Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "jamaica"

Apocalypse 1692: Empire, Slavery, and the Great Port Royal Earthquake by Ben Hughes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Anyone with even the briefest knowledge of pirate history knows about Port Royal – the “wickedest city” in the world during the 17th century. Yet this is just a small part of its tempestuous history. Originally a Spanish possession, Jamaica fell to the English in 1655. In the early years, Port Royal became a haven for pirates and privateers, the only ones who could protect the island and its residents from the likes of Spain and France. As time passed, the sugar planters gained prominence and power sufficient to turn away the scoundrels and make Port Royal a place where respectable men and women settled, worked, and socialized. This prosperity, however, came at a price – the enslavement of thousands – and it is into this world that readers step when they enter Port Royal with the newly appointed governor, William O’Brien, the Earl of Inchiquin, in 1689.

When this short-tempered Irishman entered Port Royal, the pirates were long gone. Nor would he have suffered their presence for long; he had lost an eye while a captive of Algerine pirates, who finally exchanged him for a £70,000 ransom. The city was comprised of more than 2,000 structures, stone forts, and a number of streets, while on the outskirts of town were the sugar plantations. Port Royal’s population numbered 6,500, nearly 4,000 of which were white; the rest were mostly African slaves.

Although the opening chapters include a brief summary of Port Royal’s pirate history and her most famous buccaneer turned lieutenant-governor, Sir Henry Morgan, Apocalypse 1692 is predominantly a story of slavery, rebellion, and the cataclysmic events of earthquake, flood, and disease that began the slow demise of the wealthiest mercantile center in the New World. Hughes also includes information on the French invasion of the island in 1694 and the city’s decline to the small fishing village that it is today.

Using quotations from period documents and contemporary accounts, Hughes vividly and accurately recreates Port Royal and Jamaican life in the 17th century. He further enhances the experience with a chronology of events in early Jamaican history, illustrations, maps, and chapter notes, and includes a bibliography and index to assist readers in locating additional information or finding specific references within the text. Apocalypse 1692 is a worthy addition to any collection focusing on Jamaican history, slavery, and colonial life in the second half of the 1600s.




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The Pirate Raiders by C.G. Mosley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Death immediate. Death delayed. Not much of a choice, but captured pirates can’t be choosy. Governor Winters of Jamaica offers the notorious Captain Redd a choice. On the morrow he can dance the hempen jig, or he can earn a royal pardon. Sounds like a no brainer, but Redd has escaped capture this long knowing nothing is that easy. That missing detail is a big one, and the reason either side of justice’s scales weigh heavily in favor of death immediate or death delayed. After all, the likelihood of surviving the latter option is less than nil. But as the governor reminds Redd, he is a pirate with a reputation of being quite resourceful when the need arises.

Redd, of course, opts for a chance of obtaining that royal pardon . . . as long as his crew is released too. Not exactly what the governor wants, but he is in a tight spot and Redd is the only person who has even an inkling of success. Winters even provides a sloop for the pirates, but as Redd knows only too well, what chance does a sloop have when the pirate Redd is pursuing has a formidable galleon? Pursue a fellow scoundrel. Sounds simple, but this is no ordinary pirate. Captain Winston Trimble isn’t known for niceties; after all, he flies the red flag – no quarter given, no mercy asked – no matter whether the potential prize belongs to a merchant, the navy, or even a pirate. Oh, and did I forget to mention he now possesses King Solomon’s signet ring – the one that can summon the kraken from the depths of the sea?

Finding Trimble won’t be easy. He has a reputation for being quite elusive. Luckily, Winters has a solution to that problem. Also caged within the prison is a young pirate whom Trimble marooned. Being the governor, though, Winters cannot just release a condemned pirate. Again, that would make things too easy. No, Redd and his mates must snatch him as he’s transferred from the gaol to the place of execution. Oh, and did I mention that if you’re caught, you and your mates will hang beside Andy Bonnet?

Intriguing twists to resolve unfathomable problems are spiced with black magic, a pirate with unusual pets having healthy appetites, and rabid cannibals. Mosley also includes a pinch of horror, just enough to whet readers’ appetites without grossing them out. He deftly spins a tale that seems very real, although there are two minor historical quibbles – galleons as pirate ships and bicornes instead of tricornes – for those familiar with Golden Age piracy. Told in first person, Pirate Raiders is a gripping swashbuckler that puts readers into Captain Redd’s shoes as he confronts dastardly villains at every turn, myriad roadblocks to hamper the journey, and daring rescues that border on the impossible. A rousing adventure not to be missed.




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