Pirates & Privateers: Martin Kufus's Books

The title alone suggests that this is not a typical pirate book, and you’re right. Only a single chapter is devoted to pirates. In 2012, Kufus is one of four men hired to guard a cargo ship and her crew as they traverse the dangerous waters around the Horn of Africa. He writes about the skills needed to work in maritime security, as well as the risks and liabilities. He also shares historical background about Somali piracy, what his duties are aboard the 340-foot ship, and the measures taken to keep the pirates off her. Although he does not encounter pirates on this voyage, he shares an account from one of the seamen who has. Two aspects that Kufus makes clear are that modern pirates bear no resemblance to those depicted on the silver screen and the majority of mariners who become victims of piracy hail from China, India, Kenya, the Philippines, China, and Thailand.

“P is for Pirates” is one of twenty-six stories Kufus shares about experiences in his life that have left indelible memories. As a child he shovels manure on the family farm and strikes out when playing Little League baseball. As an adult, he is a newspaper reporter, a magazine editor, a foreign correspondent, an Army paratrooper, a Russian-speaking soldier working in signals intelligence during the Cold War, and a first responder. In addition to the personal events that he relates, he also discusses science fiction, music, fishing, Apollo 11, the failed attempt to rescue the Embassy hostages in Iran, murder, the 1918 influenza pandemic, tornadoes and floods, and rattlesnakes. In some chapters, he includes photographs of his experiences.

Although I read this book from A to Z, Kufus provides two alternatives for those who prefer to pick and choose or like to read chronologically. Regardless of how you read this book, you never know what you will encounter despite each chapter’s title. While these are recollections of his past, they also remind us of our own and they evoke emotions that allow us to identify with him. Some chapters contain humor, such as his undercover assignment at a nudist colony. Others are poignant, such as his friend’s traumatic brain injury or a child and a gun. Still others are nail-biters, such as when he goes sport skydiving or tries to rescue stranded firefighters.

Piracy may be only one topic discussed within these pages, but Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky holds a treasure chest full of memories be they his . . . or yours.

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