Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 2
June 21, 2025
Story Spinners by Cassandra Federman
Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates by Cassandra FedermanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
FFSs. Stands for forever-fighting sisters, according to Kennedy. Nor does it help that she and Devon are total opposites with only three commonalities: stories, pizza, and a baby sister named Eve. She shares their room. She cries at night.
Kennedy and Devon’s arguing comes to a head when they break the television. Mom takes away their phones and electronics. She does not want to hear any noise from their room. They must learn to get along or else they will never get their items back!
Even with the door closed, the fighting continues until they decide to tell the perfect fairy tale. Of course, that leads to more bickering since Kennedy, who likes math, has her own formula for what does and does not belong in a fairy tale. Devon, on the other hand, loves danger. Eventually, they join forces to tell Eve a bedtime story so she will sleep. Kennedy will do the traditional parts while Devon adds the “COOL parts” – which leads to more clashes and a story involving a princess pirate who goes in search of someone or something to kidnap her so Prince Charming will rescue her and they will live happily ever after. Except, this princess isn’t the only one looking for true love.
The majority of this graphic book is in black and white, but there are fifteen pages in color. These may denote that change is in the air, although that’s a guess rather a known fact. There are multiple chapters, each with a specific focus that leads toward Princess Sparklepuff’s goal. Devon’s “Dangery” parts include lady pirates, dragons, a mermaid, spiders, a shark, and garbage.
More important than the princess’s quest, the sisters learn to communicate and realize what it means to be sisters. Readers are never quite sure what’s coming next, which keeps them invested in both tales. Geared toward girls ages seven to ten, the sibling rivalry is something many will readily identify with and Kennedy and Devon’s solution may just give them ideas of their own so that their parents can have some peace and quiet.
(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/YA-graphic...)
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Don't Disturb the Pirate! by Rhiannon Findlay
Don't Disturb The Pirate by Rhiannon FindlayMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Patch the puppy has run away. We must find him. Before we start, you should beware. If you hear “Yo Ho Ho,” cannons firing, and shouts of “Ahoy,” RUN! We do not want to disturb the pirate captain and his crew.
This rhyming adventure, geared for young pirates ages three to six, is a delightful exploration of an island shaped like a skull. All the places have appropriate names, such as Crossbones Cavern, Treasure Bay, and Swashbuckle Shore. There are clues to entice along the way, like a map in a bottle and paw prints in the sand. Can’t forget the helpful mermaid either. Neatly woven into the tale are plays on pirate myths, such as walking the plank.
The bright, colorful illustrations captivate us and hold lots of surprises to behold, like cannonballs that turn out to be something else entirely. The little boy who searches for his pup has an expressive face.
Together, the rhyme and the pictures make this a wonderful tale to read aloud to children. Of course, coming across the pirates is inevitable, but what transpires then is a total surprise. This uplifting story allows families to spend a fun time together. It’s sure to become a favorite pirate tale for young and old pirates alike.
This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Findlay.html
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May 22, 2025
Outlaws of the Sea review
Outlaws of the Sea: Maritime Piracy in Modern China by Robert J. AntonyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anyone who reads my column knows there is a difference between Eastern and Western piracy. In fact, the concept of piracy is unknown until after Europeans venture into Asian waters. When I want to explore Chinese piracy, one of my go-to historians is Robert J. Antony, who has been researching piracy in the South China Sea and along China’s southern coast for forty years. Outlaws of the Sea is his latest offering and gathers this research into a single volume that covers the 1630s through the 1940s. Within the eleven chapters of this book, readers will find a balanced examination of pirates from multiple perspectives taken from a wide gamut of historical resources.
In “Introduction: The Pirate and the Historian,” Antony discusses the difficulties historians encounter when researching Chinese history. He makes clear that the names associated with specific pirates are not the names the pirates themselves used. For example, Zheng Yi Sao is mandarin, a language the pirates don’t know. They speak a language of South China, which makes her Cheng Yat Sou or Shek Yeung. Equally compelling is how Antony gives voice to these pirates, imagining what they may say if asked.
“The Sociopolitical Culture of South China’s Water World” explores the Qing dynasty and those who make their living on the sea in south China between 1740 and 1840. The chapter shows this society’s mercurial nature and provides a framework of understanding for the chapters that follow. This information gives credence to the governor of Fujian’s words in 1799: “People are not born pirates, but they become pirates because the land cannot support them.” (23) It is a time when three distinct groups of pirates consist of 80,000 people.
Piracy impacts and shapes history, a state’s legal regimes, and the state’s desire to build empires. In “Piracy, Empire, and Sovereignty,” Antony explains how piracy influences the development of the Qing Empire during a 300-year period. He also shares how Chinese officials view pirates and how those views differ from Western ones. Equally important is how officials’ attitudes toward and their handling of piracy changes between the days of Zheng Zhilong and his followers and the rise of the pirate confederation led by Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao.
When three brothers stage a revolt in Vietnam in the 1770s, they eventually form alliances with Chinese pirates. This leads to a new state, and “Chinese Pirates and Tay Son Rebels” examines the dynamics of this relationship.
During a span of thirty years, socioeconomic conditions hold great sway in the development and upsurge in piracy in the South China Sea. Piratical attacks may be deemed illegal, but the pirates consider themselves justified in what they do. “Piracy and the Shadow Economy” explores pirate lairs, black markets, and ports friendly to pirates, as well as the detrimental and beneficial aspects of piracy as a business and the clandestine networks through which they operate.
The resurgency of piracy between 1780 and 1810, greatly impacts Canton trade. “Defending Canton: Chinese Pirates, British Traders, and Hong Merchants” looks at the effect this has on the relations between China and Britain, the repercussions on trade, and how merchants based in Hong Kong help defend the city against the pirates.
In “Pacification of the Seas,” the time comes when pirates can no longer be tolerated by the state, and Qing officials use a variety of techniques to suppress piracy. Although many disapprove the offering of “carrots,” Antony shows how pardons often prove more successful than “sticks.”
While the state sometimes uses violence to counteract piracy, the pirates also implement brutality and terror for economic and political reasons. In “Bloodthirsty Pirates?” Antony asks a number of related questions to delve into “the physical, emotional, and magico-religious aspects of pirate violence.” (139)
“Pirates, Dragon Ladies, and Steamships” focuses on piracy between 1840 and 1940, when steamships lead to hijackings becoming more the norm for pirates. Antony compares and contrasts piratical stereotypes in Western media and its depiction of Chinese piracy, even though it is never as simply defined or shown as Westerners are led to believe.
In 1910, pirates kidnap and hold hostage children and adults on an island while they wait for the ransom to be paid. Finding this intolerable, the Portuguese send military expeditions against the pirates. In the ensuing fight, innocent civilians lose their lives. In “‘We Are Not Pirates’: Portugal, China, and the Pirates of Coloane,” Antony explores this incident and the interrelationship between the Portuguese and Chinese over four centuries. This incident also demonstrates why it is so difficult to define who is a pirate and what constitutes piracy. Perspective plays a key role in what transpires here.
Piracy is not stagnant. As time passes, it changes and shifts depending on who and what are involved. One region’s pirate may not be the same as another’s. The similarities and differences between Western and Eastern piracy are examined in “Conclusion: Piracy in China and the World.”
Each chapter stands on its own, but in reading the book cover to cover, readers gain a better understanding of 300 years of piracy and its role in shaping the history of both China and the world. The narrative incorporates numerous figures, maps, and tables, while a chronology, glossary, bibliography, and index complete the book. Footnotes are found throughout, providing citations and additional information.
This is an engaging, compelling, and informative examination of Chinese piracy. It is difficult for any reader to come away without learning something new. As Antony states in his introduction: “This book is about recovering the silences and seeking the truths about piracy . . . My focus is on piracy as historical, political, social, and cultural phenomena . . . My main aim is to explore the world of Chinese pirates and to explicate the integral role they played in shaping China’s maritime society in the modern age.” (9) He achieves all of this and more. I highly recommend Outlaws of the Sea to anyone who wishes to gain a better understanding of piracy in Asian waters and why western ideas of piracy fail to fully capture who these people are, what they do, and how they fit into and influence Chinese society as a whole. This volume deserves inclusion within any library interested in this region, and for any reader interested in comprehending the differences between Eastern and Western pirates.
(This review was originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Antony.htm...)
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Captain Kidd review
Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal by Samuel MarquisMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Who hasn’t heard of Captain Kidd? His name is forever associated with murder and piracy, for which he is hanged (twice) after a trial of the century. A fitting end to a pirate, and a just one according to the law. But what if this simplistic recounting only tells a small part of the story and is viewed only through the eyes of those who had a specific end goal in mind – one that included making William Kidd a scapegoat?
Instead of beginning with Kidd’s birth and early years, Marquis opens with a declaration of war in 1689. Thirty-four-year-old Kidd, and seven compatriots, including Robert Culliford, serve aboard a French privateer. Sooner or later, it will become an “us against them” situation, so the Englishmen stage a mutiny. This seizure and subsequent events in the Caribbean set Kidd on a path that eventually elevates his standing within society and takes him to New York, where he weds the love of his life, Sarah. The way proves rockier than expected, for not all of his fellow mutineers agree with his intentions. They are also jealous because he has what they do not. One night, Culliford and others steal his ship and his hard-earned wealth and go a-pirating.
Despite such setbacks, Kidd lands on his feet and helps put down a rebellion in New York, attends a beheading on his wedding day, becomes a successful and respected merchant sea captain, and dotes on his two daughters. His acquaintance with Robert Livingston, a prosperous merchant with connections in the Red Sea trade, nets Kidd an offer of a pirate-hunting expedition while visiting London. The more he learns, the less successful the venture seems, but he is among powerful men who know how to get what they want no matter what. As a result, Kidd becomes captain of Adventure Galley. Soon after he and his men set sail, trouble begins and it proves to be only the start. Before long, he is declared a pirate, even though he steadfastly refuses to cross that line. Later, while his backers and men like Culliford go free, he pays the ultimate price.
The book begins with short biographies of the historical players connected to Kidd, either in principal or peripheral ways. Covering the years 1689 through 1701, these include New Yorkers, royal governors, monarchs, government officials in both England and India, naval officers, privateers, pirates, and pirate associates. The book includes three maps. Two show the West Indies, the Indian Ocean, and Madagascar. The third map depicts Kidd’s outbound and return voyages between 1696 and 1699.
Marquis divides Kidd’s story into five segments: The Making of a Sea Captain, The New York Gent and King’s Pirate Hunter, The Fateful Voyage, Treasure Fever, and The Trial of the Century. Each of these contains three to six chapters.
There are two drawbacks to this book, especially for those wishing to use it for research. The first is that there is no index. This means one must either be familiar with Kidd’s story enough to know approximately where in the book to look for the information or read the book from cover to cover in hopes of finding the sought-after information. The second involves the endnotes and bibliography. I am told these appear in the ebook version, but those who purchase the hardback must go online to acquire a PDF of the source(s) Marquis consulted. Sometimes, an endnote is a simple citation. Other times, a single sentence in the narrative may include multiple citations, which makes it difficult to know which source provides which information. In his acknowledgements, Marquis describes this book as “a scholarly work.” (354) While he relies predominantly on primary sources, with some reputable secondary sources, this is not a book written for scholars because of these omissions. Instead, the primary audience is lay readers, who will find a wealth of information about Kidd and others here. Whether they concur with Marquis’s conclusions or not will be up to each individual.
Marquis’s gift of storytelling shines through in this biography of his ninth-great-grandfather. He breathes life into Kidd, so readers see him as he is rather than as how propaganda, history, and myth portray him. Many historical persons intersect Kidd’s path, but throughout the narrative Marquis keeps the focus on Kidd, interspersing relevant details about others where the information is relevant. As fiction is separated from fact, Kidd’s complexity emerges complete with foibles and virtues.
(This review originally was posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-bio-...)
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The Trafalgar Chronicle New Series 9 Review
The Trafalgar Chronicle: Dedicated to Naval History in the Nelson Era: New Series 9 by John A RodgaardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gathering information on the enemy is nothing new, but during the Georgian Era, a formal system to collect, evaluate, and disseminate acquired data doesn’t exist. So how do the Admiralty and its naval commanders acquire what they need to successfully complete their missions? This is the theme of this year’s 1805 Club’s annual journal. Steven E. Maffeo opens with “Secret Intelligence in the Age of Nelson,” an excerpt from his book (Most Secret and Confidential: Intelligence in the Age of Nelson), which provides an overview of naval intelligence between 1754 and 1815.
Officers who wish to succeed and advance through the ranks understand how important it is to be seen as gentlemen. Some are born to this; others must acquire the culture and sophistication in ways that do not exceed their financial means. Evan Wilson shows how such young officers devise their own grand tours of the continent by combining work with pleasure during times of peace in “A Grand Tour on a Budget: Naval Officers and Intelligence Gathering in the Age of Sail.” In the process, they also acquire information that may be of potential use in times of wars.
Intelligence and what can be inferred from it influences how commanders react, as Andrew Venn Nelson demonstrates in “Cat and Mouse, Misinformation, Thwarted Plans and the Victory that Never Was: Nelson and Villeneuve’s Atlantic Chase, 1805.” Other times, intelligence plays a role in the planning and carrying out of specific operations as Anthony Bruce shows in “‘A Great and Signal Service’: Admiral Vernon at Porto Bello, November 1739.” On the other hand, intelligence can mislead and have unexpected outcomes as we discover in Nicholas James Kaizer’s “The Unwanted Coup: James Callander, Spiridon Foresti, and British Espionage in the Ionian Islands during the War of the Second Coalition.”
The final two entries that address this annual’s theme are more biographical and demonstrative in nature. Tom Fremantle introduces us to “Admiral Arthur Phillip, 1738-1814: Naval Officer, Explorer, Spy, Mercenary, Administrator.” Natacha Abriat’s featured monograph investigates “The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Baron d’Imbert, 1763-1844: French Naval Officer and Royalist Agent,” which provides a unique perspective on French espionage and counterespionage.
In addition to this year’s main topic, the editors include three biographic portraits and five articles of general interest that pertain to the Georgian Era. David Rothwell shows how Sir John Thomas Duckworth considers his orders, his men’s health, and gaining honor and wealth in “The Evolution of British Naval Leadership and Decision-Making in the Face of Sickness.”
American Joshua Penny is pressed into the Royal Navy several times during his lifetime. William S. Dudley discusses this merchant sailor and why he spends eighteen months in a South African cave in “The Seafaring Saga of Joshua Penny, 1788-1815.”
In the last biographical entry, “Trafalgar’s Last Survivors,” Hilary L. Rubenstein investigates who can and cannot lay claim to having fought and survived the Battle of Trafalgar.
The remaining articles showcase Parliament’s reaction to the loss of single ships to the young United States Navy; the demise of USS Essex in Valpariso, Chile; the aftereffects of the Earl of Sandwich’s decision to sheath warships’ hulls with copper; the significance of the name of Admiral Villeneuve’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar; and a Spanish princess who believes she is the rightful ruler of Spain’s American possessions while her father is imprisoned and her husband rules Portugal from afar.
Black-&-white illustrations are found throughout the essays with a center section of color plates, all of which complement and enrich the text. Biographies of the contributors and endnotes are included, but there is no index.
As always, reading The Trafalgar Chronicle is a treat. The articles provide a wealth of information that enlightens and enhances our understanding of this period in naval history. This is one of the few places where you will find a collection of offerings dealing with naval intelligence. Even if you think you know a particular subject, you discover tidbits you aren’t aware of. Some articles will confirm what you already know; others will have you rethinking assumptions and seeing topics in new lights. All of which makes this edition a robust treasure indeed.
(This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/TrafalgarC...)
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Hello, Pirates! Review
Hello, Pirates! by Martha Day ZschockMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The day has come. It’s time to take a grand adventure . . . with pirates! As mateys of the crew, there’s lots to do like swabbing the deck and rigging the sails. Hopefully, a ship will cross our path so we can capture its treasure. Just beware of storms. No matter what lies ahead or where we go, we watch out for one another.
Part of the HELLO! series, this board book is for the youngest pirates. The pictures are big, colorful, expressive, and vibrant. The verses rhyme, providing an entertaining way to learn about pirates and for adults to spend time with their youngsters. Several well-known pirates are included, such as Edward Teach whose depiction inspires awe without being overly fearsome. The crew is inclusive: a pirate captain with a disability, a one-eyed monkey, boys and girls working together to achieve their goals, parrots who learn the ropes and find the treasure map, and a seagull who serves as lookout. Young pirates and their parents will have delightful fun with Hello, Pirates!
(This review was originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Zschock.html)
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April 20, 2025
Politics, Economics, & Piracy
The Problem of Piracy in the Early Modern World: Maritime Predation, Empire, and the Construction of Authority at Sea by John CoakleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recent events demonstrate that politics and economics influence what happens in the world. This includes the ebb and flow of piracy, both now and in the past. Depending on the time and place, states tolerate it until the depredations adversely affect commerce or political objectives. This is when states take action to suppress piracy, although fully eradicating it has yet to occur. The Problem of Piracy in the Early Modern World investigates “the relationship between European states and maritime predation, especially in Asian, Atlantic, and European waters between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries.” (11)
As the editors point out in the introduction, the lack of a clear-cut definition of who is a pirate complicates these issues as well our attempts to study this phenomenon. To counteract this, these essays focus on specific cases in defined areas, such as the Caribbean or Southeast Asia. The book is divided into three sections: Jurisdiction, Practices, and Representations. The first pertains to how states seek to control seafarers and what they do. The second looks at moments in time when those seafarers are deemed to be pirates. The final section involves how the states or pirates themselves see them. As a result, readers comprehend common themes: “the relationship between pirates and states; the numerous and overlapping motivations for maritime predation; and, finally, the ways in which certain sea raiders were rhetorically made into pirates.” (12)
The editors also examine legal attempts to define piracy and how states use pirates to their advantage when it suits their purpose and suppress them when it does not. The disparity in definitions and individual states’ prejudices play roles in this, as shown in Martin Müller’s “Primitive, Peregrinate, Piratical: Framing Southeast Asian Sea-Nomads in Nineteenth-Century Colonial Discourse and Imperial Practice,” and Anna Diamantouli’s “‘Our Affairs with the Pyratical States’: The United States and the Barbary Crisis, 1784-1797.”
Although the essays discuss actions of a state either for or against pirates, the state’s viewpoint is not the only one presented. Individual authors also analyze the seafarers and what they do before looking at the state’s conduct. What becomes apparent in reading these contributions is that discord at sea, commerce, and colonial expansion are intricately interwoven and as such, generate and intensify the factors that lead to piracy. Examples of this are found in Simon Egan’s “Scots, Castilians, and Other Enemies: Piracy in the Late Medieval Irish Sea World,” John Coakley’s “Local Maritime Jurisdiction in the Early English Caribbean,” and Steven J. Pitt’s “Boston, Logwood, and the Rise and Decline of the Pirates, 1713 to 1728.”
Media coverage also impacts how citizens view pirates and their depredations. Cultural bias influences these presentations, as do how the states wish the public to perceive, for good or bad, those responsible. This leads to misleading interpretations and tropes that cause us to either romanticize or demonize pirates, instead of seeing them for who and what they really are. Sometimes, even the pirates themselves influence how we see them. These are aspects discussed in Wim de Winter’s “Pirate Encounters and Perceptions of Southern-Netherlandish Sailors on the North Sea and the Indian Ocean, 1704-1781,” James Rankine’s “Henry Glasby: Atypical Pirate or a Typical Pirate?”, and Rebecca James’s “‘A Fellow! I think, in all Respects, worthy your Esteem and Favour’: Fellowship and treachery in A General History of the Pyrates, 1724-1734.”
This volume is part of the Maritime Humanities, 1400-1800: Cultures of the Sea series, which examines the cultural transitions from land to oceans as regards commerce, exploration, and travel. In addition to the eight essays found within these pages, there are tables and maps, a bibliography, and an index. Each chapter includes an abstract, keywords, footnotes, and its own list of consulted sources, both primary and secondary, as well as the author’s qualifications for writing the chapter. The editors introduce this volume, while Claire Jowitt pens the afterword.
This book aptly demonstrates two key points: one state’s pirates may not be defined as such by another, and that although maritime depredations exist worldwide, western views on what constitute piracy aren’t universal. For example, Müller shows that until Europeans ventured into Asian waters, piracy was “an unknown phenomenon.” (58)
Two of the most fascinating chapters, from this reviewer’s perspective, are Pitt’s and Rankine’s. While logwood often earns mention in most pirate histories, Pitt examines this subject from a different perspective and shows that its ties to Boston play a role in the rise in piracy following the War of the Spanish Succession. During this discourse, he focuses on Blackbeard and Edward Low, and shows how this seaport both facilitates piracy and influences its decline. Henry Glasby, the subject of Rankine’s chapter, is somewhat of a chameleon; the decisions he makes and the actions he takes allow him to survive both his captivity as one of Bartholomew Roberts’s crew and as a crown witness against the men with whom he serves. From his testimony we view how pirate crews work and the complexity of life aboard a pirate ship.
The Problem of Piracy in the Early Modern World is both insightful and compelling. The price is steep for lay readers, but the content is worth the price for those with a keen interest in pirate history and how the world’s understanding of piracy changes depending on global and individual realities at different periods in time and place. It is also highly recommended for academic collections.
This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers (http://www.cindyvallar.com/Coakley-Kw...)
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A Story of the Original Buccaneers
The Tortuga Plantation by James L. NelsonMy 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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March 22, 2025
The Resurrected Pirate review
The Resurrected Pirate: The Life, Death, and Subsequent Career of the Notorious George Lowther by Craig S. ChapmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
“As for Captain Lowther, it is said, that he afterwards shot himself upon that fatal Island, where his Pyracies ended, being found, by some Sloop’s Men, dead, and a Pistol burst by his Side.”
Captain Charles Johnson wrote those words in the 1726 edition of A General History of the Pyrates. Ever since, even though this book is a blend of fact and fiction, historians have repeatedly stated that the seaman-mutineer-pirate George Lowther committed suicide in 1723. But what if Johnson, and those who came after him, got it wrong?
While researching Disaster on the Spanish Main (Potomac Books, 2021), Chapman repeatedly came across a name in the correspondence of Admiral Edward Vernon. Sometimes, it was written as “Lowther the pirate,” which sufficiently intrigued Chapman to seek more information. He discovered George Lowther did not die in 1723; he renewed his acquaintanceship with Vernon 1739, and offered his services to the admiral in exchange for a royal pardon.
Chapman begins with Lowther marooned on the deserted island with his surviving men, but the story starts long before that. He traces Lowther’s path from the time he serves as second mate aboard Gambia Castle and the discord that leads to mutiny, to his collaboration with Captain-Lieutenant John Massey and their inevitable decision to go on the account. Despite their success at pirating, Massey’s guilt and shame lead to a divergence of their association. A new partnership arises when Lowther and Edward Low cross paths. These two pirates and their crews separate and reunite more than once before Lowther ultimately finds himself on that island where he supposedly commits suicide. Sixteen years pass before the opportunity to erase his past presents itself in a Spanish town on the Spanish Main.
The Resurrected Pirate is not just a pirate tale. It explores motivations and reactions that lead Lowther, Massey, and others to do what they do. It’s a stark and realistic account of pirate life, despite the brief interludes of wealth and partying and doing what one pleases. Sooner or later, consequences result from actions taken, and everyone reacts differently to those consequences as Chapman deftly shows.
Chapter subheadings chronologically outline the times and places of mutiny, greed, and brutality. Although there is some reliance on Captain Johnson’s not-always-reliable book, Chapman fact-checks with more reliable sources and incorporates passages from primary documents to further enlighten. He also has a gift for creating vivid visual comparisons in the readers’ minds, For example, he likens the gun barrels of a warship’s broadside to a big mako shark baring its teeth, or the drudgery of endless paperwork and duty to mud clumped on shoes. The book includes nine maps, a list of known members of Lowther’s Company, a glossary, endnotes, and a bibliography. It is also indexed, but in a smaller font size than the rest of the book.
This account of George Lowther’s life reads like a gripping, edgy novel. Chapman provides the necessary background information to ground the reader. At the same time, he skillfully demonstrates that no pirate works alone, and Lowther’s path is intricately entwined directly and indirectly with Admiral Edward Vernon, the Royal African Company, Captain Chaloner Ogle, Edward Low, Charles Harris, Philip Ashton, Francis Spriggs, and Captain Robert Maynard, among others.
The Resurrected Pirate is enlightening, provocative, and tragic. It doesn’t answer every question – How did Lowther escape the desolate island? and “Who was the dead man left in his place?” – but Chapman deftly shows the falsity of Johnson’s claim of suicide and that historians just accepted that as fact even though documentary evidence proves otherwise. A must-read for anyone interested in pirate history.
(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Chapman.html)
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Corsairs and Captives Review
Corsairs and Captives: Narratives from the Age of the Barbary Pirates: Narratives from the Age of the Barbary Pirates by Adam NicholsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
He serves in the English navy, but rumors lead him on a path of piracy. No longer welcome in his homeland, he heads to Tunis. A single haul labels him the most successful corsair there, and pamphlet writers dub him “archpirate” because of his fearlessness and brutality. His name is John Ward.
Nicholas chooses the sea to seek his fortune. Instead, he finds himself enslaved. To escape this misery, he renounces Christianity and becomes an adherent of Islam. Being a renegade gives him the freedom to sail, which provides him with an opportunity to return home to France, where his conversion means he has to live a lie or hide. Farming proves not his forte, so he returns to the sea, where he is captured once again and recognized as a renegade.
Her ship captured by Barbary corsairs in 1756, Ellen Marsh finds herself a captive deemed worthy of a Moroccan prince. A friend poses as her husband to stave off the prince’s advances until she and her “husband” are ransomed. She later writes of her experiences as The Female Captive.
These are but three people who encounter Barbary corsairs during the nearly three centuries in which these privateers prowl the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Although these marauders act like pirates, their attacks are legally sanctioned by rulers of the Barbary city states for which they sail: Algiers, Salé, Tripoli, and Tunis. They seize a wide variety of plunder, but the most prized booty are the captives of all ages who end up as slaves to rulers and residents of North Africa.
Adam Nichols writes in his introduction, “Most of the stories told about pirates are exaggerations at best; at worst, they are romantic fabrications. . . . As a result, Barbary corsairs, and the world in which they operated, are often depicted in an oversimplified, distorted way.” (viii) His goal here is to correct these misinterpretations and falsehoods by showing these privateers in a more realistic manner through first-hand narratives, written by those who witness Barbary captives and/or experience life as one.
The book consists of two parts: Narratives and Narrative Texts. Narratives is divided into three distinct segments. “Corsairs” examines the privateering business, including methods, economics, and risks. “Captives” delves into the victims, focusing on specific encounters for which primary accounts exist. One of these recounts the capture of Jacob in 1621, where four sailors find themselves prisoners of Barbary corsairs during a storm. Two others discuss Friar Antonio, a clergyman who falls in love, while a Trinitarian friar named Pierre Dan is sent to Algiers by Cardinal Richelieu to negotiate the release of French slaves. The third segment, “Corsair Captains,” introduces individual leaders, such as Simon Danseker, Calafat Hassan, John Ward, and Claes Compaen.
Eight narrative texts comprise the second part of this book. These include “Captain John Smith on Pirates and Renegades,” “Captain Henry Mainwaring on the Suppression of Piracy,” “The Narrative of João De Carvalho Macarenhas: Captured at Sea by Algerine Corsairs,” “Father Pierre Dan on the Slave Market in Algiers,” “Filippo Pananti: Narrative of a Residence in Algiers,” “The Odyssey of René Du Chastelet des Boys,” “Francis Brooks: Barbarian Cruelty,” and “Elizabeth Marsh: The Female Captive.” Each begins with a brief setup, including the reason for its selection.
The final chapter, “The View from the Other Shore,” explains why other books on this subject have fallen short, which results in readers assuming that “North Africans were inhuman brutes, while Europeans were innocents cruelly wronged.” (206) Both groups commit brutalities and engage in human trafficking. By concentrating on accounts written by those who experience or witness the events, Nichols provides readers with a truer picture of what occurs during this turbulent time in history.
A center plate section includes pictures of places, people (officials as well as those who were enslaved), ships, and the treatment of slaves. There is a bibliography but no index.
In the introduction, Nichols writes, “Buried in the dry chronologies are human stories filled with pathos and danger, fear and bravery, betrayal and friendship – and love. The original sources just need a bit of editing to bring out the story element in them.” (ix) He is upfront about having edited the original accounts to some degree. Some may object to this, but his goal is not to provide another tome for serious scholars; instead, he succeeds in providing readers with informative, readable, and compelling true first-person stories that show the reality and complexity of the strife between North Africans and Europeans. Equally noteworthy are that some of these primary accounts have not appeared in English before, and that Nichols includes tidbits of information not found in other books on the Barbary corsairs and how they operated.
(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Nichols.html)
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