Pirates & Privateers: Books for Adults~History: Piracy

Cover Art: The Best Pirate
Stories Ever Told

The Best Pirate Stories Ever Told
edited by Stephen Brennan
Skyhorse, 2011, ISBN 978-1-61608-218-5, US $12.95 / CAN $15.95

This new collection includes pirate stories written during the past 400 years. It is divided into four parts: The Histories, The Captains, Pirate Song and Verse, and The Tales. Below is a list of the contents by author, or title if unknown.

Author	Title
	The Articles of Pirate Law
Lord Byron	The Corsair
Arthur Hunt Chute	Passing of the Mogul Mackenzie
Joseph Conrad	Captain Brown
James Fenimore Cooper	The Malay Proas
Henri de Monfreid & Ida Treat	Pirates and Coast-Guards
Daniel Defoe	The Daughter of the Great Moghul
Charles Ellms	The Danish and Norman Pirates
	Authentic History of the Malay Pirates of the Indian Ocean
	The Barbarous Conduct and Romantic Death of the Joassamee Chief Rahmah-ben-Jabir
	The Adventures and Execution of Captain John Rackham
	The Life of Captain Lewis
	Anne Bonney and Mary Read
George MacDonald Fraser	The Pyrates Attack
Richard Glasspoole	The Terrible Landrones
Oscar Herrmann	Pirates and Piracy
Archibald Hurd	Captain Charles Vane
	Captain Gow of the Orkneys
	An Indictment for Piracy, 1812
Captain Charles Johnson	Mutiny! — Captain Howel Davis and His Crew
	The Pirate’s Parody
	King’s Evidence against a Pirate
	Last Words and Other Pirate Quotations
W. B. Lord	The Last of the Sea Rovers
Captain Marryat	The Attack
John Masefield	The Ways of the Buccaneers
	The Buccaneer
	The Tarry Buccaneer
Henry Ormerod	Piracy in the Ancient World
Lucretia Parker	The Female Captive
	The Pirate’s Song (two different poems)
Plutarch	Caesar and the Pirates
Howard Pyle	A True Account of Three Notorious Pirates
	With the Buccaneers
Rafael Sabatini	Captain Blood
Captain H. C. St. John, RN	Cruising after Pirates
Captain Samuel Samuels	A Crew of the “Bloody Forties”
John S. Sewall	Capture, Sufferings, and Escape of Captain Barnabas Lincoln
William Shakespeare	Shakespeare on Pirates
	The Song of Captain Kidd
Edward John Trelawny	Autobiography
Mark Twain	Tom Sawyer, Pirate King
E. H. Visiak	The Rivals
	The Fleet of Captain Morgan

This great collection introduces readers to pirates around the world, not just the Caribbean. Some tales are often found in similar compilations, but many are rarely included, which makes this a treasure for fans of pirate stories. Although the editor protects each writer’s individual style as his/her story appears when originally published, the stories remain easy to read.

The one drawback is the lack of anecdotal information for each story to set the stage, identify who the writer is, and classify the tale as a true account, fiction, or a combination of the two. This may be obvious to some readers, but to many others perhaps not since a number of the tales fall into the last category. The other missing detail is that some of these are excerpts from larger works. For example, the book includes one episode from Captain Blood, rather than the entire novel. Inclusion of all this information would enrich the book tenfold and satisfy the reader’s curiosity.

Elizabeth’s Sea Dogs: How the English Became the Scourge of the Seas
by Hugh Bicheno
Conway, 2012, ISBN 978-1-84486-174-3, UK £25 / US $30

When Bicheno opens his narrative, he makes it clear how different we are from the Elizabethans and how their outlook on life differs from ours. Chapter one then proceeds to delineate those differences so we more fully comprehend who the Sea Dogs are and why they do what they do for queen, God, and plunder. He also examines those who come before these privateers, such as Jean Fleury, whose capture of a Spanish ship unveils for all to see just how rich the New World is for those willing to exploit her treasures. From that French revelation, the author delves into its effect on English adventurers and how naval predation evolves into both a sanctioned and unsanctioned guerre de course, depending on how the political situation ebbs and flows between England and Spain. Thereafter, the reader learns about specific Sea Dogs – such men as John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, John Oxenham, Martin Frobisher, and Sir Walter Ralegh – and those who finance and support their exploits. Thereafter, Bicheno discusses regular and guerilla warfare, as well as the legacy of Elizabeth’s Sea Dogs.

Maps, diagrams, charts, and color portraits and illustrations accompany the text. Bicheno also inserts a section entitled “The Armada Charts” between chapters eleven and twelve, although no reference to this appears in the table of contents. These pages contain the charts commissioned by Lord Admiral Howard and the narrative accompanying them in an attempt to show readers how all the varying aspects pertaining to Spain’s invasion of England come together. The appendices provide information on: 16th-century inflation, currency, and exchange rates; types of ships; naval artillery; the difference between tons burden, tons, and tonnage; and the ships of 1588. Aside from the index, the book also includes a bibliography of print and online resources, some of which the author marks as being particularly valuable to him during his research.

On the whole, this is an interesting and readable account about the Sea Dogs and their exploits. Occasionally, the author insinuates opinions without backing them up with facts to support those conclusions, such as when Drake hangs two men, “one for murder and the other . . . for sodomizing two cabin boys – which is odd, because that’s what cabin boys were for.” (188) Readers seeking a well-rounded examination of the Elizabethan period, particularly as it pertains to the maritime world and the role the Sea Dogs played in the political machinations, will find this volume worth reading.

Cover Art:
Elizabeth's Sea Dogs and
Their War Against Spain

Elizabeth's Sea Dogs and Their War Against Spain
By Brian Best
Frontline, 2021, ISBN 978-1-52678-285-4, US $34.95 / UK £19.99

review by Irwin Bryan

This new book is the latest in centuries of works about the English Sea Dogs who preyed on the wealth of Spain, including John Hawkins, Francis Drake, Thomas Cavendish, and Martin Frobisher. Drake was a memorable figure in his own lifetime. He was known to his Spanish enemies as El Draco, "the Dragon." The English came to know him as a stalwart defender of Queen Elizabeth's realm.

Other leading men in England also took to the sea against Spanish ships and lands. For the most part, their stories are presented in chronological order starting with Hawkins and his young nephew, Drake. With so much treasure being produced in the Americas, there were several ways and varied locations to strike a blow and become rich in the process. Along the coasts they plundered unprotected merchant ships, headed into the jungle to ambush a silver mule train, or confronted a treasure galleon at sea with broadsides and boarders.

Drake's rise to shipowner and captain of his own vessel shows how he prepared to lead an expedition into the South Seas. He was only the second person to oversee a circumnavigation of the the world, and the first leader to complete the trip. Unlike the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who died during his attempt, Drake's primary focus was to capture a Manila galleon. He returned to England a hero.

With knowledge of the Spanish intentions to send an armada against England, a preemptive strike on Cadiz was planned. Under Drake, a small fleet of ships carrying troops and supplies attacked and caused great damage and destruction to the vessels already gathered at the Spanish port. Coastal shipping was plundered and destroyed, including a full cargo of the staves and wood for building barrels. This critical loss helped postpone the Great Armada until the spring of 1588.

The author relates the actions against Spain and aftermath of the armada in a clear and complete manner. Other Englishmen who campaigned on land or sea have their own stories told, but only Hawkins, Drake, and Cavendish get their own chapters. The deaths of Hawkins and Drake are presented and the death of their queen in 1603 ends the story.

Black-&-white pictures depict the people and places mentioned in the text. Some maps and illustrations are also included. There is a brief bibliography and index.

This appears to be a well-researched tale, but without any notes or cited sources there is no way to know if what is presented is truth or conjecture. There are some statements in the text that I was not familiar with. These include that Drake's first ship was seized and destroyed by the Spanish, and that San Domingo in the "Dominican Republic . . . was the seat of government for the Spanish Main." (20) (I have since verified the latter.)

As sea stories go, there is enough that occurs on a ship or during a voyage for this qualify as one. This book is ideal for someone unfamiliar with the history of these times or the ways of the sea. Much of England's post-medieval history is clearly told, such as court intrigue and different people trying to ascend to the English throne. Anyone interested in this era or the early Age of Sail should consider this the perfect introduction to read before England's enemies shift to the Dutch and French.

Flying the Black Flag: A Brief History of Piracy
By Alfred S. Bradford
Praeger, 2007, ISBN 978-0-275-97781-8, US $49.95 / UK £27.95

Bradford, a specialist in ancient history, introduces readers to the history of maritime piracy. The book is divided into eight sections. Greek piracy explores the difference between Odysseus the hero and Odysseus the pirate, before examining the Greeks’ interaction with their countrymen, Barbarians, and Macedonians. Under the Romans, Bradford looks at the actions they take against pirates, including the Cilicians, and how this scourge is effectively dealt with for a time. Part three, which covers the Viking period, discusses the first invaders, the Rus, and how converting to Christianity brought about the end of Norse piracy. The next era in this book is that of the Buccaneers, from their origins to Sir Henry Morgan to Captain William Kidd. Rather than cover the golden age pirates of the early 18th century, Bradford concentrates on first the Barbary pirates and then the marauders of the south coast of China. Part seven investigates Algerian piracy and the Americans. Finally, he focuses on how people come to be pirates and piracy and terrorism.

Maps and illustrations are included. While passages aren’t cited with footnotes, a section at the back of the book identifies where quotations can be found. The bibliography includes both primary and secondary sources, and there is an index.

The idea for this book stems from the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. In the preface, Bradford writes:

Terrorists have operated throughout history, but their ability to attack across large distances with devastating effect and to take thousands of lives is a phenomenon of modern technology, and so an historical study of terrorism would not be particularly relevant to our present situation, but when I amended the question and asked, how should we respond to an attack by a group that is neither organized as a regular military force nor openly acknowledged by any formal government, I thought of pirates and the world’s response to pirates. Who became pirates? Why? And how did nations respond to attacks upon their citizens by pirates?

Answers to these questions are what Bradford provides as he scrutinizes the history of maritime piracy. He does so in an easy-to-understand way that is informative and entertaining. Three aspects of this book set it apart from others: 1) ancient piracy, 2) Asian piracy, and 3) why people turn to piracy. Few volumes explore early Mediterranean piracy in much detail, and to have an expert in this period of time makes ancient piracy interesting and enlightening. Asian piracy differs from Western piracy, and the author provides an intriguing look into how China deals with the problem. His chapter on what makes a pirate is an unique and solid examination of what makes the man or woman forsake society and its rules for a life a crime. My only question in reading the book is why Bradford chooses to refer to Cheng I Sao as “dragon lady.”

Cover Art:
The Last Buccaneers
in the South
Sea1686-1695

The Last Buccaneers in the South Sea, 1686-1695
Peter T. Bradley
Independently Published, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4477-3018-7, US $26.70
also available in other formats

In the waning years of the 17th century, colonial perspectives forced buccaneers to seek new venues to ply their trade. The Caribbean was no longer the safe haven it had been, and governments and merchants saw these brigands as detrimental to trade rather than as essential protection against enemies. One group of buccaneers sailed from the North American coast in 1686, to Africa, back across the Atlantic, and around Cape Horn into what was then known as the South Sea. Their ships and their exploits focused primarily on the Viceroyalty of Peru, but ranged as far north as Mexico and Baja California. The majority of these pirates were French, and they remained active until 1695.

The Last Buccaneers in the South Sea is divided into three parts. The first is an English translation of a French diary with additional information from Spanish documents from the period. Aside from their raids on ships and towns, the journal also recounts the problems the buccaneers encounter, particularly regarding insufficient food supplies, and how they convert a prize to a pirate ship. This section of the book closes with the author’s conclusions about these buccaneers, their practices, and their behaviors, especially how the last is viewed from the perspective of the pirates and the expectations of the Spaniards. Footnotes provide additional insights and references.

Part two is the original journal in French. The entries provide a day-by-day recap of activities, rather than the rolling narrative seen in the English translation. The final segment contains four documents in Spanish that pertain to the buccaneers. No full translation of these is provided, although the author cites or refers to portions of them in the first part of the book. The only index is to place names.

What makes this volume different is that it focuses on the final wave of buccaneers who plunder the western coasts of South America. Earlier comrades often cross the Isthmus of Panama to reach this region but not these last buccaneers. Their “safe” havens during these voyages are the Galapagos Islands and sometimes California. The volume also provides an interesting look into hostages, which makes a good comparison for students wishing to compare practices of the buccaneers with today’s pirates.

Cover Art: Lost Pirate
Treasures of St. Croix

Lost Pirate Treasures of Saint Croix: Your Search for Billions Starts Here
by John A. Boyd
Independently Published, 2013, ISBN 978-1490536392, US $19.95
also available in other formats

Who doesn’t secretly wish to discover treasure? Boyd, who lives on St. Croix, provides readers with piratical history and legend pertaining to the island. He came to write this book after studying the connection between Caribs, a native tribe of the Caribbean, and pirates. That research led him to wonder what the scurvy dogs did with their ill-gotten plunder. St. Croix isn’t often connected with pirates, at least the better-known ones. Boyd does discover that historian Arnold R. Highfield, who has written about the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dutch West Indies, identifies Jean Martel and Michel de Grammont as having visited the island. Boyd, himself, has turned up evidence that so did Sam Bellamy and Olivier la Buse. What may have attracted pirates to this island is the lack of government authority. At the time of the golden age, St. Croix is remote, abandoned, and offers anchorages where they can careen their vessels.

Aside from including a top ten list of pirate havens, Boyd looks at the richest pirates of the Caribbean and St. Croix. He also includes a summary of the colonial history of the island, especially as it relates to pirates and smugglers. He even unearths references to the island in Captain Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates. Maps and other black-&-white illustrations accompany the text. One chapter discusses treasure connected to Treasure Island. For readers to fully understand what goes on in this chapter, they may want to first read John Amrhein, Jr.’s Treasure Island: The Untold Story.

The chapter on Jean Laffite is perhaps the most tenuous in its connection to St. Croix, although Boyd does label this chapter as a footnote in history. It does contain a few factual errors. The four documents Laffite received when British Captains Lockyer and McWilliams visit Barataria come from Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicholls and Captain William H. Percy, not King George III. Although historians don’t know the particulars of how and where Jean Laffite and Andrew Jackson meet, the meeting does occur, but Pierre Laffite’s freedom is not part of the deal. Pierre has already escaped from jail. His freedom is actually part of the persuasion points that the British use in attempting to convince Jean to help them. There are definitely a lot of legends pertaining to Jean’s buried treasure, but historians rarely mention that he buries his wealth, and if he has so much treasure, why is he often short of funds?

The chapter on Puerto Rican pirates provides some interesting perspectives on how we romanticize pirates today and how different countries view the same pirates. What is missing from the accounts of Miguel Henriquez and Roberto Cofres is why they’re included in a book about pirate treasure on St. Croix.

The final chapter isn’t about historical pirates. Nor is it written by Boyd. Instead, his granddaughter, Ana Evans, writes about her adventurous search for pirate treasure. Boyd concludes the book with tips for creating your own pirate adventures, some of which come from his own experiences. These offer very sound advice.

A professional copy editor would have caught the spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, but some readers may not be bothered by these. Boyd provides a lengthy discussion on Philippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, but there is so much information in this chapter that occasionally the portion that pertains to St. Croix and the Tortuga treasure gets lost. (De Poincy was a governor, not a pirate. Every once in awhile I found myself wishing for footnotes to clarify some points, but this may stem from my having a greater interest in the history than the treasure.) Some readers may question the historical data on Alexandre Exquemelin, but there are some references that indicate he acquires his surgical training prior to his coming to the West Indies. One point that should be clarified is that Henry Morgan did sue the publisher of the English version of Exquemelin’s famous account of the buccaneers, written under the name of John Esquemeling. (Morgan does win and the publisher has to delete some of the objectionable material from the book.)

Not all the pirates mentioned have definitive connections to St. Croix, but Boyd makes a good case for most of those who may have used the island at one time or another. He also has a strong belief that treasure seekers need to study not only the history, but also the legends. Readers will find that while the author wouldn’t mind discovering treasures of gold and silver, he’s found riches of another sort – history and family.