Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 26

The Sugar Inferno by Lyle Garford

The Sugar Inferno by Lyle Garford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


With little information divulged in his orders, Commander Evan Ross arrives at the Admiralty in London for a meeting in February 1798. He finds himself amid august men – the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and former Prime Minister, and the Foreign Secretary – as well as his immediate superior and spymaster, Captain Sir James Standish, and General Thomas Maitland of the Royal Army. Something must be done regarding the volatile situation in Saint Domingue and Evan provides vital firsthand knowledge of what he and his men have learned in dealing with the many factions on the island.

The British first intervened in the chaos there five years before, but they have yet to achieve any of their three goals: stop the flow of money to France, prevent Spanish intervention, and gain a trading partner that will fill their own coffers. The British have invested too much to simply walk away, but the war with France impedes their ability to provide additional funding and troops. In short order Evan explains that yellow fever, the sheer numbers pitted against them, and devious and intelligent leaders, who ally when necessary and betray each other when not, make it extremely difficult to forge the necessary alliances. Further complicating the situation are those who wish the status quo of slavery to continue and those who do not. Then there’s the question of who governs Saint Domingue – those who live there or men sent from France’s Directory? The two principal leaders are Toussaint L’Ouverture, a mulatto who wants to end slavery yet allows it to continue, and Andre Rigaud, a mulatto who cares little for whites or blacks and believes mulattos should govern not only the island but also the world. Adding to this volatile mix are the Spaniards who live on the other side of the island (Santo Domingo) and would like to control the whole island. France has no intention of abdicating control; sooner or later a new administrator will arrive and he may not come alone. Then there are the Americans who also want a piece of this lucrative pie.

News also arrives that the black armies have attacked two key British forts; the loss of one could allow these armies to reach Port-au-Prince. With all this knowledge, the men in power decide that the original objectives will stand, but General Maitland has final say in how he achieves them once he arrives at Saint Domingue and assesses the situation. Evan will assist him in that regard, especially with the assistance of his best friend, Lieutenant James Wilton, who currently spies on the Spanish side of the island, and Midshipman Baptiste, who has infiltrated Toussaint L’Ouverture’s inner circle to become a trusted advisor.

Of course, the best laid plans of the British do not coincide with those of the French. Theodore Hedouville has been sent by the Directory to take control of the island with the help of 300 soldiers, with additional troops being supplied by the governor of the Spanish side of the island. Accompanying him are two spies, Hubert Montdenoix and Flemming Linger, who return to the Caribbean to once again stir up trouble, in hopes that the French will control not only Saint Domingue, but also Jamaica. Montdenoix also searches for his British counterpart, a one-armed man whom he intends to put out of business.

Once again, Garford deftly weaves a gripping tale of a complex situation in a way that makes it easy for readers to understand the many diverse historical threads. The Sugar Inferno is the fifth book in the Evan Ross series, and while it includes details about the workings of the Royal Navy, its primary focus is on the important tasks that naval spies did and how they did it. Populated by many rich characters, some real and others fictional, each is diverse and multifaceted with human foibles and frailties. This fan looks forward with eager anticipation to the next and final adventure in the series, The Admiral’s Pursuit.




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Ozgur K. Sahin's True Colors

True Colors by Ozgur K. Sahin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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Peter Lehr's Pirates

Pirates: A New History, from Vikings to Somali Raiders by Peter Lehr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 1998, pirates boarded the MV Cheung Son. They blindfolded the twenty-three crew members, injured or killed them, and tossed them overboard. This wasn’t an isolated event, but few people knew of these incidents of piracy until November 2005 when Somali pirates tried to take a cruise ship carrying more than 300 passengers and crew. Since then, incidents of piracy have risen and more and more people outside the maritime world have taken notice. With this “sudden” return of pirates comes a commensurate number of studies on piracy and pirate history, so why do we need still another one? For the most part, previous titles focus on a particular time period and/or a specific region. Such studies leave a series of unanswered questions, which Lehr attempts to answer:

Is what motivates certain individuals to become pirates today the same as in the past?
How do the activities of modern pirates compare to those of earlier epochs?
Are there any lessons that could be learned from historical attempts to curb piracy which could help us end it today?
If naval power is greater today than ever before, why have we not yet been able to put an end to piracy once and for all?
Why does piracy persist, seemingly against all odds? (7)

He separates the book into three periods of history and within each of these he examines three maritime regions. The latter is comprised of the Mediterranean, Northern seas, and Eastern seas. The former consists of 700-1500, 1500-1914, and 1914-today. Why these particular divisions? The first is a time when the geographical regions are separate and distinct and each area is isolated from the others. The second time period witnesses the rise of Western nations and the spread of their sphere of influence over the powerhouses of the previous period (the Ottoman Empire, Mughal India, and Qing China). By the start of the next time frame, Europe controls 84% of land in the world, and from 1914 onward the interconnections between nations become global. Throughout these chronological divisions, Lehr examines piratical commonalities and differences between the diverse pirate cultures.

The narrative is both enlightening and enthralling. The further one reads, the more one discovers that there are distinct similarities between the regions throughout time, even though the pirates of one region had no contact with pirates of another. Regardless of the time period, two factors motivate people to pursue piracy: greed or grievances. As Lehr shows, other components enhance or detract from these since nothing is as simple or black-and-white as it first seems. Religion and politics also play roles, for without corruption there would be no safe havens for pirates. Not only does he explore various aspects of becoming a pirate and being a pirate, he also discusses attempts to thwart or end piracy.

Regional maps introduce each of the time periods. Illustrations of vessels are scattered through the book, which also contains color and black-and-white plates in the center. As the narrative progresses, Lehr includes page references to events discussed earlier in greater detail. A glossary, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index are also included.

Most readers will be familiar with some of the pirates mentioned – Stede Bonnet, Bartholomew Roberts, Zheng Yi Sao, and John Ward, for example – while others are less well known, such as Don Pero Niño, Martin Wintergerst, and Iranun and Malay pirates. Louis Le Golif is cited several times, although no mention is made that there is some question as to whether or not he actually existed. According to Lehr, Bartholomew Roberts died in a shipwreck; his actual demise occurred when he was fatally wounded in battle with the Royal Navy.

If there is a weakness in this book, it comes in the third part of the book. Although there are a few examples of piracy in the early years of the twentieth century, the main focus is on Somali and Nigerian piracy. This leaves a gap in the historical comparison.

Regardless of whether readers are well-versed in pirate history or are novices when it comes to pirates, Pirates is a thought-provoking and insightful examination of piracy throughout history and around the world. Everyone who ventures to delve into this analysis will learn something new and will come away with a much better understanding about who the pirates were/are, why they turned to piracy, and why they are so difficult to completely eradicate.




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The Cutty Sark Pocket Manual review

The Cutty Sark Pocket Manual by National Maritime Museum

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Cutty Sark entered the world when tea was a vital commodity in British trade; England imported 63,000,000 pounds that year. With her sharp bow, streamlined hull, and 32,000 square feet of sails, she was built for speed in the middle of the Victorian Era. She has outlived both other extreme clippers and many steamships that plied the seas when she did. When tea ceased to be profitable, she transported other cargo until she earned her place in history as the fastest ship in the Australian wool trade. Later, navy sailors and merchant seamen trained aboard her, and today she teaches visitors about wooden ships and their role in maritime history in spite of the destructive fire that swept through her in 2007. Although this book discusses her entire history, the authors focus on her first twenty-six years when steamships were gaining importance in maritime trade. And who better to share her story than her general manager and her curator?

They set the stage with their introduction to the tea trade and the emergence of clipper ships, as well as world events – the Opium Wars and Suez Canal, for example – that impacted maritime trade and shipping. Their goal in writing this pocket manual is to explain why Cutty Sark survives when her contemporaries have long since been relegated to history books or forgotten entirely.

Subsequent chapters discuss her construction, her voyages, how ships work, her captains and crew, life on board, her cargoes, and her history once she ceased to be a British merchant ship. Launched on 22 November 1869, Cutty Sark had a wooden hull affixed to an iron frame. She was built by Scott & Linton, who went bankrupt as a result of her construction, and owned by John Willis, Jr., who was wily, ruthless, and known as “White Hat Willis” because of his white top hat. She set sail on her maiden voyage to China in February the following year, and when she returned to London, she held the fourth fastest record for the year. But her travels were not without problems. Like all ships, she encountered Mother Nature and endured her wrath. On Cutty Sark’s maiden journey one of the crew died of dysentery. On the “Hell-Ship Voyage” (1880) a seaman was murdered, another became a fugitive, and the master committed suicide. Richard Woodget served as her seventh and last master as a British vessel. During his decade-long tenure, he provided a photographic record of life aboard the clipper. He resurrected her reputation and even overhauled a steamer to reach Sydney before Britannia did in 1889.

In addition to an index, the authors include black-and-white illustrations (including some of Woodget’s photographs), tables, maps, diagrams, and entries from logbooks to enrich the reading experience. In spite of its size, this small, thin book is brimming with the fascinating history about this famous ship. Most readers will know of Cutty Sark, but few know what she and her crews endured. The authors correct this oversight and enlighten us so even those who are unable to actually visit her come to understand why she has left such an indelible mark on our memories.




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Angus Konstam's The Barbary Pirates, 15th-17th Centuries

The Barbary Pirates 15th–17th Centuries by Angus Konstam

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


They are often called “pirates,” but for almost three hundred years, the marauders hailing from the northern coast of Africa were privateers and the Italians, French, and Spanish referred to them as “corsairs.” Their havens were situated on the Barbary Coast, and their plunder, the most prized of which were slaves, was sold in the markets of Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Morocco. Their raids took them from Greece and other Mediterranean shores to West Africa and the British Isles, and as far as Iceland. The majority of these city-states owed their allegiance to the Ottoman Empire, but Morocco remained independent. In the pages of this entry in Osprey’s Elite series, Konstam focuses on these marauders from the fifteenth century through the middle of the seventeenth when European nations implemented naval and diplomatic strategies to curb the most egregious of their corsairing raids.

The 1500s saw the zenith of the Barbary corsairs, and when the century began, Christians and Muslims have been fighting a “Holy War” for nigh on eight centuries. But the rulers of Africa’s northern shores aren’t the only marauders. Christian privateers, such as the Knights of Malta, also prowled the seas and, therefore, Konstam uses “Barbary corsair” to denote pirates from both sides, although the majority of the text and pictures focus on those of the Barbary Coast. He also explains why he chooses to call them “pirates,” rather than “privateers” or “corsairs.”

After a brief introduction and explanation of nomenclature, the book presents an overview of the history of the region and the Hafsid and Marinid dynasties that ruled prior to the upswing in privateering. From there Konstam discusses the first corsairs, including Kemal Reis and the Barbarossa brothers. Other sections examine the region’s geography, individual Barbary states, corsairing vessels, the pirates’ chains of command, the division of plunder, the crews, their tactics, and where they hunted. Throughout the narrative we meet specific Barbary pirates; in addition to the three already mentioned, we are introduced to Turgut Reis; Murad Reis (also known as Jan Janszoon) who raided Baltimore, Ireland in 1630 and founded the Republic of Salé (pirate haven); and John Ward.

The entire sixty-four-page book is illustrated with contemporary illustrations and maps, as well as full-color artwork by Gerry Embleton, who adeptly brings to life the pirates and their vessels (galley, galiot, polacca, tartan, xebec, and barca longas). Not only are these renderings illustrative of fine detail but they also vividly depict moments in corsair history, such as the c. 1480 raid on Corsica, a battle against a Venetian galley (c. 1540), and Turgut Reis at the 1538 Battle of Preveza. Also included in the book are a chronology for events occurring between 1450 and 1660, a reading list, and an index.

Anyone familiar with Osprey’s series books know that they provide a succinct and detail-oriented summary of the history and people involved in the military subjects being discussed. The Barbary Pirates continues this tradition, introducing readers to a topic that often doesn’t get the same level of attention in pirate history as other periods do. Equally important is that while Konstam concentrates on the marauders of the Barbary States, he also incorporates information about the Christian privateers, including the differences between how the two sides treated their galley slaves – the men forced to row their ships into battle. This volume provides anyone seeking information on the Barbary corsairs with a good introduction.




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Review of The Distant Ocean

The Distant Ocean by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Three French ships plague British merchantmen in the Indian Ocean, and the mounting losses necessitate the departure of Captain Alexander Clay from his wife. Their parting is bittersweet; his orders come just as he learns of his impending fatherhood, and he may be gone a long time. Duty, however, takes precedence, and he joins Commodore Sir George Montague’s squadron. In addition to their two warships, which are tasked with ending the French depredations, are two sloops. One is commanded by his closest friend, John Sutton, and the other, by their nemesis, Nicholas Windham.

Windham has never accepted the story of how his uncle died, and he craves justice. “Dismal George” – better known for his penchant for his ship’s appearance than his fighting capabilities – overlooks some of Windham’s disgruntlement, but cannot abide dissension among his officers. He fears that Windham’s idée fixe will cause injury to his own career and orders his friend’s nephew to set aside the need to make Sutton pay and reconcile.

On their way to their destination, Clay escorts several Guineamen to the Gold Coast, while Dismal George and the sloops accompany another convoy to Gibraltar. Floating corpses off Africa introduce Clay and his men to one of the horrific realities of slavery, and when the truth of what occurred is discovered, Clay sets in motion a scheme to thwart the French privateer responsible for the deaths. Coxswain Able Sedgwick plays a key role in the plan, for he grew up on these shores, but the outcome has unforeseen and deadly consequences.

The initial blockade of Reunion Island, a French stronghold in the Indian Ocean, fails to lure the enemy warships from their safe haven. Clay and Sutton have words over the latter’s intentions toward Clay’s sister, causing a rift between the friends. Then Wyndham puts forth a new plan to deal with the French that Sutton supports. Their two sloops will ferret out the weakest of the three enemy vessels and launch a two-pronged attack. During the hunt, Dismal George will escort a convoy to Bombay while Clay accompanies another ship – one already attacked by the French – to Cape Town. Wyndham’s gambit has definite merit, but his motivation differs from Sutton’s, much to his chagrin.

Distant Ocean, the fifth book in the Alexander Clay series, is an incisive and accurate depiction of life in the Georgian navy. Allan incorporates a humorous portrayal of a Crossing the Line ceremony, a poignant farewell to men lost, and a harrowing escape at sea into this beguiling tale of friendship, guilt, obsession, retribution, and determination.




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Review of Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince

Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Calamity is a hallmark of the Windsnap family. They are forever preventing disasters. After a brief respite from halting a major disaster, it’s time to return home. Being merfolk, Emily’s dad and her best friend travel underwater, but her mom, who is human, will sail aboard a five-star cruise ship. Thirteen-year-old Emily can go either way since she’s half mermaid, half human, but knowing her mom sometimes feels left out, Emily decides spending some quality time with her mom is best. So with her mom, her mom’s best friend, and Aaron, her own boyfriend, Emily boards the ship. After all, what can possibly go wrong there?

PIRATES!

To be more precise, the pirate king, his wife, and his two sons, along with all the members of their crews, board the cruise ship, steal all the treasure, and lock the passengers in their staterooms. Well, almost all. Emily realizes that Aaron has vanished and fearing he’s in trouble, she sneaks out of her cabin to search for him. That’s how she happens to overhear the pirate king discussing a contest with his sons, Noah and Sam. Noah, who is arrogant and seems to do no wrong, has won the first round. Sam had been in the lead, until his mother realized the present he gave her – Emily’s mother’s necklace – has a mermaid on it! His dad goes ballistic, and Emily realizes that the pirates hate mermaids. Which doesn’t bode well for her if they learn her secret. She also discovers why Noah has snatched Aaron. He’s familiar with Halflight Castle, which gives Noah an advantage in the next round of the contest. The ultimate prize is Trident’s Treasure, and once they find it for their father, he will retire and the winner will become the new pirate king.

Determined to find Aaron, Emily offers Sam a way to better his chances of winning. If she helps him find the treasure and he becomes the new pirate king, he promises to release Aaron. It seems to be a win-win situation until she discovers that Sam doesn’t really want to be a pirate and that his crew would rather be aboard Noah’s ship. Plus pretending to be a hostage isn’t as easy as she thought, and what if Sam or the others discover who she really is? That possibility becomes even more real when she learns that Noah doesn’t have just one prisoner. He has two: Aaron and Shona, her best friend and mermaid. Even worse, Aaron has turned pirate.

This eighth book in the series is a galvanizing treasure-hunting adventure, whether this is your first visit to Emily’s world or you’re a longtime fan. It’s also a tale of discovery, not only in deciphering the puzzles but also in being true to yourself, rather than what everyone expects you to be – a lesson Emily learns the longer she works side-by-side with the pirates. Kessler deftly demonstrates the differences between a loving family and a dysfunctional one. Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince is humorous, poignant, and magical.




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Review of How to Survive in the Georgian Navy

How to Survive in the Georgian Navy: A Sailor's Guide by Bruno Pappalardo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Divided into ten chapters, How to Survive in the Georgian Navy introduces readers to a wide range of topics concerning life in the Royal Navy during the reigns of George I, II, III, and IV. When the War of the Spanish Succession ended in 1715, Britain possessed more naval ships than any other European nation. Her merchant trade was expanding to encompass the entire world and the ships carrying imports and exports required protection, which necessitated a naval presence in the far reaches of the British Empire. This, in turn, required both financial backing and a good infrastructure to support the ships and crews stationed in these distant ports and waters.

Chapter one focuses on the navy’s personnel, officers and ratings alike, and what they did aboard the ships. The next chapter is concerned with how these men joined the Royal Navy. War necessitated a large number of men, but in times of peace, far fewer were needed. For example, at the time that the wars with France ended in the early nineteenth century, 145,000 men served in the Royal Navy. The majority (126,000 to be precise) soon found themselves unemployed.

It was important that a ship’s crew work together; rules and regulations provided for the smooth running of the ships and, as a result, sometimes required men to be disciplined. This is the topic of chapter three: Crimes and Punishment: Discipline in the Georgian Navy. The flip side of this was the need to not only feed the crew and allow them periods of downtime, but also to maintain their health. The latter was particularly important since the majority of deaths stemmed from disease or accident. For example, one in thirty-one men died each year as a result of these two culprits between 1792 and 1815, whereas one in 403 succumbed in battle. These are the topics discussed in chapters four and five: Victuals and Time Out: Food, Drink and Recreation in the Georgian Navy, and Keeping a Healthy Crew: Medicine in the Georgian Navy.

During an eighty-one year period, beginning in 1714, the navy lost 1,027 ships. More than half of these foundered; the rest were the result of wrecking, fire, colliding, or mutiny. While chapter nine specifically examines “Mutiny in the Georgian Navy,” chapter six explores “A Matter of Survival: Storms, Shipwreck and Fire on Board Ship.” Chapter seven discusses naval expeditions of a scientific nature, whereas chapter eight concerns warships and sea battles. The latter includes firsthand accounts of the battles of Cape Passaro (1718), at Finisterre (1747), and of Quiberon Bay (1759). Most such accounts come from a ship’s officers, but the author also includes one written by an ordinary seaman who was aboard HMS Orion during the Battle of the Nile in 1798.

The last chapter talks about “Women at Sea in the Age of Sail.” Often seen as bad luck, the historical record mentions that in 1379, the French attacked during a bad storm. The sailors blamed the sixty women who were aboard and tossed them into the roiling sea. Some were of questionable character, but others were members of the upper crust. Between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, they could be found on navy ships, sometimes to entertain the men who weren’t allowed shore leave. Other times women actually worked in some semi- or unofficial capacity, or found themselves aboard because they were fleeing from enemy troops. A minority chose to disguise themselves in male attire and join the navy.

The epilogue discusses the Georgian navy’s legacy during a critical period in history. As Pappalardo writes, “aided by both the technological advances of the equipment and techniques and the attitude, training and skill of the men of the Royal Navy . . . gained Britain undisputed supremacy of the seas for the next century and firmly established Britain as a leading global power.” (136)

Interspersed throughout the 144 pages are black-and-white illustrations. The endpapers are in full color. The front depicts the two halves of the world; the back is a painting of Admiral Earl Howe’s victory over the French fleet on the Glorious First of June 1794. The use of a very small font size is the only drawback, but to use a larger one would have necessitated making a book of either greater dimensions or additional length. This volume also contains a Timeline of Major Naval Battles and Events, a bibliography, and an index.

Pappalardo, Principal Records Specialist (Naval) at The National Archives in London, packs a wealth of knowledge into this pocket-sized, hardback book that is entertaining and informative. The narrative is both a historical introduction to the Royal Navy between 1714 and 1820, and a collection of contemporary, illustrative quotations from the officers and men who served aboard British warships or in administrative capacities. How to Survive in the Georgian Navy is an excellent overview for those unfamiliar with this period of British naval history, or an exceptional summary for those seeking to reacquaint themselves with it.




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Review of The Afrikaner

The Afrikaner by Arianna Dagnino

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Devastated at the senseless death of her lover, South African paleontologist Zoe Du Plessis flees Johannesburg for her childhood home on the Cape. She risked her heart, only to discover that the warnings of her female ancestors weren’t absurd chimeras of previous firstborn daughters. To come to terms with both reality and her grief, she embarks on a journey of inner reflection that is intertwined with acceptance of the past, standing up for what she believes, and taking chances in spite of her own biasness in an ever-changing world in the aftermath of racial segregation.

This rite of passage is hers alone to make, but each step intersects with others in unforeseen ways. Andrè, her younger brother, wants to replace the white director of the family winery with a black man. Koma, an old Bushman and shaman, emerges from the vast nothingness of the desert to renew their acquaintance. Whether the deep sadness in his eyes is his own or a mirror of hers, a “thief of stories” warns that their destinies are intertwined. From the grave, her aunt and great aunt share a dark secret of the distant past that impacted their lives, while Dario Oldani, her co-worker and lover, compels her to go beyond the comforts of her research lab to continue his hunt for the birthplace of humans in the Kalahari. But navigating the unknown doesn’t come without risk.

The Afrikaner is a story of self-reflection, of coming to terms with the past, present, and the future. Dagnino’s poignant, compelling, you-are-there tale draws us so deep into Zoe’s world that we experience each and every emotion. Her vivid depictions of time and place transport us to the turbulence of South Africa, before, during, and after apartheid until we share both Zoe’s discomfort and love for the land of her birth. It is a haunting portrayal of devastating grief and rational resurgence; once read, neither Zoe nor her experiences are easily forgotten.





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Review of Pirates & Privateers of the 18th Century

Pirates and Privateers in the 18th Century: The Final Flourish by Mike Rendell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mention pirates and a romantic image pops into most readers’ minds. Mike Rendell’s goal is to remove those “rose-tinted spectacles” to show the true pirates of a period that is often referred to as the golden age of piracy. In reality, it was anything but and pirates were more than just thieves at sea. They also committed acts of “rape, murder, arson and torture.” (vi) Instead of looking at these men and women from our modern-day perspective, he strives to place them within the context of their own time periods. He separates this age into three segments: 1650-1680, 1680-1710, and 1710-1730. This allows him to highlight their differences and similarities, as well as to examine the history, rather than the myths, to show what effects pirates and privateers had on the British economy. He also attempts to explain why such criminals are now seen as honorable and romantic.

The first part of the book, “Background,” provides readers with an orientation into what piracy was and compares and contrasts it with privateering. He also provides three short case studies of early buccaneers – Henry Morgan, William Kidd, and Henry Avery – whose escapades sometimes crossed the murky line separating privateers from pirates. They chose careers that involved plundering, but the outcomes of their deeds differed greatly.

Part two examines “The Beginning of the End of the Golden Age.” While initially tolerating pirates and their ill-gotten booty, colonial governments and citizens shifted from such acceptance to seeing them as “enemies of all mankind.” This change did not occur overnight and many factors influenced it. To demonstrate how this occurs, Rendell discusses royal proclamations and pardons, as well as corruption in colonial government. He also spotlights two governors who played instrumental roles in fighting piracy: Alexander Spotswood of Virginia and Woodes Rogers of the Bahamas. The final chapter in this section explores pirate ships.

“The Final Phase of the Golden Age” surveys some of the pirates during the second and third decades of the eighteenth century. Here readers meet Henry Jennings, Benjamin Hornigold, Samuel Bellamy, Edward England, Charles Vane, Stede Bonnet, William Fly, Olivier Levasseur, John Rackham, Edward Teach, Howell Davis, and Bartholomew Roberts. The first four are linked together because of the storm that wrecked the Spanish treasure fleet off the coast of Florida in 1715. The next three are grouped together because they all danced the hempen jig. Rackham gets his own chapter because of his two female mates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. The last three were killed in action.

The last two sections of this book investigate piracy’s portrayal in literature and pop culture and the lure of treasure hunting. In addition to an epilogue entitled “The Big ‘What If’?”, the author includes two appendices. The first is Governor Thomas Modyford’s Letter of Appointment to Henry Morgan. The second is an excerpt from Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates detailing Blackbeard’s last days. Readers will also find a bibliography, an index, maps, and an assortment of woodcuts and other artwork pertaining to pirates.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading since Rendell includes men who lived in the seventeenth century and the first fifty years of this historical recap take place during that period. This was the time of the buccaneers, when pirates and privateers roved the seas. While privateers can be found in the first decade or so of the eighteenth century, the men and women who preyed on ships between 1713 and 1730 were only pirates.

The author identifies Johnson’s book as a work of fiction, because “many of the facts set out in it are uncorroborated and quite possibly heavily embellished.” (4) This is, in fact, true, and today might be classified as biographical fiction. What Rendell doesn’t explain is that many facts detailed in A General History can be corroborated. Since one of his goals is to go beyond the myth to extract the true history, why quote passages from a work of fiction instead of quoting from contemporary documents?

Particularly noteworthy is that this volume incorporates both well-known and lesser-known pirates. Rendell makes some valid points and includes information that can’t be found in other volumes on this topic. To some extent the author achieves his goal of separating myth from reality and examining piracy from an eighteenth-century perspective, but perhaps not as well as several other titles that have been published in recent years. Several that come to mind are Margarette Lincoln’s British Pirates and Society, 1680-1730; The Golden Age of Piracy edited by David Head; and Douglas R. Burgess, Jr.’s The Politics of Piracy.

What makes Rendell’s Pirates and Privateers in the 18th Century worth reading are the mini-case studies in which he presents each pirate. He’s also one of the few authors who gives John Rackham higher billing than Bonny and Read.




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