Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 12

Review of Will Sofrin's All Hands on Deck

All Hands on Deck: A Modern-Day High Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World by Will Sofrin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 1969, two events occur that get little media coverage. Shipwrights in Nova Scotia build a replica of a British Royal Navy frigate from the eighteenth century. A novel by Patrick O’Brian, an author not widely known, is published. The ship will be christened Rose; the book, the first in a nautical series, is entitled Master & Commander.

Fast forward to the fall of 2001. A young man returns from Europe after 9/11 uncertain what he will do next. In France, he could afford to spend $300 on champagne; now, he’s in Newport, Rhode Island, working on a tall ship for minimal pay. It’s not the work he wants to do, but his choices are limited. The vessel is a full-rigged ship with a length of 179 feet and 30.5 feet at her widest point amidships. The tallest of her three masts rises 130 feet above the water. Unlike the day she was launched, she is shabby and of questionable seaworthiness. Her name is Rose, and he is Will Sofrin. By the time she’s ready to set sail, he joins the crew as a deckhand and ship’s carpenter. He is familiar with sailing, but has never sailed aboard a tall ship before. The remaining crew consists of men and women, some experienced hands and others with little to none. Her captain is Richard Bailey, “a legend in the tall ship community” and the man who saved the frigate from the scrapyard. (23)

During the next three months – a timeframe that doesn’t allow much wiggle room – he and the others must make the frigate ready for a voyage that will take her from the Atlantic Ocean, across the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, into the Pacific Ocean, and north to California. Rose has been purchased to be a prop in a new movie by Twentieth Century Fox. She will become HMS Surprise for Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Along the way, they battle rough seas, gale-force winds, boredom, and low morale. They live in less-than-desirable conditions, and encounter problems that can spell disaster for the ship and themselves.

Sofrin includes technical drawings, tables, and black-and-white photographs to help us better understand the ship and to get to know her crew. Measurements are provided in feet and meters. When using nautical language, he explains these terms in everyday terms to which we can relate. One example is when they find themselves encountering sustained winds of sixty knots and waves twenty to thirty feet high: “It felt like being in a pinball machine, bouncing from one hard surface to the next.” (106)

From start to finish, All Hands on Deck takes us on a stunning and personal journey. Contrary to our romantic notions of sailing aboard a wooden ship, Sofrin offers a frank and honest account of his experiences and his shipmates, as well as tying up loose ends once the ship is delivered. At the same time, he compares his life aboard Rose with what it was like for Royal Navy seamen in the late eighteenth century. He also recounts Patrick O’Brian’s story and how he created his characters, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. In small, but memorable, ways, we experience what Sofrin experiences and it is a voyage we are unlikely to forget.


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




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Review of Buddy Levy's Empire of Ice and Stone

Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk by Buddy Levy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When Vihjalmur Stefansson stepped off the boat in Seattle in September 1912, he already had a plan. He had spent the past four years exploring the Arctic coast of North America and already wanted to return. This time, he intended to take with him more scientists than had ever studied the Arctic before. They would explore new lands, perhaps even confirm the existence of the lost tribe of Blond Eskimos that was capturing the public’s imagination. He possessed the necessary charisma and persuasiveness to achieve his goal. When the unexpected happened, he could promptly adjust to fit the new circumstances. Traits essential for this new journey. But he also had less admirable qualities. He could deceive and manipulate to accomplish what he wanted, for his own gain, regardless of the impact doing so had on others.

With the sea in his blood, Robert Bartlett had a goal: to become a master mariner. His uncle was captain of Robert Peary’s flagship on his first expedition to the North Pole. Would Robert like to join them? The answer, of course, was yes, and this voyage was but the first of three that he made. By the time he departed with Peary on the third venture in 1908, he had achieved his goal of becoming a master mariner, captained Peary’s ship, navigated for the explorer on sea and ice, and was his trusted confidant. His experiences had taught him how to survive the harsh, unforgiving environment. When Steffanson’s telegram arrived in May 1913, asking him to captain the Karluk, Bartlett was up for the challenge.

His first sight of the Karluk did not instill Bartlett with confidence. She was a steam brigantine of 247 tons and 129 feet. She had made fourteen trips in Arctic waters during the twenty-eight years since her launch, and her condition showed each one of them. Stefansson had purchased her for $10,000; Bartlett insisted she be completely overhauled, which cost an additional $6,000. The bill would be paid by the government of Canada, which was backing the expedition. The problem was that time was not on his side, and by the time he could hire a crew, the best mariners had already departed and he had to settle for what he could find rather than handpicking the best.

Fourteen esteemed scientists from different parts of the world joined the expedition, but only two had ventured into the polar region before. What a couple lacked in age and experience, they made up for with determination and passion. Native hunters would provide food, guidance, and shelter while a Native seamstress joined to make suitable Arctic weather gear from the hides brought down by the hunters.

Stefansson wanted to sail as far north as possible. If the ice pack surrounded the Karluk, preventing her from going anywhere, she would become their base camp and they would venture afield on foot and with dog sleds. When they finally embarked, it didn’t take long for problems to surface. By August third, Karluk was surrounded by ice, drifting instead of going where the captain wanted. The mix of university graduates, crew members, and indigenous people created tension and division. And then Stefansson, his secretary, two hunters, a photographer, and an anthropologist left the ship on a badly planned hunting trip, leaving Bartlett in charge of twenty-two men, one woman, two small children, twenty-two sled dogs, and one kitten. Each day, the ice grew thicker and closer, and Bartlett knew it had the power to crush and sink Karluk. If that happened, no one back home knew where they were and they might never be found.

This riveting account is one of perseverance and hope, tragedy and loss. Levy vividly transports us back in time to a place few of us have ever or will every journey, yet the frigid cold permeates our body, the beauty awes our spirit, and the consternation disturbs our soul. The inclusion of snippets from logs and journals makes the journey that these people endured more personal and evokes an array of emotions in us. To further enhance the experience he includes maps, a list of who’s who, a time line of arctic exploration, expeditions, and disasters from 982 to 1913, a bibliography, and an index. Not only are we introduced to those who participated in this journey, but the inclusion of photographs from it allows us to meet each person and to glimpse what they saw. To round out the voyage, Levy also shares what became of the survivors. Their harrowing ordeal “three hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle,” as well as two members’ trek to Siberia to save their comrades, haunts us long after this journey ends. (184)


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



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Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky by Martin Kufus

Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky: True Tales of Manure, Media, Militaries, and More by Martin Kufus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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.

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



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The Pirate's Wife by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

The Pirate's Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


She weds for love the third time, an enduring love that weathers unforeseen storms. But these events come later.

She begins life as Sarah Bradley in 1670. Fourteen years later, her mother has died and her father, a sea captain, wishes to start life anew and so he, Sarah, and her two brothers sail for Manhattan. Within a year, she marries a wealthy merchant named William Cox. According to law, she is now his property with no legal identity of her own. Nevertheless, she is clever and inquisitive and soon suggests a way that he can expand his business ventures to reap greater rewards. This retail venture takes advantage of her creativity and her sewing skills, as well as providing her the rare opportunity to be a “she-merchant” at the age of seventeen. Two years later, Cox is dead.

Sarah marries again in 1690. Through her second husband, she meets a confident and wealthy privateer. His name is William Kidd and he helps the new governor put down a Jacobite rebel and his followers, which gains Kidd much respectability within New York society. When Sarah’s spouse dies suddenly, she and William wed in 1691 after attending the rebel’s execution. They settle down and start a family, while William follows his trade as a sea captain. He eventually grows restless and, after consulting with Sarah, sets sail for England to secure a privateering commission. Circumstances, manipulations, and misadventures steer Kidd’s desired course from his chosen path and forever alter Sarah Kidd’s life.

The Pirate’s Wife is Sarah Kidd’s story, from respected member of society to disgraced wife of a convicted pirate. Although the historical record provides a decent amount of information about this dutiful, loyal, and religious woman, Geanacopoulos postulates the whys and wherefores behind some of Sarah’s thoughts and actions. She also introduces readers to Governor Benjamin Fletcher (a friend to pirates) and Lord Bellomont (an enemy of pirates), as well as taking time to discuss pirates and their way of life near the close of the 17th century. She provides overlooked information about Kidd’s agreement with Bellomont, Sarah’s arrest, and Sarah’s attempt to rescue her husband from a Boston jail.

The book includes endnotes, a bibliography, and an index. In addition, Geanacopoulos shares Kidd’s own 1699 account of what happened aboard the Adventure Galley.

Most authors present the lives of the Kidds from William’s perspective. Geanacopoulos, who has written before about the women in pirates’ lives, shines her spotlight on Sarah. This breathes new life into their story and shows this tenacious woman as she was, both as an individual and as a product of the time and circumstances fate dealt her.

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



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Tenacious by Julian Stockwin

Tenacious by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the year since the mutiny at the Nore, Thomas Kydd has gone from seaman to lieutenant and is now accepted as an equal among his fellow officers. His ship, the 64-gun Tenacious, is recalled from Halifax to support Admiral the Earl St. Vincent off the coast of Spain. As they sail across the Atlantic, Thomas sets his sights on a new goal of commanding his own ship, but the problem is how to achieve it. His friend Nicholas Renzi wrestles with a different dilemma, whether to continue in the navy or return to the life from which he exiled himself five years earlier.

General Buonaparte has his own plans of action. Barges large enough to land troops are being built in northern French ports and soldiers are massing on the coast. It seems he intends to put to sea, but for where? Whispers of Constantinople, of Egypt, of England are all possibilities, but where exactly is Napoleon once he successfully evades the British blockade?

This sixth entry in the Kydd Sea Adventure series incorporates a sequence of key incidents during the waning years of the French Revolution: the royals’ flight from Naples with the aid of the Royal Navy; the devastating fleet action at Aboukir Bay; a secret mission to capture Minorca; and the siege of Acre. Kydd emulates Nelson in hopes of getting noticed with a daring suggestion that evens the odds during the Minorcan expedition, and leading a contingent of seamen in a desperate bid to prevent Napoleon from reaching Constantinople. Along the way, he discovers what type of leader he wants to be and comes to terms with the consequences of betrayal.

Steadfast, stubborn, and resolute are synonyms of “tenacious,” a word that applies both to a warship and the men who serve on her. Stockwin allows his readers to stand side by side with the characters as they endure this riveting and harrowing account of a world at war.

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



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The Dangers of Loving a Rogue by Jeri Black

The Dangers of Loving a Rogue by Jeri Black

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Betrothed since birth, Celia Breckenridge wants to experience adventure before settling down to become a wife and mother. A trip to Bermuda to provide companionship and comfort to a dying aunt allows her to fulfill this dream. Of course, getting one’s wish doesn’t always work out exactly as one expects – a lesson Celia soon learns when she departs Bermuda after her aunt’s death but before the ship her father arranges arrives.

While traversing the streets of La Rochelle, France, Jackson Beaumont happens upon a stabbing victim. The dying man is an old friend, who not only identifies his murderer but also bequeaths to Jackson the treasure map that the fiend sought. Jackson and his crew quickly depart with the intention of unearthing the Spanish emeralds.

Halfway across the ocean, they happen upon a pirate ship and her prey, as well as a lovely captive tied to a mast. The pirate turns out to be his friend’s murderer and Jackson has every intention of making his nemesis pay. He also rescues Celia, after she manages to shoot one of her captors in the foot. As traumatic as her capture and rescue are – and she’s not completely certain she hasn’t traded one sticky situation for another – Celia pleads to be taken home to England. The best Jackson can do is to drop her and the captured pirates off in Charles Town, South Carolina.

Both their plans are thwarted when the sheriff informs them that the pair must remain in town. Otherwise, Jackson will not be able to claim the ship he captured for his own and, without Celia’s testimony, the pirates will not be prosecuted. Further complicating their separate desires are an impending hurricane (actually two) and the growing attraction between them.

There are several shortcomings to this story. Too many characters have names starting with “B,” which may cause some confusion over who is who. It’s also not always easy to know who is speaking, such as when Jackson and his nemesis engage in conversation, or when his nemesis refers to Jackson as “mon amie,” which means a female friend rather than a male one. Readers are misled into believing that the impending danger, while Celia is aboard the merchant ship bound for home, stems from an approaching storm when she retires for the evening. When she is later awakened by pounding feet, she immediately jumps to the conclusion that the ship is under attack even though there have been no salvos of gunfire. Since the story takes place in 1752, readers familiar with pirate history may be puzzled by South Carolina’s tolerance of pirates, but Black admits to using poetic license for the sake of her story in her author’s note.

Even so, The Dangers of Loving a Rogue is a fast-paced historical romance. Black’s portrayal of the pirates is realistic and accurate, while that of the storms and their devastation are easily imagined and provide the perfect set-up for piratical revenge. One of the best lines comes from Celia after she is taken from the pirate ship onto Jackson’s: “’Twas rather like a chicken being welcomed to the stewpot.”(47) Readers who like swashbuckling adventure spiced with love will enjoy this story.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-roma...)



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Shipwrecks in 100 Objects by Simon Wills

Shipwrecks in 100 Objects: Stories of Survival, Tragedy, Innovation and Courage by Simon Wills

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A rosary from the wreckage of the Mary Rose, which Henry VIII witnessed sink. “The Shipwreck,” William Falconer’s poem based on his experience aboard the Ramillies as a midshipman. A letter placed within a bottle from an officer who thought he and his family were about to die. The life jacket that saved one man’s life when his comrades, who wore none, died. The anchor of a ship that sank in 1878 but has been seen several times since then.

These are a few of the items showcased in this book about shipwrecks. They do not represent the 100 worst shipwrecks in history nor vessels other than British. Instead, the author seeks to touch our heartstrings, to make us care about the lives lost, the living, and the aftermaths of such tragic occurrences. To guide him in achieving this goal, Wills asked himself two questions: “is there a notable personal story to tell” and did the shipwreck contribute “something to the overall narrative of ancestors’ experiences at sea across centuries”? (13)

While tragedy abounds within these stories, there is also hope. Mention “shipwreck” and our thoughts immediately turn to the men, women, and children on the vessels at the time of the sinking. Or perhaps to their loved ones who bear the grief and adjust to severe changes in their circumstances because of the losses suffered. But there are also those determined to survive or to help, such as Grace Darling, who helped her father, the lighthouse keeper, rescue stranded victims.

Wills, perhaps better than another author, is the best person to write these stories. His family has gone to sea since the time of Queen Elizabeth I and some experienced the wrecking of their ships firsthand. As a result, Wills’s abiding respect for the sea and empathy for victims, survivors, and rescuers are evident in each tale.

The selected objects include artifacts, medals, images, writings, charts, memorials, music, and buildings. Some are as intangible as storm clouds or sea monsters. Of particular interest to readers interested in maritime piracy are William Dampier’s giant clam, a Jolly Roger (representing pirates, like Samuel Bellamy who died in a shipwreck or Edward Teach who wrecked his flagship), and a first edition of Robinson Crusoe, the lone survivor of a fictional shipwreck who survived on an island for twenty-eight years before being rescued.

Wills arranges the entries in chronological order, beginning with 1539 and ending in 2012 when two Titanic museums opened 100 years after that ship sank. Both an index and a table of contents that identifies and dates each object allows for easy access to individual shipwrecks.

This book is an eclectic collection of objects that introduces us to shipwrecks we probably may not know about but should. Wills hopes these intriguing stories spur us to learn more about the vessels and the tales they have to reveal.


(This review was originally posted at Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)



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Angela Ahn's Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm

Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm by Angela Ahn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What do you expect with a last name like Oh-O’Driscoll? Ridiculous, right? And it opens Stephen up to all kinds of nicknames – which he hates. Natural for someone who’s just twelve years old and half Korean half Irish. He lives with his mom, who’s more into education than fun and blames everything on his dad, especially Stephen’s fascination with pirates. The only person he trusts is Brandon, his best, and only, friend. And they share a secret. They are PIVENTURATES.

A piventurate, you ask? It’s not even in the dictionary! (Not for want of their trying.) Stephen creates the word because he is not into the stealing and violence side of piracy, which is what dictionaries focus on. What he craves is adventure and sailing. After all, isn’t a pirate “a courageous explorer and a bold adventurer who loves the sea?” (5)

And what an adventure lies in store for Stephen! It begins with a pirate ship seen from his window. Then, while practicing swordsmanship during recess, Brandon is injured and Stephen gets suspended from school. Mom is not happy! She has no intention of allowing him to waste time during his suspension, so they go to a museum. Except the expected exhibit has closed. A new one on local history is now open. The first display showcases a nineteenth-century sea captain named William J. Sapperton. Sapperton may or may not have been a pirate. Stephen is thrilled, Mom not so much, especially once he touches an artifact and sets in motion a cascade of events that takes him to The Midway – a place where living people do not belong – where he meets Sapperton’s ghost. Of course, when you go where you should not be, trouble ensues. Trouble like pirates (living and dead), ghosts, broken promises, kidnapping, and discovering family secrets.

Told from a first-person perspective, this is not your typical pirate story, but it most certainly is entertaining and daunting. Stephen is willing to take chances to help others, even when Mom wishes otherwise. (Risk may be involved, but the violence is minimal and more implied than real.) The characters come to life (even the ghostly ones). Aside from the pirates, this is also a story of not fitting in, of following your dreams, of taking responsibility and making what goes wrong right, and being who you are. It’s also about learning about family, which in Stephen’s case involves discovering Korean lore and beliefs. Written for children ages nine to twelve, Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is an awesome pirate – or should I say piventurate – tale for anyone (even an adult) who dreams of being a pirate or just wants to be true to oneself.


This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Ahn.html



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Nicky Nielsen's The Pirate Captain Ned Low

The Pirate Captain Ned Low by Nicky Nielsen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Edward Low, alias Ned Low. Not the best known of pirate captains, but one of the most brutal. His hunting grounds stretched from the Bay of Honduras to Newfoundland to the African coast. Despite all the mayhem he caused, he was never captured, never stood in the dock, never paid for his crimes. He simply vanished. This is his story.

Edward Low was baptized in 1688 into a family familiar with crime. He grew up on London streets, where he also acquired his education. At some point, he relocated to Boston, Massachusetts where he married Elizabeth Marble in 1714 and became a ship rigger. He lived a normal, family life until the loss of one of two children and, later, his wife. Prone to quarrel and drink, unable to keep a job, he left Boston in 1721. By year’s end, he had mutinied, committed murder, and turned pirate. His crew eventually described him as a “maniac.” Writers tended to use words like “savage” and “psychopath.” Not surprising given how he tortured and slew his victims, including Nathan Skiffe, a well-liked whaling captain who treated his men fairly.

Anyone who studies pirates soon discovers that there are lots of gaps in the historical record. Certainly, this is true in some degree with Low, but there are also far more facts and accounts of his piracy and life than are found for better-known pirates. Nielsen delves into these original sources to show who the real Ned Low was, as well as to discuss how he has been portrayed in them. Among the consulted renderings are eyewitness accounts from victims (especially Philip Ashton and his cousin, Nicholas Merritt), newspaper articles, and Captain Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates. (The last is a somewhat controversial document that does include some fallacies. One intriguing example cited concerns the death of a French cook. Johnson says Low burned the man alive, whereas Ashton doesn’t even mention the cook.)

The book consists of nine chapters that cover Low’s life and his encounters with other pirates, such as George Lowther, John Massey, Charles Harris, and Francis Spriggs. The epilogue discusses the role maritime historian Edward Rowe Snow played in lore associated with Low. The one appendix lists the pirates captured by HMS Greyhound, along with their ages and places of birth, as well as which ones were eventually executed for their crimes. There is a section of black-and-white illustrations, a bibliography, and an index.

Throughout the narrative Nielsen poses numerous questions and then explains what may have actually occurred based on empirical evidence, his research, and educated analysis. He also provides necessary background information to orient readers. The Pirate Captain Ned Low is an absorbing, fact-based biography that sheds light on some of the murkier waters – what the author describes as “hazardous shoals of speculation, hearsay and outright lies.” (xii) It is a significant addition to any collection dealing with pirate history, especially that of the eighteenth century.

(Readers should note that with Low’s reputation for cruelty, this book contains a lot of violence and Nielsen pulls no punches in presenting this facet of this pirate.)


This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Nielsen.html



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John Amrhein, Jr.'s The Hidden Galleon

Hidden Galleon: The True Story of a Lost Spanish Ship and the Legendary Wild Horses of Assateague Island by John Amrhein Jr.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A sunken Spanish ship. Legendary ponies. A barrier island off the Virginia coast. These are ingredients that inspired Marguerite Henry to craft what became a well-known children’s story, Misty of Chincoteague.

Oftentimes, legends have their basis in fact. As centuries pass, divining what is truth and what is fiction becomes difficult. Research plays a key role in this endeavor, as this narrative clearly demonstrates. In this case, the journey begins at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Amrhein discovers a letter, written by a Spaniard, to Maryland’s governor in 1750. The information leads Amrhein to believe it will be easy to find what remains of the sunken vessel. (Yes, that incident actually occurred.) It also leaves him with an unanswered question: If finding the wreck is so simple, why has no one done so? As he soon learns, his supposition is anything but easy. The journey will span years and involve a court-martial, a con man, a ship that never sets sail, fraud, uncooperative governments, and legal battles.

The true beginning of this voyage is neither the ponies nor the hunt for a hidden shipwreck. It starts in August 1750 in Havana, Cuba, where Don Daniel Huony is the captain of La Galga de Andalucia, a worn-out warship built nearly two decades earlier. She can carry 632 tons worth of cargo and measures 120 feet from stem to stern, but numerous tweaks and modifications have left her less seaworthy than in her early days. After taking on cargo and passengers, including English prisoners taken captive by Spanish privateers, La Galga escorts five merchants on their journey to Spain. It is late in the year to be voyaging, but delays have left Huony little choice. They encounter a hurricane soon after their departure, which scatters the fleet. La Galga successfully navigates the seething water and wind until Assateague Island, where she strikes an impediment that damages her hull. Unable to stem the water flowing into the ship, Huony orders those aboard to abandon ship; all but five make it to shore.

Amrhein uncomplicates a series of convoluted episodes from recent and distant history to provide readers with a comprehensive and straightforward account that fascinates and astonishes. To further enhance the reading experience, he provides endnotes, a bibliography, an index, illustrations, diagrams, charts, and two sections of color plates. For those who enjoy mysteries and tales of searching for shipwrecks, The Hidden Galleon masterfully achieves both.


This review originally appeared inPirates and Privateers (March 2023) at http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...



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