Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 15

Review of Barbary Captives edited by Mario Klarer

Barbary Captives: An Anthology of Early Modern Slave Memoirs by Europeans in North Africa by Mario Klarer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Imagine you travel on the sea, bound for home, when the lookout spots strange sails scudding across the water directly toward you. Perhaps you live on the coast, going about your daily tasks, when armed raiders rush ashore. These scenarios are all too familiar to Europeans living between 1500 and the early 1800s. Their attackers are Barbary pirates who come from North Africa and range from as close as the Iberian Peninsula to as far away as Iceland. Their sallies have one goal: to capture whoever crosses their path. Regardless of age or sex, be it you, your family, or your neighbors, this may well be the last time you see your homeland. Now you will journey to Algiers, Morocco, Tripoli, or Tunis to be separated and sold into slavery.

Such was the fate of several hundred thousand Europeans. Those who survived the voyage suffered the indignities and torments of slavery, and many never reunited with loved ones. The lucky ones regained their freedom – through ransom, by escaping, or in converting to Islam – and wrote narratives about their experiences. This anthology brings together, for the first time, thirteen of these eyewitness accounts in which they discussed a variety of topics: the pirates who captured these individuals; different tasks they were forced to do; the treatments they suffered; renegades; exotic customs and locales; religion, and more.

Whether complete texts or excerpts from longer works, the narratives contained within this collection include the following:

Sturmer, son of a German merchant, decided to try his hand at pirating, only to find himself the victim of pirates in 1534. After his capture, he became a galley slave in Hayreddin Barbarossa’s fleet, and he describes what that experience was like and some of the historical events he witnessed. His Accounts of the Travels of Mister Balthsar Sturmer is the earliest recorded slave narrative.

Antonio de Sosa, himself a slave at one time, published a multi-volume work in 1612 entitled Topography of Algiers. In this excerpt he recounts one of Miguel de Cervantes’s attempts to escape his enslavement during his five years of captivity. De Sosa’s books proved important for those who sought information that helped to enlighten military and diplomatic efforts in this region of North Africa.

The Travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson recounts how pirates from Morocco and Algiers raided Iceland in 1627. They captured Egilsson, his family, and about 400 others. His is one of the few accounts that discuss in detail Barbary raids on land – an attack that left an indelible impression on the psyche of the Icelandic people that remains even today.

This translation of Emanuel d’Aranda’s Short Story of My Unfortunate Journey comes from a handwritten account recently sold at auction. Although a nobleman, he attempted to pass himself off as an ordinary soldier in an attempt to reduce how much ransom those back home had to pay for his release. What makes this autobiographical manuscript unique is that it allows researchers to compare his original version with edited versions that actually made it into print. These published editions were extremely popular in many different countries and appeared in a variety of languages, which made it available to readers in all levels of society.

Antoine Quartier spent eight years as a slave in Tripoli, making The Religious Slave and His Adventures a rarity among captivity narratives. Not only is the setting unusual, but so is his description of grueling agricultural labor. He also talks about the plague that ravaged the city. Upon his release, he joined the Mercedarians, a religious order that devoted themselves to ransoming Barbary slaves.

What sets Andreas Matthäus and Johann Georg Wolffgang’s Travels and Wonderful Fortunes of Two Brothers in Algerian Bondage apart from other slave narratives is twofold. They spent their four years of enslavement together, rather than apart, and since they were copper engravers, pictures (created by one of the brothers) were included when their account was published nearly a century after their release in 1688.

Isaac Brassard gained his freedom that same year, but his account wasn’t published in France until 1878. The Tale of Mr. Brassard’s Captivity in Algiers incorporates religion into his account, but not the differences between Islam and Christianity. He was a Huguenot (French Protestant), which made him ineligible for ransom since these were only paid for those captives who practiced the Catholic faith.

Thomas Pellow was eleven years old when he was captured, and he spent twenty-three years in Morocco before returning to England in 1738. The History of the Long Captivity and Adventures of Thomas Pellow is a chronicle that delves into the physical and psychological aspects of his experience, for he did convert to Islam, became an officer in the sultan’s army, and had difficulties re-entering English society once he gained his freedom.

At fifteen, Hark Olufs experienced similar difficulties, which he discusses in The Remarkable Adventures of Hark Olufs. He rose through the ranks until he became a trusted commander within the Algerian bey of Constantine’s military. His loyalty earned him his freedom in 1735 after serving his master for fourteen years.

Maria ten Meetelen’s Miraculous and Remarkable Events of Twelve Years of Slavery is another rarity because it is one of the earliest authentic accounts written by a woman. She recounts her daily life as a slave; instead of being relegated to doing whatever her master required, she had to earn her own living in order to survive. Equally remarkable is that she managed to keep herself and her family alive in spite of the frequent regime changes during her twelve years of captivity, beginning in 1731.

Descriptions of the Barbaric Slavery in the Kingdom of Fez and Morocco appeared in print the year after Marcus Berg was ransomed in 1756. Not only does he provide intimate glimpses into the sadist who ruled Morocco with an iron fist, but he also describes a deadly earthquake that affected both that country and Europe. No other authentic Swedish narrative has been found.

The Narrative of Elizabeth Marsh’s Captivity in Barbary relates the four months she spent in Morocco in 1756, and the lengths she went to elude the sultan’s advances. Marsh is one of the few women who wrote openly about the subtle, derogatory comments made by others about her chastity. Of the other British slave narratives that women wrote, hers is the oldest known one.

One of the few surviving Italian narratives, The Account of an Amateur Antiquarian’s Short Journey takes place shortly before European and American navies brought an end to Barbary corsairing in the first half of the nineteenth century. As a citizen of a nation that had a peace treaty with Tunis, Father Felice Caronni never should have been taken as a slave, but during the attack on his vessel, his passport was lost. This excerpt focuses on his time as a captive, while the work from which it comes shares his abiding interest in the heritage and culture of this region.

Arranged chronologically by dates of captivity, these narratives have all been verified as authentic. Each includes a short preface to set the stage and shed light on who, what, when, where, and why, as well as how it differs from other narratives and/or what it has in common with them. Also included is a note about the translations. Footnotes are provided where necessary to explain terms, names, and historical details. Illustrations are provided where appropriate.

Klarer opens with a fascinating introduction that is divided into several sections: Captivity Narratives as an Early Modern Genre, Piracy in the Mediterranean, North African Slavery, The Ransom of Slaves, Female Slaves, and Captivity Narratives and World Literature. Here, he highlights how the early accounts influenced novels like Cervantes’s Don Quixote and Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, which in turn impacted later narratives. Klarer also discusses how these narratives influenced other works, such as Native American captivity narratives and African American slave narratives. He ends the anthology with a Selection of European and American Barbary Captivity Narratives; a List of Works Cited and General Works on North African Piracy and Captivity; and an Index of Persons and Locations.

Little known today, these slave narratives were popular among readers of the early modern period, so much so that they can be likened to a genre of their own. Klarer deftly demonstrates their influence on novels and autobiographies, which eventually affected how later authors of slave narratives wrote their accounts. This compelling anthology re-introduces readers to this “genre” in a diverse way that is certain to elicit further study. It incorporates details of how Barbary corsairs worked and what it was like to be captured by them that are absent from other histories and English-language narratives. It provides a wealth of information from a variety of perspectives in ways that capture readers’ attention and at a reasonable price, making Barbary Captives a treasure for any collection.




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Review of Keith Thomson's Born to Be Hanged

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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Review of Eric Jay Dolin's Rebels at Sea

Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution by Eric Jay Dolin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Off the coast of Bilboa, Spain, Captain Jonathan Haraden decided that 3 June 1780 was a perfect day to again test the mettle of his crew of thirty-eight. They had already captured an enemy privateer; taking on another was a risk, but Haraden wasn’t one to back down from a fight. Even when his opponent had 130 men and more than twice the number of his guns, the majority of which were heavier and more powerful armament than his. For more than two hours the American Pickering and the British Achilles fought. The British took back the captured privateer, but broke off the engagement and fled the scene once the Americans loaded their inferior cannons with bar shot. The Spaniards celebrated the Pickering’s victory, and once she set sail for home, the privateersmen snared three more prizes before arriving in Salem.

This is but one encounter between private enemy vessels during the American Revolution. Other books have covered the war from many different perspectives, but only a few spend time on privateering. Of these, even fewer delve into the role they played in winning the war and, when these volumes do, the view is more negative than positive. Dolin sets out to right this wrong, providing a more inclusive study of revolutionary privateers and their significance in the conflict to gain American independence from Britain. “Rebels at Sea places privateersmen, most of whom were not famous or even well-known individuals, at the very center of the war effort. It demonstrates that, when the United States was only a tenuous idea, they stepped forward and risked their lives to help make it a reality.” (xxiv)

Dolin shows successes and failures, as well as the impacts colonial privateers had on the British economy, which compelled the enemy to redirect critical military and naval resources from land and sea campaigns to protect commercial shipping. Prizes taken helped supply the rebels with much-needed resources, raised colonists’ spirits, and assisted in the efforts to bring France and Spain into the conflict on the American side. He also includes notes that cite consulted sources, a select bibliography, an index, footnotes to explain terminology or provide further explanations, and illustrations.

This is not, however, just a one-sided presentation of facts. Dolin also delves into negative issues and people critical of the use of privateers. Some felt it was a less savory way to fight, one that bordered on piracy. Others believed the men and weaponry should be saved for use by the Continental Army and Navy. There were also those who decried profit making over patriotism.

Within the nine chapters, readers meet people from various walks of life who supported privateering, denigrated privateering, and sometimes flipflopped on the issue. The legality of privateering is discussed, with Massachusetts leading the way months before Congress passed the necessary laws to address the issue. The cast of characters include privateersmen – Offin Boardman, James Forten, David Ropes, Luke Ryan, and Andrew Sherburne to name a few beside Haraden – and Founding Fathers – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Robert Morris – and involved citizens, such as Elbridge Gerry, Elias Hasket Derby, Blair McClenachan, Nathaniel Greene, and John Paul Jones. Dolin also explores how the British viewed American privateers and what happened to those who became prisoners of war whether they were incarcerated in English prisons and on prison ships closer to home.

Even readers familiar with privateering history and/or privateers during the American Revolution will learn fascinating facts not previously found in other books. Examples include two American privateers named for Benedict Arnold when he was still seen as a hero rather than a traitor; or John Greenwood, a privateer and a militiaman better-known as the dentist who made George Washington’s false teeth.

Rebels at Sea may not be as engrossing as other Dolin titles, but it is an important, compelling, and comprehensive examination of privateers in the thirteen colonies’ struggle to gain their independence. This volume will appeal to a general audience, be they well-versed in privateer or revolutionary history or newcomers to the subject. When paired with the more academic volume, The Untold War at Sea written by Kylie A. Hulbert, Rebels at Sea provides readers with a well-rounded and enlightening understanding from all perspectives about privateers and their importance to American freedom.


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



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Arne Bialuschewski's Raiders and Natives

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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Kylie A. Hulbert's The Untold War at Sea

The Untold War at Sea: America’s Revolutionary Privateers by Kylie A. Hulbert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Once the thirteen original colonies had enough of a king’s tyranny, they declared war and fought for independence. Much has been written about the American Revolution on land and at sea, but the members of the colonial army, militias, and navy weren’t the only ones to fight. Some chose to fight an economic war. These privateers held legal commissions that permitted them to attack enemy ships during times of war. History books may or may not mention them, even though they played an integral part in the war. This book corrects this dearth of information; Hulbert recounts their stories from financing and building the ships, to recruiting crews and setting sail, through navigating the admiralty courts that decided whether a prize was legally or illegally captured. Once deemed heroes, they came to be treated as pariahs and Hulbert shows how and why this happened.

The story of privateering unfolds in five chapters, each titled after a line from a popular song of 1776 about a privateer named Manly. Chapter one, “Hardy Sons of Mars,” focuses on how privateering came to be one of the avenues that the colonies and Continental Congress pursued as a means of fighting the war. It also concerns the steps in acquiring a ship, manning it, and acquiring the necessary legal documents for a privateering venture. The second chapter, “A Privateering We Will Go,” shares what life at sea was like, from the mundane to the exciting, while chapter three discusses actual engagements from the sighting of a potential prize to pursuit and capture. “Make Your Fortunes Now, My Lads,” the fourth chapter, examines the prize court system and how it could be as perilous or as rewarding to privateers as the actual captures were. The final chapter, “To Glory Let Us Run,” scrutinizes how privateers were viewed during and after the conflict.

Those who participated in privateering, either in actual combat or behind the scenes, came from different walks of life. Some were prosperous. Some dreamt of becoming so. The gamut of motivations ranged from patriotism to self-interest. What cannot be denied is that the privateers and their deeds impacted the war effort. Initially, they were hailed as heroes, especially when most reports of the conflict were grim. Later, their reputations became tarnished and didn’t fit the persona of how the fledgling nation wished to be portrayed.

Declaring independence was a bold deed, especially when the new nation had no navy to speak of. Privateers filled that void and took the war directly to the British. Among the events discussed in the book are the Rhode Islanders’ attack on HMS Gaspee before the war, Massachusetts’s determination to lead the way in authorizing privateering, and case studies from the prize courts. Many individuals are introduced, some of whom are unknown to most readers, such as Elbridge Gerry, Thomas Willing, John Langdon, Josiah Bartlett, and Gustavus Conyngham. Others – John Adams, Edward Rutledge, Elias Hasket Derby, Captain Jonathan Haraden, and Benjamin Franklin to name a few – are more familiar. End notes provide source citations and additional information, while the bibliography provides additional avenues to explore, and the index permits readers to locate information directly. In addition, occasional illustrations enhance the reading experience.

One of Hulbert’s goals in writing The Untold War at Sea is to show the complexity of privateering and how it was viewed. In doing so, she demonstrates that the American Revolution was far more complex than we think and that privateers played a pivotal part in helping the colonies win their independence from Great Britain. This facet of maritime history and culture needs to be better understood and integrated into the historical narrative, and she does an excellent job in laying the groundwork for this. Even readers knowledgeable about privateering and the War of Independence will be surprised by what she has unearthed. All readers come away with a better understanding of who the privateers were, how they did what they did, and why it’s taken so long for their stories to be shared.

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




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Sarah Branson's Navigating the Storm

Navigating the Storm by Sarah Branson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The discovery of Glitter – a sparkly element with properties that make it more prized than rum – changes the way the pirates of Bosch conduct business. They no longer plunder at sea; their plundering is more subtle, but equally rewarding. They ferry their cargo via ships of the air, accumulating markers and treasures while also freeing thralls when possible. One formerly enslaved thrall is Kat Wallace, but the ramification of her adopted father’s death is banishment to Edo, the home of her diplomat husband, Takai Shima, with their three children. But this isn’t the sanctuary she expects; someone wants her dead. Luckily, her period of exile is almost at an end and she’s eager to return to Bosch and her old way of life.

Upon her return, Kat rejoins the Bosch Pirate Force, which requires her to once again attend the training academy. She is a leader and adept at what she does, but she has no interest in becoming an officer. She prefers to do things her way, preferably guided by her own judgement and experience, rather than always adhering to the rules. Which, of course, gets her into trouble with an officer, Colonel Gia Ka’ne, who is assembling a flight unit and is need of a pilot. According to the Master Commandant, Kat is one of the best. Gia has her doubts and leans toward canning Kat until after she surpasses all expectations during her trial run at the helm. Thereafter, Gia’s team takes on extractions, intelligence gathering, and Glitter runs, with guileful pilfering when circumstances permit. During these missions, Kat’s mother watches over the grandchildren and Takai begins a three-year command of a colonial settlement ship, which provides him with the perfect opportunity to continue his illicit liaisons with beautiful women, far from where Kat might learn the truth.

Not everyone is pleased that Kat is back. An influential family, and a good friend of her adopted father, blames her for his death. A late-night encounter with one son upends the well-honed team that Gia has put together and it’s up to Kat to figure out how to make things right, which leads to unexpected consequences.

Nor is this Kat’s only concern. The man who once enslaved her is again a senator of the Federal Alliance, in spite of his downfall for which she is responsible. A hard-boiled, furtive man with both private and public personae, he establishes the groundwork that will permit him to run a global cartel that traffics in thralls while snatching control of Glitter from the Bosch. On a more personal agenda, he has definite payback plans for Kat and just the enticement to lure her back into his clutches.

Navigating the Storm, the second book in the Pirates of New Earth series, is not your typical pirate book. Rather, it is a blend of science fiction with steampunk and cyberpunk interlaced with realistic human emotions and experiences set in the twenty-fourth century. Thematic threads pertain to greed, slavery, reunions, lies, commitment, betrayal, loss, jealousy, and the corollaries of actions. Action is high paced and riveting, and interwoven with screenshots of pastoral family life and manipulations, either underhanded or aboveboard. This permits readers to readily identify with the characters and situations they face. Kat begins as a simple character who matures as the book progresses; hitting rock-bottom makes her stronger and savvier, and puts her on firmer ground to face whatever lies in the future. The glimmers brandished throughout the story whet readers’ hankerings for what happens next, which will be unveiled in Burn the Ship, the forthcoming title in the series.

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



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John Drake's Fletcher and the Flying Machine, a review

Fletcher and the Flying Machine by John Drake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Nothing normal happens to Fletcher (also known as Sir Jacob Fletcher or Jacky Flash). Unless you’ve encountered one of his previous escapades, the names probably mean little, so who is he? He’s the illegitimate son of a knight of the realm, who never wanted to be in the Sea Service, but was impressed into the navy upon the devious scheming of the one woman who abhors him – Lady Sarah Coignwood, his stepmother. He also has a particular interest in the latest technology of the time – 1803 to 1804 in this case – and the more radical the concept the better. This encounter involves aerial navigation and a flying carriage.

When our story opens, Fletcher is on the outs with the Admiralty in spite of the country being at war with France. To pass the days, he’s spending time with his sister in the countryside, where he encounters ingenious neighbors. A young boy named Arthur Bayley and his grandfather are flying a kite, but theirs is no ordinary flying machine. This one is big enough and strong enough to carry a man. His fascination piqued, Fletcher immediately befriends them and, during the ensuing days, learns that he’s going to be recalled into active service. Arthur, who is struck by a bit of hero worship, requests that he be allowed to go to sea with Fletcher – a boon that Fletcher grants even though he’s wary of ever regaining the Admiralty’s favor.

Of course, he does, but hasn’t a clue as to why. The assignment initially seems enticing until he discovers no one else wants it. Why? Because the Sea Service is unable to provide all he needs to carry out his mission, which is protecting the whole of Ireland from a French invasion. The Irish, who are forever at odds with themselves, have united in hopes of gaining Bonaparte’s assistance in rising up against the English and tossing them out of Ireland. The British have no intention of allowing this, but there are many things that can go wrong, which makes Fletcher just the man for the job. He will either sink or swim and, should he sink, he’s the perfect scapegoat.

Setting Fletcher up to take the fall isn’t that unusual. His knack for out-of-the-box thinking has saved his life and those of his men, as well as the honor of the Sea Service and the country, more than once before. Being kept in the dark about certain matters puts Fletcher on his toes and he adeptly manages with what he’s got and each and every man under him gives his all, including Bayley. A ship fire, a lopsided sea battle pitting Fletcher’s meager squadron against French warships, a fractious alliance between Irish rivals, the captivating Irish woman (deemed a witch by some) who keeps them united, and a haughty, by-the-book dragoon lead Fletcher on a merry, but bloody, escapade that eventually lands him in jail. But machinations – both good and bad – are afoot to once again employ Fletcher in an impossible scheme to extricate a Russian grand duchess from a Baltic castle that’s been under siege for two years. If the honorable and esteemed Edward Pellew couldn’t manage it, how in the world will Fletcher?

This is my first foray into Admiral Sir Jacob Fletcher’s memoirs, but this seventh book in the series is a rousing romp. Drake expertly crafts a serpentine labyrinth that neatly combines the improbable with the outlandish in a manner that is both believable and compelling. There are moments of levity, but Drake tells it as it is, neither sugarcoating the violence nor avoiding compromising situations of a more intimate nature, which is why this book is for mature readers. He includes a gripping depiction of why seamen fear fire, and historical details and navy life are seamlessly interwoven into the story.

Fletcher is an “enormous” character – both literally and figuratively – who is larger-than-life and charismatic in ways that endear him to the common man even though he stands on the quarterdeck, otherwise known as officer territory.
The majority of the story unfolds from his first-person perspective with occasional interludes to provide readers with a fuller account of what transpires. The Rev. Dr. Samuel Pettit, who transcribes Fletcher’s twenty-five-volume memoirs, inserts intermittent bracketed comments that chastise or contradict Fletcher. Third-person scenes share background glimpses of the story that Fletcher has no way of knowing but are key to fully understanding what transpires.

Fletcher and the Flying Machine is riveting, complex, preposterous, and entertaining. Whether you’re a diehard fan of Jacky Flash or a newcomer like Arthur Bayley, Drake will soon snare you in an audacious adventure that eagerly has you waiting for another madcap adventure.

(Review originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/JDrake.htm...)



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Review of Alan M. Smith's Balchen's Victory

HMS Victory. The name brings to mind one particular ship, the one on which Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson succumbed during the Battle of Trafalgar. But she wasn’t the first to be so named, and this is the story of her predecessor and her admiral, both of which were lost on a stormy night in October 1744. A great lamentation resulted from the deaths of Admiral Sir John Balchen, Victory’s captain, and the 1,100 men who went down with the ship. Yet, as time passed, they have faded from memory, even though their losses triggered fundamental changes in the ways navy ships were designed and built, as well as in how the royal dockyards were administered. This book explores the man, the ship, and their legacies in hopes of bringing both back to the fore of conscious memory, rather than relegating them to a blip in the historical record.

John Balchen was born in 1669 in Godalming, Surrey, England. Once he joined the Royal Navy, duty became a hallmark of his career. He didn’t always agree with the status quo and raised serious questions about the way ships were designed and maintained. He cared about the men who served under him. He survived two courts-martial and several wars during his fifty-eight years of service – a time that encompassed the reigns of seven different monarchs. He retired in 1744 at the age of seventy-five.

Victory was the finest warship of the Royal Navy in her day. Her origins dated back to 1673 when orders for a 100-gun First Rate ship of the line were received. She was rebuilt several times, the last time in 1733, and was commissioned four years later. In spite of being a new and modern warship, she was considered a “crank” ship, one that was top heavy and prone to rolling. Still, she was needed and she would serve as the flagship of the White Squadron at a time during a most dire situation for the country.

French Admiral Rochambault and his squadron had corralled a convoy of English ships laden with food and stores near Lisbon, Portugal during the War of the Austrian Succession. Their supplies were destined for the Mediterranean Fleet and 17,000 men, who were in desperate need, but the convoy was unable to escape the enemy’s blockade. Admiral Balchen was summoned back from retirement to command a fleet of warships to relieve the convoy and see it safely to Gibraltar.

The mission was a success, but the homeward bound squadron encountered a storm. All the ships but one limped into port. Last seen on 4 October 1744, Victory went down with all hands. She was believed to have foundered on Les Casquets reef because of where wreckage came ashore. When Odyssey Marine Exploration found the wreck site 264 years later, it turned out she sank somewhere else entirely.

The book is comprised of chapters that cover the shipwreck, the aftereffects, the stories of the ship and the admiral, their legacy, and the discovery of the wreck site and what transpired as a result. Two timelines are included that highlight events in both Admiral Balchen’s and Victory’s careers. Color and black-and-white pictures provide visual representations of information presented in this volume. In addition to the maps, end notes, bibliography, and index, five appendices are included. The first provides experts’ answers to a question the author posed: “Why, in your opinion, do you think the man and the ship are no longer of any importance or relevance to naval, or even national, history today?” Three document the grief as it was shown in literary examples. The last discusses Balchen and his hometown.

Many questions still remain about Victory’s loss, and Smith explores and analyzes the various theories. Her discovery also led to conflict as to whether or not the wreck site should be excavated. These, too, are discussed, as is the resulting outcome of that conflict.

Smith does not simply relate the stories of an admiral and a ship. He places both in context with what was happening within the Royal Navy and in the world at large. His goal is to provide readers with an understanding of who Admiral Balchen was and why he should be remembered for more than just a shipwreck. In this, Smith achieves what he set out to do in a manner that is straightforward and enlightening.

(Review originally posted at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)

Review of Simon Webb's The Forgotten Slave Trade

The Forgotten Slave Trade: The White European Slaves of Islam by Simon Webb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mention “slavery” and most people immediately think white masters and black slaves. The former exploited the latter by uprooting Africans from their homelands, transporting them across the Atlantic, and selling them in Caribbean and American slave markets. These forced laborers were also abused and mistreated, considered property rather than human beings. What Webb brings to light is the fact that this concept of slavery – black versus white – is relatively modern. He concurs that this was a horrendous practice, but to suggest that only Africans suffered and endured forced servitude and horrendous indignities is misleading and is an example of “cultural erasure.” His goal is to correct this misinterpretation of history.

The book’s primary emphasis is on people of the British Isles, including Ireland, who found themselves victims of slavery. Webb also mentions other countries and people from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East throughout history, as well as Western nations’ attempts to bring an end to Barbary slavery. He does point out that slavery remains prevalent even today; according to a 2019 report by the United Nations, around 25,000,000 people are still enslaved.

This volume delves into the history of slavery, concubines and eunuchs, Mamluks and Janissaries, galley slaves, and Barbary corsairs and pirates (including the Salé Rovers). In addition, he discusses European nations’ tendency to pay tribute rather than engage in military action to stop this abhorrent practice and the upstart United States defied that tradition and helped to end Barbary slavery against Western countries – a forerunner of what Webb sees as the Americans’ tendency to serve as the “world’s policeman.” The book also contains a list of references, an index, and twenty black-and-white illustrations.

No one knows when the first slaves appeared in England, but it was considered a normal state of affairs even before Anglo-Saxon times. The Vikings came not only to plunder monasteries and towns, but they also sought slaves for themselves and for people in other regions of the world. Slave raids were particularly prevalent in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Cornwall was visited on more than one occasion, losing sixty dragged from a church in 1625 and 240 adults and children two decades later. All were destined for the slave markets of North Africa; only a few ever made it back to their home villages. One Scots woman who did not was Helen Gloag; she became a gift to the sultan of Morocco and eventually was elevated to empress of the sultanate.

In tracing the history of slavery, Webb shows that it was a universal practice. The earliest documented mention dates back 4,000 years. Two early examples involve Joseph of the Bible, whose brothers sold him, and a boy named Patrick, who became an English slave and eventually a Christian missionary (better known today as Ireland’s Saint Patrick). Initially, slaves are victims of war, where winners enslave losers, but in time, religion plays a role in who can be a slave. Muslims can own slaves, but only if those slaves are not of the Islamic faith. This is a guiding principle behind the Barbary corsairs preying on ships and lands outside of their own. Any captive who converts to Islam is freed. For example, Samson Rowlie converts and becomes the Treasurer of Algiers, while Jan Janszoon becomes the Admiral of the Salé Rovers and conducts numerous raids, as far away as Iceland.

Several organizations helped arrange ransoms for the captives, enabling them to return home. Of the 109 residents of Baltimore, Ireland taken in 1630, only three women were ransomed. When King William III arranged the release of all enslaved English and Irish in 1689, one of the men who went home to Ireland was Richard Joyce, who had been sold to a goldsmith. He took with him a design for a ring that he later produced. Today, it is an early example of the Claddagh Ring.

As I read the introduction, I questioned whether I really wanted to review a book that some readers may see as controversial, or even tantamount to heresy. A librarian – which I was for two decades – is trained to provide resources that present topics from all sides of the coin and to allow readers to decide what is wrong or right for themselves. Webb’s research is spot on and his sources are qualitative.

Nor is this a dry treatise on the history of slavery. It’s highly readable and, at times, illuminating. In no way does he minimize or ignore what happened to Africans who became victims of the triangle trade. His primary goals are to show that slavery doesn’t encompass this one period and that Europeans were also victims. He succeeds in meeting these goals, while providing the framework for why and how this came about. His narrative incorporates numerous points and counterpoints that certainly lend themselves to generating discussion. The Forgotten Slave Trade is a worthy and well-researched resource for anyone seeking a more complete picture of the history of slavery. It’s equally important to remember that it is but one volume to be consulted when delving into this controversial subject.

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



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Review of Gene Eric Salecker's Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana: The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History by Gene Eric Salecker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


And those poor fellows who died in that awful catastrophe! They had gone through four long years of war, had undergone countless hardships, and suffered hunger, pain, and sickness, on the battlefield, and in the prison, and after all these, they were now going home to loved ones, their hearts filled with a great shout of joyous thanksgiving that all war and strife and danger were over, and that they could once more greet the dear ones at home who they knew were waiting anxiously for their return. (387) -- James R. Collins, survivor

We sometimes come across a disaster of the past that strikes a particular chord within us. For me, Sultana is one such episode in American history. Twenty-twenty hindsight suggests any number of ways in which the calamity might have been avoided, but the dominos of greed, arrogance, shoddy construction, avoidance, weather, and conditions on the Mississippi led to disaster a mere eighteen days after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. More than a century and a half have passed since that fateful morning of 27 April 1865, and yet what occurred in the wee hours of that day remains the most wretched disaster in America’s maritime history.

Sultana, a sidewheel steamboat, was launched on 2 January 1863. She measured 260 feet in length and 42 feet wide. The diameter of each of her two paddlewheels was 34 feet, and she could carry up to 1,000 tons of cargo safely. Her original owner sold her the following year to four residents of St. Louis, Missouri. One of these became her captain, James Cass Mason. At the time of the explosion, she carried nearly 2,000 Union soldiers who had recently been released from prisoner of war camps, including the most notorious one, Andersonville. After time spent in horrendous conditions, these men were finally going home to reunite with loved ones. There were also around forty civilian passengers aboard – including a minstrel company, a couple returning from their honeymoon, children – and about eighty-five men and women who worked on the vessel. She also carried cargo – more than 200 hogsheads of sugar and almost 100 boxes of wine, sixty hogs, and forty to fifty horses and mules – and the sidewheeler’s mascot, a live alligator in a wooden box. Two years after her launch, Sultana exploded, caught fire, and sank. Many on board died. Some survived and lived to share their stories.

Twenty-nine chapters comprise this account of the Sultana and those aboard her at the time of her demise. In addition to the who, what, when, where, and why, Salecker shares what happened afterward and what became of her survivors. He provides extensive notes, a bibliography, an index, maps, and photographs of people and steamboats connected to this story.

In the intervening years, much has been written about the disaster, but as often occurs over time, legend and myth have crept into the historical details. One might wonder why another book needs to tell this story, but what sets The Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana apart is two-fold. First, the author undertook a deep-dive into many different archives to provide the first exhaustive study of the subject that relies principally on primary documents. Secondly, Salecker is a leading authority on what occurred and is the Sultana Disaster Museum’s historical consultant. He also owns the largest collection of materials pertaining to the event. In writing this book, he set out to answer four specific questions:

What caused the explosion?
Exactly how many people were on board at the time?
How many people survived, and how many died?
Who were these people?

He succeeds in doing this and, in the process, separates the wheat (the facts) from the chaff (the myths and legends). He uses the actual words of those involved to relate the truth about what transpired.

Witness and survivor accounts vividly bring the events into focus. Details that the study unearthed are enlightening. Salecker has been able to identify beyond a doubt the majority of people who were aboard Sultana during her three-day voyage upriver. Equally telling is the fact that when compared with the number of dead in Civil War battles, this disaster ranks twelfth. Nearly half of those aboard lost their lives.

This is far more than just an examination of the sidewheeler and those aboard. Salecker also delves into the people ashore who were involved in the overloading of Sultana, as well as local residents who went above and beyond to help the survivors, including Southerners who had spent the last five years fighting the North. The condition of the POWs upon their release, as well as what they had endured, is also recounted.

If you just want a book that recounts the story of the Sultana and what happened, any number of books will fulfill that desire. If, however, you want an in-depth analysis that relies chiefly on firsthand evidence, The Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana is the volume to read. You will come away knowing what happened, but, more importantly, remember the people, the sacrifices they made, and their determination to survive.

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




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