The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard

Sep 16, 2010

Alex Telander rated it

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Shelves: books-read-in-2007

THE REPUBLIC OF PIRATES: BEING THE TRUE AND SURPRISING STORY OF THE CARIBBEAN PIRATES AND THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THEM DOWN BY COLIN WOODARD: Welcome to the Golden Age of Piracy, at least that’s what it can be considered from the pirates’ point of view. The ten years between 1715 and 1725 was the time when pirates ruled the high seas of the Caribbean. This is their story during those ten years when they had the times of their lives, and had it all brought to a halt by one man.

Woodard ...moreTHE REPUBLIC OF PIRATES: BEING THE TRUE AND SURPRISING STORY OF THE CARIBBEAN PIRATES AND THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THEM DOWN BY COLIN WOODARD: Welcome to the Golden Age of Piracy, at least that’s what it can be considered from the pirates’ point of view. The ten years between 1715 and 1725 was the time when pirates ruled the high seas of the Caribbean. This is their story during those ten years when they had the times of their lives, and had it all brought to a halt by one man.

Woodard starts at the beginning, giving a brief history lesson from the seventeenth century, setting the scene and explaining the rise of piracy in this area of the world consisting of colonies controlled by countries on the other side of the world. It was a time when a captain with a faithful crew and a good ship could do whatever he wanted. Woodard explains in the prologue the distinction between three key terms that often are applied to those conducting themselves in piratical ways. Privateers: these were people who in wartime plundered enemy ships under instruction and allowance from their respective governments, and would then share the plunder between themselves and their governments. Pirates: naturally these people are similar to privateers, except they operated under no governmental control or order, and always kept the plunder for themselves. Buccaneers: these were pirates and privateers mostly from the seventeenth century operating out of the West Indies, were mostly French, and hunted cattle on the island of Hispaniola; the meat was dried on a bouccan.

Woodard then goes on to create the setting of the Caribbean at the beginning of this ten year period, explaining the democratic nature of pirates in dividing plunder, giving captured slaves the option to remain slaves or become pirates. He dedicates a chapter to each of the important pirate captains, including Captain Bellamy, Captain Bonnet, and Captain Blackbeard, whose actual name was Edward Thatch, but because of his decision to never shave or trim his beard, letting it grow freely and wild, was given this epithet. At the same time Woodard discusses the history of Woodes Rogers who, after gaining acceptance from King George, put together his own flotilla of ships and mounted a campaign to stop these pirates and chase them down one by one. In the waning days of this golden age, we learn of the pirate women Mary Read and Anne Bonny, who would disguise herself in men’s clothing. When they were to be executed, they pleaded that they were with child and under law could not be executed and so were able to live out their lives.

The Republic of Pirates is a sobering piece of nonfiction after the successful Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy as the reader learns it was rarely as fun and swashbuckling as Johnny Depp depicts it. Ultimately these people were breaking the law and many lost their lives; it was a harsh reality that is revealing and informative. It ultimately leaves one in contemplation over what life must have truly been like during this time in the deadly Caribbean.

For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.(less)

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Mar 17, 2008

Brittany rated it

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Shelves: history

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It gave a disclaimer talking about how people have this romanticized view of pirates and then went on to give a similarly golden picture of freedom-loving rebels, the forerunners of the American founding fathers who never killed anybody without need and, no doubt, nursed orphan puppies back to health. It also had one of the most skewed, over-simplified summaries of the Jacobite Rising that I have EVER seen outside of a third-grade textbook. It did get mar...more

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Aug 09, 2011

Andrew rated it

For a book about pirates it was surprisingly dull. I realize that the very nature of pirates means there is not much archival material to work with other than official documents that are very likely biased, but I came away from this book not much more enlightened than when I started.

The title is never really addressed, in my opinion. Mr. Woodard simply states the pirates wanted a base and made one on Nassau. So how, exactly, was it a republic by and for pirates? We never find out. A...more

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Nov 03, 2010

Stephanie rated it

This is the story of the Golden Age of Piracy and the pirate gangs that gathered around the Bahamas in the early 1700s. I had never read anything about piracy or old-time pirates before, but Mr. Woodard seems to get good mileage out of these accounts and stories. He tries to avoid mythmaking, but what seems to be verifiable about these men is fascinating, and Mr. Woodard seems to do a pretty good job of keeping the story flowing while adding in some of the detail that really gives a spice and se...more

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Nov 27, 2009

Steven Peterson rated it

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Colin Woodard has authored a wonderful history of the pirates of the Caribbean in their heyday, with the prime years being 1715-1725. The lives of Jack Sparrow and Long John Silver fascinate us; the real pirates, as depicted by Woodard, are perhaps even more interesting.

He tells the story of the "pirate republic," headquartered in the Bahamas. He uses the term "republic" purposefully. He contends that (and this appears to me to be hyperbole) the pirates fueled (p...more

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Oct 11, 2009

Lauren Albert rated it

Shelves: history-misc, history-world

Fascinating. I wanted to know why pirates have been so romanticized and this book helped explain it. For example, the author explains that the crew's mortality rates on slave ships was almost as high as that of the slaves themselves. Sailors were very often "pressed" or kidnapped into service. Captains often used severe corporal punishment for minor infractions. So, many sailors, when a pirate crew took over their ship would run off with them. When they joined the crew, they we...more

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Aug 16, 2011

Jeff rated it

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This book was great. It was gripping from the beginning, especially if you like history. This is not just another tale of scurvy ridden swashbucklers and burried treasure. This is an actual historical account of the golden age of piracy and detailed histories of some of the "stars of the show", not a work of fiction. There was a few dry boring chapters, but an author can't just keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time in any book, or else we'd all be on blood pressure m...more

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Jan 25, 2009

Scot rated it

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This is extremely well written, particularly since the historian has relatively few reliable historical documents to work with and the romanticized image of pirates has such a powerful and enduring hold on our cultural psyche. Think about it--being a pirate for Halloween has ALWAYS been a cool choice; the Disney ride is still a super draw in the Magic Kingdom, two of the Johnny Depp movies are international megahits, actually rated #3 and #6 for highest grossing movies on the entire planet, eve...moreThis is extremely well written, particularly since the historian has relatively few reliable historical documents to work with and the romanticized image of pirates has such a powerful and enduring hold on our cultural psyche. Think about it--being a pirate for Halloween has ALWAYS been a cool choice; the Disney ride is still a super draw in the Magic Kingdom, two of the Johnny Depp movies are international megahits, actually rated #3 and #6 for highest grossing movies on the entire planet, ever.

Part of the ongoing appeal of pirates, I think, is that they are capable of embodying such good and evil at the same time. We envision them dastardly, dangerous,despicable, yet democratically noble (when it comes to following their own code). They get to play and run wild, party party party, and they still amass fortunes, pieces of eight, pearls, jewels, chests full of booty. Talk about the dream of upward mobility--the pirates offered that, with thrills and adventure and close brotherhood all at the same time. Plus, they dressed so cool. At least, that's the romantic way many of us picture the pirates of yore. (I'm not talking about the current terrorists off the coast of Somalia, I'm reflecting on the mythic appeal of pirates. If you don't catch my drift, perhaps we'll see you walk the plank!--Okay, so maybe I didn't make too much sense there, but I had fun threatening you. Get into the spirit of this you landlubber. ARRGH.)

Some might be troubled by a historical account that sets out to carefully explain the harbingers and then the encounters and exploits of the Golden Age of Piracy (which occurred, for the Caribbean, 1715-1725), and then finally, reflects on how this gave way to a new era. Afraid such a reading might quash the pirate dream? Well fear not, maties. This book taught me a lot about international trade and a common sailor's lot and life in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, as well as how the pirate's rebellion fit into international politics and class/race relations, but it did it in a riveting way. As the subtitle suggests, the true story of how the pirates created their own republic in the Bahamas, and how it eventually was toppled, reads like good fiction, even though it is carefully researched. Some popular misconceptions are corrected, but never fear...after you read this book, you'll still be ready to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day when next September 19 rolls around, and you'll have a much keener awareness of what life was really like for such dashing fellows as Black Sam Bellamy, Charles Vane, Calico Jack Rackam, or the scariest of them all Edward Thatch: Blackbeard.(less)

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Oct 04, 2010

R. C. rated it

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I'm a bit torn with this book. I want to rate it higher, but I just can't. It is written well written and the author does a good job of weaving together historical facts in an interesting way.

That being said, the author spends to much time describing mundane aspects of 18th century life in early stretches of the book. There is a good deal of original research put into the more mundane (the cargo manifests of pirated ships, or the acting Captain or owner of a pirated vessel), but v...moreI'm a bit torn with this book. I want to rate it higher, but I just can't. It is written well written and the author does a good job of weaving together historical facts in an interesting way.

That being said, the author spends to much time describing mundane aspects of 18th century life in early stretches of the book. There is a good deal of original research put into the more mundane (the cargo manifests of pirated ships, or the acting Captain or owner of a pirated vessel), but very little on the interesting (the pirates themselves). Nearly all his information is taken from one source: A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson. This is the holy grail of pirates books; I get that. It may even be unfair to penalize the author, since most pirates either didn't keep a log, or if they did, it has been lost to history (like Blackbeard's). While many of the pirates came out the pages of this book, I thought I would have walked away with the same information had I just picked up the aforementioned sacred pirate tome.

The story of the rise and fall of the Pirate Republic was interesting, but it felt like more of a side note; almost like the author planned on writing about it originally, then discovered it was more interesting to write about the pirates, even if they had no part in it (like Henry Every). Learning the life and times of Henry Every, Black Sam Bellamy, Charles Vane, Blackbeard, and others was interesting, but thats not why I picked this book up. I picked it up to learn about the Pirate Republic and walked away not much wiser.

On the back of the book, it mentions the Flying Gang, the virtues (or lack there of) of pirate democracy, and how indentured servants and slaves could become free and equal men. It also goes on to mention how state that the pirates became heroes and helped fan the flame of democracy in the colonies. Sadly, most of these were mentioned in passing instead of being the focus of the novel.

Overall, it offered glimpses into the lives of the fabled pirates of the Caribbean, put some mythes to bed, and summarized the brief history of the Pirate Republic. It was a fun and quick read, but it could have been much more. (less)

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Jul 23, 2011

Kurt rated it

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This book was far more dense than it should've been. There were moments with real light-hearted fun and excitement, but most of the book was bogged down with, "Then the pirates on this ship, which was 213 tons, had 14 guns, and carried 74 men, captured a ship that was 187 tons, had 6 guns, and carried 41 men, along with a cargo of sugar, wine, and textiles..." I appreciate the meticulous research, but that level of detail really made everything bog down. Woodard has a great ability to ...more

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Dec 06, 2010

Bill rated it

Shelves: maritime-history

I love a book title that accurately describes itself. In this case, The Republic of Pirates: Being the True Story of the Caribbean Pirates and The Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard while being a bit long-winded accurately summarizes the tale.

Woodard's journalistic background and natural story-telling style lends well to understanding how a group of seagoing cutthroats got started in the pirate trade and how eventually they wound up founding and losing a pirate republic.
...moreI love a book title that accurately describes itself. In this case, The Republic of Pirates: Being the True Story of the Caribbean Pirates and The Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard while being a bit long-winded accurately summarizes the tale.

Woodard's journalistic background and natural story-telling style lends well to understanding how a group of seagoing cutthroats got started in the pirate trade and how eventually they wound up founding and losing a pirate republic.

Woodard reintroduces us to many of the pirates we know from sources like Captain Charles Johnson's 1724 book, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates. This rogues gallery includes names like Edward Thatch aka Edward Teach aka Blackbeard, Sam Bellamy, Charles Vane, Henry Jennings, Benjamin Hornigold, and Paulsgrave Williams.

He places their deeds in the context of Jacobite sentiment and the events leading up the the Rising of 1715, which was a major rebellion against King George I of Britain and his German house of Hanover in favor of reestablishing the reign of James II of the Scottish house of Stuart.

Along the way, Woodward introduces us to Jamaican governor Lord Archibald Hamilton, the career Royal Navy man and Jacobite conspirator who selected and equipped many of the Golden Age of Piracy's most notorious pirates.

Woodard plots a detailed chronological course for the major pirates, showing how they wound up taking over the weakly-governed islands of the Bahamas. He also introduces us to the flawed but heroic Woodes Rogers, who would eventually drive the pirates out of the Bahamas.

A Bristol merchant, Rogers was one of the few men to have circumnavigated the world in his day, returning with his original ships and most of his crew. On his world-girdling voyage, Rogers rescued the marooned Alexander Selkirk, who would become the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.

Involved both as a privateer and a slave-trader, Rogers seems at first blush one who would be voted most likely to be a pirate. Woodard establishes Rogers' motives and tells both the good and the bad about the man who eventually would twice be appointed as royal governor of the Bahamas.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to get a larger vision for the problem of 18th century piracy in the Caribbean or who simply loves history told well.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011

Abram rated it

I actually really liked this book, I am sorry to give it 3 stars, I might have been more interested in the subject than the authors writing. It is very well researched, and gives a great history of the pirates that controlled the Caribbean, Spanish Main, Bahamas, and Eastern Seaboard for about 20 yrs. If you have a hankering for history and love American History this per-revolutionary period work is a must read. The lives of such characters as Avery, Bellamy, Honrigold and of course Edward Teach...more

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Nov 27, 2009

Stephen rated it

After reading "The Republic of Pirates", I must say it will not be a pirate's life for me. I could not believe the conditions these people lived in. They spent months at sea subsisting mostly on salted pork, beer, and rum. Even in the British Royal Navy of the time, the daily rations were reported to include 1 gallon of beer and a pint of rum. No wonder sailors had such a reputation!

The surprising thing I discovered in this book was that the brutal conditions in the Roy...more

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Jan 04, 2010

Missy rated it

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This book read like a high school book report, and what a shame because the subject matter is otherwise so fascinating.

I would have happily traded the 200-page, mind-crushingly dull descriptive laundry list of captured vessels (their total weight, their contents, and their captains' names) for *ten* decently written pages about the Jacobite rebellion, or about the historical relevance of the pirates' republic and how it influenced the American Revolution and the creation of our democ...more

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Sep 27, 2008

Paula rated it

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Recommends it for: Those who love the myths enough not to be put off by facts

Recommended to Paula by: Myself

I got what I had hoped to get from the book: an understanding of what pirates consider a "Republic," and a feel for how, in the furthest reaches of civilization, society cannot exist without leadership. I also found confirmation for one of my pet theories about human nature, that even the most reprehensible of men must believe in their own goodness. Unfortunately, all of this insight came from my own interpretation of the events that are rather poorly presented in this text; the author...more

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Jun 13, 2008

Tom rated it

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This is an interesting book about a fascinating topic. Interesting < fascinating, so the author left something on the table. It is supposedly from the point of view of the pirates, but maybe a better way to put it would be that it's in sympathy with what it takes to be the point of view of the pirates. Partly I think that's because of a lack of good source material. Almost all of the surviving documents are court or government records, which kind of naturally tend to be one-sided. It also mea...more

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Jan 13, 2008

Bill rated it

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Recommends it for: people interested in pirates or rum

This is a remarkably well written account of the most famous pirate captains during the Golden Age of Piracy (1715-1725), and the man who ruined his life to bring them back "to God and law." If you are at all interested in following the rise and fall of Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, Charles Vane, and Woodes Rogers, who hunted them for King George I, this is the book for you.

Ever since moving to the Boston area I have been readin...more

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Jan 28, 2012

SteveR rated it

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Recommends it for: Pirate lovers (not the Jimmy Buffet kind)

If your fascinated by the lore and romance of pirates such Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch, “Black Sam” Bellamy and John “Calico Jack” Rackham (not the current day Somalian ones), this is a good fact based, historical book. It looks into the people behind the lore. The book covers the "Golden Age of Piracy" (1715-1725)including the politics, motivations of governments and individuals, impact on trade and commerce and the Caribbean islands. Arrrr!

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Jun 27, 2011

Elise Williams rated it

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Very informative book on pirates. All the big names are here, Blackbeard, Bellamy, Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and the brethren of the coast who sailed in the golden age of piracy. Mr. Woodard explains how and why piracy came to flourish in the Caribbean area, as well as other areas, and gives lots of details and explanations of what happened and why. If you want to know about pirates, real pirates, this is the book for you.

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Jul 30, 2010

Hilary rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

If you have grown up on the Eastern seaboard of the US and have a strong interest in the sea than this book is an interesting read. Who knew that Block Island was once a bastion for marauding pirates, or that the owner's of Payne's Dock have actually pirates in their ancestry? Pirates of the Caribbean was not all that historically inaccurate as far as pirates ruling the seas and whole islands and towns dedicated to their kind.

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Jul 30, 2011

Garrett rated it

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A wholly interesting and probing account of "real" piracy in the heyday of piracy. This text explores the men and the motives behind the striking 10 years that makes up our understanding of what it means to be a pirate. There are a great deal of surprising facts that I learned about in this text - most notably that it lasted for only a decade. That was most surprising to me considering there is so much popular culture and understanding of the life of pirates as it is. I was also su...more

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Nov 02, 2011

Steven rated it

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This is a book I read, a section at a time, over the course of the entire summer. I enjoyed it, and learned a few things about The history. Of Carribbean and Atlantic piracy. It's a good read for anyone interested in the subject, well written in a style that provides a lot of information without becoming another dry work of history. Includes a good bibliography for further research. Recommended.

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Aug 25, 2010

Ben Brackett rated it

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This book is based on journals and factual accounts, and attempts to tell about Pirate more from the economic standpoint then romanticized stories. Worth reading if you are interested more in eye witness accounts, though I would still consider A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson more authoritative and entertaining.

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Nov 28, 2010

Anthony rated it

A very interesting perspective on the waning years of the Golden Age of Piracy, focussing on several prominent pirate captains who cruised the Caribbean, particularly Charles Vane and Edward Teach. It was good to see that Woodard did not lean too far one way or another in the different views of the men of whom he wrote, speaking of sometimes opposing percetions of the men.

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Jul 22, 2010

West Virginia Library Commission rated it

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Stories have given pirates an almost legendary status and current movies have only increased it. Yet this book shows that the real lives of pirates are more interesting than fiction. This work explains the conditions that lead many sailors to piracy and the reasons behind many actions of the most notorius pirates actions.

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Nov 22, 2008

Rebecca Smith rated it

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The Golden Age of Piracy is what most people commonly think of when they imagine pirates. This book covers this time, focusing primarily on those pirates that lived and operated in the Caribbean from the in the early 1700s. Woodard doesn't shy away from presenting the often gruesome truth about these men. He works hard to banish the romanticized image so often displayed in novels and movies. And, being true to the title, the lives of these men (and women!) are often more surprising than you ...more

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Dec 07, 2010

Brian rated it

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Shelves: history, pirates

I found this book to be very intersting. The very beginning starts off slowly because it describes what life was like as a sailor and how sailors turned towards piracy. The book focuses on Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch, and Charles Vane. They are not alone though. "Calico Jack" Rackhan, Benjamin Hornigold, Henry Jennings, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read are also included in the book. It also focuses on Woodes Rogers who was determined to brin...more

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Feb 10, 2012

Superfluous Man rated it

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Mr. Woodard’s tale is adequately researched and recounted (and moreover useful for associating historical personages with their respective brands of rum), but lacks something of a great raconteur’s vim and vigor. A moderate recommendation. My full review is available here.

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Nov 18, 2009

Michele Minor rated it

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This book gives a true view of the life of the Caribbean Pirate other than the romantized tale of them that has passed down through the centuries. This is a good book for someone to read who is interested in pirates and wants to learn the truth of how they lived.

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Jun 07, 2009

Marissa rated it

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Very boring. Did not keep my attention enough for me to finish it which is very surprising because I dig history, particularly this period. There were some interesting tidbits in there but they were lost among the humdrum narrative.

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