the shipwreck survivors.""--Max Boot, New York Times bestselling author of Reagan: His Life and Legend ""Thoroughly researched and impeccably argued, Captain's Dinner is both a terrific and an important story. It's a perfect enunciation of the classic philosophical conundrum: can you sacrifice one innocent life to save many? That is a moral dilemma as relevant today as it was in Victorian England."" --Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi ""Brilliant and profound, Captain's Dinner had me gripped from page one. Even as he takes on wrenching moral issues, Cohen brings humanity and wit to the most serious and ghastly of subjects. With vivid, fast-paced writing, extraordinary research, and incredible historical detail, Cohen takes us back to the scene of the crime--and brings it alive. No one can write like Adam Cohen. A masterpiece!""--Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Political Tribes and The Golden Gate

""Journalist and author Cohen strikes gold . . . A legal milestone and a good read."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""This was not the first act of cannibalism in the name of survival, but it was the first that changed the world. For students of legal history, this one's a must-read.""--David Pitt ""Booklist"" ""Is killing one innocent person justified if it saves the lives of three others? Adam Cohen's answer--in this riveting account of Dudley and Stephens, one of the most famous cases in legal history--reads like a thriller. And it begs the question of each of us: what would you do?""--Antony J. Blinken, former U.S. Secretary of State ""Adam Cohen's book transports the reader to 1884 and a dingy with four shipwrecked British sailors who survive weeks at sea by becoming murderers and cannibals. In gripping descriptions, the book details the trial, popular response and the enduring legacy of this case for Anglo-American law. The story and its implications will engross you and make you think long and hard about what you might do to survive in extreme circumstances.""--Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania ""Cohen has a gift for creating compelling narratives that show us the troubles of real people long ago, and connecting ethical challenges of the past to current concerns. A wonderful read.""--Tia Powell, MD, Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry, Division of Bioethics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine ""Captain's Dinner is an enthralling and entertaining book about a gruesome subject: cannibalism. Adam Cohen brings to life one of the most important murder trials in history, and expertly sketches in the social and historical background. This is both an adventure story and a courtroom thriller. It is, above all, simply a fascinating read that asks the reader to consider what you would do in the extreme circumstances encountered by the shipwreck survivors.""--Max Boot, New York Times bestselling author of Reagan: His Life and Legend ""Thoroughly researched and impeccably argued, Captain's Dinner is both a terrific and an important story. It's a perfect enunciation of the classic philosophical conundrum: can you sacrifice one innocent life to save many? That is a moral dilemma as relevant today as it was in Victorian England."" --Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi ""Brilliant and profound, Captain's Dinner had me gripped from page one. Even as he takes on wrenching moral issues, Cohen brings humanity and wit to the most serious and ghastly of subjects. With vivid, fast-paced writing, extraordinary research, and incredible historical detail, Cohen takes us back to the scene of the crime--and brings it alive. No one can write like Adam Cohen. A masterpiece!""--Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Political Tribes and The Golden Gate

Author Information

Adam Cohen, who served as a member of the New York Times editorial board and as a senior writer for Time, is the author of Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck, which was longlisted for the National Book Award. He is also the author of Supreme Inequality: The Supreme Court's Fifty-Year Battle for a More Unjust America, and Nothing to Fear: FDR's Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he was president of volume 100 of the Harvard Law Review.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available