Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "buccaneers"

True Colors by Ozgur K. Sahin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The buccaneers have saved Curaçao from invasion, but not without costs. Some have died, and Captain Morgan has lost his ship. Damage to Roy Toppings’ is minimal, plus he has acquired a second vessel, a Spanish warship that Ajuban now captains. The Constance and La Mongosta sail in consort for Rio de la Hacha and Santa Marta, two Spanish towns in New Granada. In spite of this victory, all is not well.

When La Mongosta was captured, prisoners were taken, including Lieutenant Pablo Francisco. Revenge brought Roy to the Caribbean, but now that he has captured his brother-in-law and the man he holds responsible for the death of his sister, he doesn’t know what to do with him. Just thinking of Francisco drives Roy into an unpredictable rage, and when he finally exacts his revenge, the crew and Ajuban question his state of mind. And Francisco’s death haunts Roy, rather than giving him peace.

Also captured with Francisco is Major Manuel Benito, who has kept a diary that falls into the buccaneers’ hands. It provides valuable information about their pending targets, and also reveals that the pirates who slew Roy’s sister flew the French flag. Nowhere, however, does Benito actually call them French pirates, which seems curious. He also reveals that his friend Francisco was devastated by Constance’s death and was hunting for the pirates when the buccaneers captured La Mongosta.

With the use of subterfuge to disguise their true intent, the ships sail into the Spanish ports. Coya, a scout with keen eyesight at night, participates in the daring invasion and after slipping inside the Spanish fort, nearly loses her life. Among the treasure garnered from the expedition is a Golden Staff, which Coya claims as her share of the plunder because it is a relic of her people, the Incas. Her choice proves fortuitous as it saves her life when one of her fellow brethren breaks into her cabin while she’s recovering from her wounds.

Also taken during the raids are a host of documents, which provide information on a secret syndicate in league with the Inquisition, merchants, and government officials. The buccaneers also free prisoners in the jail, two of whom are Dutchmen seized illegally and tortured by the tribunal for information about Curaçao rather than to answer charges of heresy.

Upon their return to the Dutch island, Roy decides to part company with the brethren and go in search of the pirates who killed his sister. To do this he must pay Henry Morgan the ransom for Colonel Baron Javier Valdez Endoso, who has been a captive for three months. They form a tenuous alliance, since Valdez also seeks these pirates, as well as the ringleaders of the syndicate and the whereabouts of his men still searching for information on the syndicate on Hispaniola.

Ajuban decides that he likes being captain and when Roy shares his news of retirement, Ajuban purchases La Mongosta from Roy and goes a-pirating. He and those who follow him will receive a letter of marque if they succeed in rescuing a kidnapped artist and snare a Spanish treasure ship, whose captain is expecting the warship to escort him to his next destination. Ajuban and his crew, with the assistance of a French spy, disguise themselves as Spaniards and keep La Mongosta’s appointment with destiny.

True Colors is the second installment in Sahin’s Brethren of the Spanish Main series and takes place in 1659, following the restoration of Charles II as King of England. Be forewarned, this gripping novel is significantly longer than the first, but it is equally steeped in historical detail. New characters join the crews, while familiar old ones (like Coya, Jan, and William) return. All are vividly drawn and unique. Ajuban is the only one whose portrayal of speech differs from other characters; some readers may find the dialect a bit tiresome after a while. There are also a significant number of points of view, which may challenge readers in remembering who’s who and what their roles are.

For readers unfamiliar with the regions visited, Sahin includes several maps for orientation. He has a commendable grasp of the history and politics of the Caribbean, which he then spins into a complex web of interconnected threads. Although half of the book devolves into two separate tales – Roy’s and Ajuban’s voyages – the characters eventually reunite in a rousing sea battle. Readers will find a treasure trove of conspiracies, manipulation, intrigue, and betrayal, as well as gritty, realistic, and, at times, brutal portrayals of life among the buccaneers. Those seeking a tale neatly wrapped in a bow with all the answers in a single story, however, should look elsewhere. The high adventure found in True Colors will continue in the next book in the series.




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The Buccaneer Coast by James L. Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As far as Spain is concerned, the New World belongs to it, not interlopers from France, the Dutch Republic, or England. To take back what is theirs, a Spanish force attacks the islands of Saint Christopher and Nevis and lanceros hunt boucaniers on the northwest coast of Hispaniola. LeBoeuf and his partner are stalking wild pigs when lanceros pursue them. Le Rongeur, a thief and abhorrent man whose only good qualities are his swiftness and his aim, flees. LeBoeuf expects this to be his last day, yet still he stands his ground and lashes out against his attackers.

A fleet of Spanish galleons and warships near their destination, Santo Domingo. Among their passengers is the new lieutenant governor of Hispaniola, Don Alonso Menéndez de Aviles, and his wife. Her father has the money and power, but Don Alonso knows this will not be for long. Traveling among the other vessels is a French ship laden with a surreptitious cargo and secret papers that will allow him to acquire the wealth and influence that he so desperately craves.

Benjamin Graves is either lucky or unlucky. It has always been so and now seems to be a mix of the two. He has lost the cargo that he stole from his employer, Señor Corregidor, because the Spanish attack Nevis, but being aboard his appropriated vessel, he has eluded the invaders. However, he fails to elude Maja, Corregidor’s henchman, and is now on his way back to Santo Domingo to await a fate worse than death . . . unless he can change his luck, which often happens if given the time to talk his way out of a hopeless situation. Two such opportunities present themselves – Spanish ships in pursuit and, later, pirates – and Benjamin has a plan, if he can get Maja to listen.

Maja is a brute of mixed blood, who keeps his own counsel and follows orders. Like capturing Graves and returning him, the ship, and its cargo to Santo Domingo. The problem is he has two of the three and Señor Corregidor will not be happy. But Maja is also savvy and waits for opportunities to present themselves. Like Graves’s risky schemes to elude their Spanish pursuers and to trick the pirates into making a fatal mistake. He knows that sooner or later he will no longer be just property. He will be free and more powerful than the man who owns him.

The Caribbean is a dangerous place, not only because of the various factions claiming ownership, but also because Mother Nature is an unpredictable force that unleashes her fury when it suits her. A hurricane obliterates LeBoeuf’s way of life, yet leaves behind hope for a new life. The same tempest wreaks havoc on Don Alonso’s plans, almost as much as those who are far more experienced in the ways of the New World do. The storm is the catalyst that propels these four men onto pathways that will eventually collide in wrathful ways that promise to be just as life-altering as the devastating effects of the hurricano.

This is the first book in a new series that brings to life the men who hunted wild pigs, but were forced to become the bane of Spain’s colonial empire. Nelson precisely sets the stage for the titles that follow and he does so in a way that makes the reader antsy for their next rendezvous with the characters. He provides maps and a glossary to assist those unfamiliar with Hispaniola and nautical terms. Adept readers may notice some sentences with missing and wrong words, as well as a few misspellings, but the action and character depth easily overcome these. There are a few words, like prithee, that may catch the reader by surprise, but they help recreate the time period. The constant use of Don Alonso’s full name, or even those of a few other Spaniards, may become tiresome to some readers, but they help establish the necessary pompousness of a character, as well as the strict formality of Spanish society.

The Buccaneer Coast is a tale of hope, betrayal, and the brutal reality of life where the best lessons learned may involve unlikely allies and the best way to survive is to trust no one. Nelson vividly depicts life as boucaniers and skillfully demonstrates a plausible way in which these men became buccaneers. A masterful storyteller, he takes simple scenes and crafts them into spellbinding events that transport readers from the present back to the seventeenth century where they experience individual lives as if they stand side by side with the characters.




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A Pirate's Life in the Golden Age of Piracy by Robert Jacob

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This hardback book resembles a chronological encyclopedia, of which the majority (forty-one of the sixty chapters) recounts the history of piracy during the golden age. The remainder focuses on aspects of pirate life. Three chapters introduce the subject before the author subdivides the most prolific period in pirate history into four time segments: The Buccaneers 1640-1670, The Buccaneer Pirates 1670-1702, Pirates and Privateers of the War of 1702-1713, and The Pyrates 1714-1722. He also focuses on three particular pirates, whom he identifies as classic representatives of the men who hunted during this time span: Henry Morgan, Blackbeard, and John “Bartholomew” Roberts.

Jacob correctly points out that during these eighty-two years, political support and society’s acceptance of these marauding men and women did not remain static. The same holds true for why they went on the account. This was a time of flux, where one year pirates might be deemed acceptable comrades, but the next they were seen as enemies to be eradicated.

Among the many people and topics discussed in the history section are Christopher Myngs, François L’Olonnais, Henry Morgan’s lawsuit pertaining to the English translation of Alexandre Exquemelin’s The Buccaneers of America, Port Royal, Petit Goave, Michel de Grammont Le Chevalier, Laurens Cornelius Boudewijn de Graaf, William Dampier, Thomas Tew, Governor Benjamin Fletcher, Robert Searle, Marcus Hook, William Snelgrave, Howell Davis, and many more. Some of these can be found in most pirate histories, but others are either merely mentioned or not included at all. The lifestyle section covers such aspects as tools of the trade (ships, weapons, navigation), treasure, food, captives, and textiles.

Scattered throughout this volume are seventy-three pictures and maps. Jacob also includes sidebar notes to point out important dates, key points, and specific people, or to define unfamiliar words. There are no footnotes or endnotes to identify source material quotations and statements. Nor is there an index, which makes it difficult for readers to locate specific information. He does, however, include a glossary and bibliography.

Lack of consistency and clarity are two aspects that readers will notice as they read this book. For example, sometimes ships’ names are italicized; sometimes they are not even in the same paragraph. Several times the text says that a particular subject will be discussed later in chapter; in actuality, the discussion takes part later in the book, which breaks the narrative’s flow and makes it difficult for readers to know where the particular subject matter continues.

There are a number of missing words and misspellings and “many” and “most” are overused. While newspaper articles are a great source of information for cultural aspects of the period, they must be taken with the same grain of salt in which the author objects to the use of Charles Johnson’s A General History of Pirates as a reliable resource. Newspaper editors embellished stories the same way Johnson did, yet Jacob seems to take the articles at face value. Another questionable source is The Pirates Own Book; in fact, Jacob states that “It appears to be accurate.” (125) In actuality, this resource is just as questionable in its historical accuracy as Johnson’s book is.

He believes that Edward Thache and Edward Beard are two acquaintances who went to sea, but that Thache died and Beard adopted his name as alias. If any evidence exists to support this highly speculative hypothesis, Jacob doesn’t provide it. There are a few factual errors. For example, two men who were aboard Whydah at the time of her demise did survive the wreck. Contrary to the author’s belief that “Black” as a name is related to the pirates’ black flags (229), (as in Black Sam Bellamy) the adjective actually refers to the person’s swarthy appearance. Jasper Seagar and Edward England were not the same person.

Jacob is an historical reenactor, whose pursuit of history and historical accuracy led him to write this book. This research shines through in the amount of material that he provides, although some readers may prefer a greater focus on pirate life than the history of these sea rovers, especially since that was a primary reason for his writing this volume. Aside from providing readers with a well-rounded picture of the time period, he also explores what may have motivated the pirates to do what they did. There are times when he inserts his own thoughts into the recounting; these appear in a different font from the main text so readers can easily separate fact from opinion.

Its value lies not in being a book for reading night after night, but in the abundance of information contained within nearly 500 pages. Overall, with the caveats in mind, this is a good resource for those in search of a comprehensive volume on pirate history during the buccaneering and golden piracy eras.

(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Jacob.html...)



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Raiders and Natives: Cross-Cultural Relations in the Age of Buccaneers by Arne Bialuschewski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Writing an account about buccaneers from a new perspective isn’t an easy task after centuries of books published on the subject. Yet this is exactly what Bialuschewski achieves in Raiders and Natives. From first page to last, this engrossing and unique examination shines an illuminating light on European gentlemen of fortune and native peoples they encountered in their search for riches.

Illustrations and maps are shared throughout seven chapters: The Rise of the Buccaneers, Mayas Besieged, The Granada Raid, Natives and Intruders in Central America, Intercultural Alliances on the Mosquito Coast, Shifting Alliances on Panamá’s Darién Frontier, and South Sea Incursions. Also included are an explanation on terminology used, end notes, and an index.

This study on cross-cultural interactions begins with the 1676 visit to Nicaragua’s Mosquito Coast by English and French buccaneers under the command of William Wright, Jean Tristan, and Bartholomew Sharpe. They sought indigenous people willing to guide them 450 miles into the interior to attack Nueva Segovia. These guides would also be instrumental in providing food and assistance with other natives encountered along the way.

Among the other events discussed within the book are Piet Hein’s 1536 attack on the Spanish treasure fleet off the coast of Cuba, Jan Janszoon van Hoorn’s raid on Campeche in 1633, an attack on Granada in 1665 in which nine local men took part, and a march across the Isthmus of Panama in 1680. Named buccaneers and natives include David Maarten, Juan Galliardo, François L’Olonnais, Laurens Prins, Joseph Bannister, Lionel Wafer, André de Ibarra, and Richard Sawkins. Also covered are explanations of how the Spanish established their authority over indigenous people.

Trade played an integral role in these interactions, as did the ability to communicate with each other. The buccaneers sought not only riches through robbery, but also the means to survive in a hostile and alien environment. The natives could provide the latter in exchange for better tools that improved their ways of life or enhanced their prestige within their communities.

Time and again, Bialuschewski demonstrates the crucial roles indigenous people played in the buccaneering raids, whether they were allies or sided with the Spanish. Some raids were successful, others not so much. What cannot be denied is that without these cross-cultural dealings, the buccaneers might have been swallowed up in the large swaths of uninhabited jungle and lost to history forever. Equally compelling is how the author demonstrates that these encounters were both beneficial and life changing. He provides an insightful and fascinating account of the complexity of each interaction in this part of the seventeenth-century world.

(Review originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Bialuschew...)



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Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 1680, buccaneers ally themselves with the Kuna. Their enemy is the same, but their goals differ. The Kuna wish to rescue their leader’s granddaughter, a captive of the Spanish, and the buccaneers seek Spanish treasure. If successful, each pirate may acquire 12,000 pieces of eight. Quite a sum compared to the annual wages of a common laborer on a plantation, 100 pieces of eight per annum. Two impediments block their achievement of this fantastic goal: more soldiers than buccaneers and an impermeable jungle that is totally unknown to them. This is why they seek assistance from the Kuna.

One of the buccaneers records the meeting between Andreas, head of the Kuna, and the pirates. His name is Basil Ringrose, a navigator, a mathematician, and a first-time gentleman of fortune. Six others also write of their exploits: Lionel Wafer (surgeon and Ringrose’s friend), Bartholomew Sharp (veteran buccaneer adept at ferreting out prizes and devising tactical plans), John Cox (who has misgivings about the raid), William Dampier (naturalist), Edward Povey, and William Dick. Born to Be Hanged recounts their adventure from the onset of this raid through the end of their adventure together. Some buccaneers die, some live, and some give up before they ever reach their destination. In addition to the scriveners, readers meet other men, such as Richard Sawkins, who escaped from Port Royal’s jail to join the expedition; Peter Harris, another veteran who loses a limb in the expedition; and John Watling, a religious man who tossed gambling dice into the ocean.

Interlaced throughout this journey are captains ousted because of no-confidence votes, a Spaniard who testifies in favor of the buccaneers, a bloody sea battle pitting thirty-six gentlemen of fortune against three Spanish warships, raids on other Spanish settlements, scurvy, a sea serpent, sabotage, irreconcilable differences, an accident that alters Wafer’s life, the capture of treasure more valuable than gold, and arrest warrants for several buccaneers upon their return to England. Maps, illustrations, a bibliography, end notes, and an index enhance the text and make the information easily accessible. Readers also discover what happened to these men after the expedition ended.


Those familiar with pirate history know of Henry Morgan’s raid on Panama, but this attack is relatively unfamiliar. Relying on historical archives and the seven accounts of this expedition, Thomson adeptly weaves together details that make for a most intriguing seventeenth-century journey fraught with untold danger and intrepid courage. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the Buccaneering Era and a worthy addition to any pirate collection.

(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/KThomson.html)



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The Tortuga Plantation by James L. Nelson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


With their camp decimated by a hurricane, Jean-Baptiste LeBoeuf leads his fellow boucaniers to the neighboring island of Tortuga. He neither wants nor asks them to follow him, but his occasional spoken words lead others to agree with him. Since he cannot recover the sunken treasure, he is driven to immigrate because of a letter of patent discovered before the shipwreck sinks. He plans to assume the identity of the owner and take possession of the plantation. Beyond that, his plans are unknown.

Henriette de Labonté accompanies him because she’s safer with him than without, but she has no ties to this silent, impulsive, and giant Frenchman. She has a single goal – to return to France – and the sunken treasure will allow her to do this. It is why she keeps her silence . . . for now.

One other man knows of the gold: Hendrick Van Lauwersoog. A former naval officer, this Dutchman is wily and not one to be trusted. Still, he’s promised to remain silent about the treasure . . . for now.

Don Alonso Menéndez de Aviles has dreams and plans for his new life as lieutenant governor, the second highest ranking official in Santo Domingo. He craves wealth and power but is a novice when it comes to Spain’s New World empire, and those who have come before already have their footholds well established. It doesn’t take long for him to realize who his true enemies are, and a riot and the presence of Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, Captain General of King Philip IV’s Ocean Sea Navy, permit him to lay the groundwork to upend his nemesis, the city’s mayor. This scheming also allows him to set in motion a business strategy that involves the lawless island of Tortuga.

The reader soon learns that nothing and no one are as they seem in this second installment of the Blood, Steel & Empire series. Each has secrets, some of which Nelson slowly reveals at key points in the story at just the right time. In doing so, his characters realize that their pasts are never as buried as they think and what happened then influences what unfolds now.

During the 17th century, the boucaniers of Hispaniola are driven from the island where they hunt wild pigs. Some migrate to Tortuga, but the Spanish are keen on keeping out foreigners from their lands. This eventually pushes these boucaniers into piracy and over time, their name becomes anglicized to buccaneers. Nelson weaves a compelling historical novel that demonstrates how and why this shift occurs. His portrayal is historically accurate and the facts are intricately woven into the story in ways that keep the reader from noticing them. He includes maps of Hispaniola and Tortuga, a ship diagram, and a glossary for readers as well.

Intrigue, betrayal, greed, corruption, murder, and battles both on land and at sea abound. Although fiction, The Tortuga Plantation is steeped in reality; readers who are squeamish about blood and guts may want to pass on this story that vividly recreates the Spanish Caribbean of the early 1600s. This is also a tale of power struggles where circumstances make for strange bedfellows; one day a man may be an ally, the next an enemy. Readers soon realize why LeBoeuf prefers to live one day at a time and fully trusts only his mastiff, Other Dog.


This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers (http://www.cindyvallar.com/JLNelson.h...)



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