Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 31

A Fierce Wind by Regan Walker

A Fierce Wind by Regan Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The passing of a new constitution in 1790 marks a milestone for France – the end of the monarchy – but the fierce wind that sweeps through the country afterwards gives rise to Robespierre and the bloody Reign of Terror. Four years later, Zoé Donet and her uncle risk their lives to rescue émigrés forced to flee their homeland or face Madame Guillotine. As they hurry through shadowy streets with their charges, they encounter a pair of soldiers, one of whom escapes to raise the alarm.

A growing sense of foreboding compels Frederick West to disembark from la Reine Noire, his brother-in-law’s ship, to find Zoé. She may think him only a friend, but in the years since they first met, he has come to love her although he has yet to confess his true feelings for her. Shots from shore heighten his apprehension, but she is safe. He, however, suffers a grievous wound. In the days that follow Zoé nurses him back to health on Guernsey and slowly comes to see him in a new light.

The continuing slaughter of innocent men, women, and children in France and a possible invasion threat necessitate an urgent need for vital information. If London is to aid the Vendéens and Chouans – royalists fighting against the revolutionaries – someone must infiltrate Brittany and Maine to find out what assistance is needed. The problem is that these counterrevolutionaries have little reason to trust such overtures. One person who might help gain their confidence is Zoé, who was a friend of their revered general whom the republicans assassinated. Although reluctant to carry out his spymaster’s orders, Frederick understands the futility of forbidding Zoé to remain where she will be safe. The best he can do is to make her promise to obey his orders no matter what. As they trek through northwestern France a series of escalating adventures unfold until enemy patrols intersect the woods where they shelter. Realizing his only option to protect Zoé is to sacrifice himself, Frederick reveals his true feelings for Zoé and then walks away into the midst of the enemy soldiers.

A Fierce Wind offers a unique look into a lesser-known aspect of the French Revolution. While the majority takes place on land, there are a few sea battle scenes, including the Glorious First of June. More than once the promise of high tension never quite hits the mark for such a perilous period, and the emotional connection between characters and readers is weak. The threat of invasion is not really developed, and the sea fight on 1 June 1794 seems more an afterthought. Yet there are some truly memorable scenes, one being Frederick’s final parting from Zoé in France. Others take place in La Conciergerie in Paris, which provide horrific glimpses of life under arrest during the Reign of Terror. An added bonus to this third book in the Donet trilogy is the author’s note, which not only explains the history behind the fiction, but also shows how characters are interconnected and in what book titles their stories can be found.




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Demon Pirate -- Third title in Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series

Demon Pirate by Kevin Charles Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


With Captain Adams in the hands of the Black Tarantula, William Echo Eden sets aside his plans to rescue a kidnapped French woman to save his friend. To venture into the deadly lair of this merciless pirate requires an unorthodox plan. A plague offers the perfect cover story – even if it springs from Echo’s cunning imagination – and he and four of his men venture into the pirate’s lair perched high on a bluff overlooking a cove on Tortuga. Unfortunately, his arch nemesis is off seeking Echo’s girlfriend, Rue, but his second-in-command is no less vicious. With consummate acting skills and the perfect cure – Devil’s Trumpet – Echo and his “medical team” incapacitate the pirates long enough to rescue Adams and abscond with two chests.

Echo shares the one treasure filled with gems with his men; the other he keeps for himself. The counterfeit coins within may be of use in retrieving the kidnapped French woman from Captain LeMerde. Upon Echo’s return to Jamaica, circumstances permit him to implement his plan using his newfound “wealth” and Aimee Turbout shows unexpected gratefulness for being rescued. The captured LeMerde stands trial and is sentenced to hang, but escapes and, after meting out his twisted sense of justice on Echo’s friend Powder Monkey, flees the island with the Aimee.

His search for Aimee Turbout leads Echo first to Saint Domingue, where he is arrested and thrown in jail. After extracting himself from the trumped up charges, he sails to Grand Cayman, where he discovers the islanders are in league with LeMerde and his pirates. Once again, Echo employs inventive strategies to find Aimee and dispense with his enemies, but during his absence from Jamaica, dear friends are murdered most hideously and he’s arrested by the new governor upon his return. He also learns that the Black Tarantula has finally captured Rue.

Demon Pirate is the third book in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series. Smith weaves a riveting tale spiced with betrayal, vengeance, a femme fatale in the guise of a fortuneteller, and a mock pirate trial (a favorite entertainment of real sea marauders). Although the Black Tarantula’s true identity isn’t surprising, there are plenty of other unexpected twists to beguile readers. Previous titles have begun and ended with Echo awaiting his own demise – a writer’s device dispensed with here – yet Smith ably resolves all other subplots that began in earlier volumes. He entices readers with a promise of future installments detailing Echo’s adventures, but he also raises the brutality bar to extremes in Demon Pirate, which I found troubling given that this series is written for teenagers, as well as adults. Some readers, myself included, may decide that three books about Echo and his mates (as unique and intriguing as they are) are as far as they wish to venture into this series.




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Black Tarantula -- Second title in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series

Black Tarantula by Kevin Charles Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


William Echo Eden continues his tale in this second title in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series. In need of a new First Mate, the Amafata’s captain offers that position to Echo. He graciously accepts, but must first testify at the trial of his predecessor, Mr. Bass. Sentenced to hang, Bass escapes before the deed is done. Echo hopes that he has seen the last of yet another enemy in his short life and prepares the ship for the next stop in their travels, Barbados. Before they set sail, news of the Black Tarantula’s latest plundering and destruction reach the island and Captain Adams, the nephew of the three witches who befriended Echo in the previous book, mounts an expedition to end the vicious pirate’s murderous rampage. Echo longs to accompany Adams, but his duties to Amafata prevent him from joining.

On the way to Barbados an outbreak of typhus forces them to put in at an uninhabited island to replenish their water supply. When the captain and shore party fail to return, Echo discovers that the island isn’t as deserted as they thought and his mates are slowly being slaughtered as sacrificial lambs. Relying on inventiveness and knowledge, he soon extricates some captives, but shortly after they are back aboard their ship, they encounter an even deadlier foe – pirates!

After the captain is fatally wounded, Echo must take command and deems it prudent to surrender. Neither he nor his mates wish to be pirates, but Captain Rambling Dirk Shivvers makes it clear that those he selects to replace his dead men have no choice. Echo and the others acquiesce, although they agree o just play pirate until they can escape the clutches of this band of misfits and miscreants. To this end, Echo finds ways to outsmart those pirates who would do him harm while ingratiating himself with Shivvers, who is stealing from his own crew. Echo tucks this fact away until a time when it will prove beneficial, but as the days pass, Shivvers becomes increasingly jealous of Echo. To protect himself and his mates, Echo resurrects the ghost of the Black Monk and uses some of his herbal medicines to concoct a special brew that eventually results in him being elected captain of the pirates.

As Echo ponders whether to accept this “honor,” news of the Black Tarantula’s depredations reaches him. The latest attack destroys Saint Domingue and his girlfriend, who evades the pirates, becomes the object of the evil pirate’s obsession. To thwart this nemesis and safe his love, Echo and his pirates must become masters at deception, battle, and many other tactics if they hope to survive a confrontation with the most fiendish pirate in the Caribbean.

Early in this tale Echo mentions that he’s still haunted by the loss of his younger brother, but there is little of evidence to show this or the effect it has on him. As in the previous title, Remarkable Rascal, his enemies come in all shapes and sizes and they provide ample adventures for him to pursue, including kidnapping, torture, and madmen. Descriptive and unique characters once again populate The Black Tarantula: Powder Monkey, Long Tall Willie, Creeping Jeremy, Charlie Crowfeet, Muttering Moses Hart, Fighting John English, Sharkface Topper, and Tiger Eyes. Smith is equally adept at demonstrating how Echo likes to think outside the box, such as his use of Angry George’s hobby to acquire needed information. The depth and breadth of Smith’s research is also evident, and he has a storyteller’s giftedness to deftly weave pirate lore and history into a believable and compelling tale. But Black Tarantula is not for the faint of heart. It is entertaining, but also violent and gruesome. By story’s end, fans will look forward to the next book in the saga, Demon Pirate.




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Remarkable Rascal -- first title in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series

Remarkable Rascal by Kevin Charles Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Clinging to the top of a ship’s mast with sharks circling below doesn’t bode well for William “Echo” Eden. Faced with such grim prospects for his future, he opts to examine choices made and the consequences that ensued. His journey into the past begins with his first memory, the death of his parents in 1695, which left him and his younger brother totally unprepared for the cruel world that lay beyond their door. Taken in by their great uncle, a retired deacon who works at a basilica, they do the majority of the cleaning, which includes ridding the basilica of its detested rat infestation, because of their uncle’s failing eyesight. They also have to answer a daily riddle – their uncle’s way of educating them. Echo excels in acquiring knowledge and a host of skills, but one particular talent is an innate ability to mimic voices and sounds. Toby, however, fails to master anything, which makes him the perfect target of a bully named Scarf Rockingham.

At night, the brothers frequently venture into the streets where Echo acquires additional knowledge that later serves him in good stead. His inventiveness eventually leads the brothers to become so adept as ratters that they gain employment at Slugger O’Toole’s Sport Emporium. Their search for rats for the fights there eventually takes them farther and farther afield until they find themselves at London’s docks where the ships at anchor provide an ample supply of contestants. They also meet a disabled ship’s cook who enthralls them with tales of his younger days at sea.

One night, Toby disappears, their uncle is killed, and Echo must flee England aboard the Amafata, where his only friend is the ship’s cook. As they sail to the Caribbean, Echo’s encounters bring him face-to-face with the reality of sea life, the brutality of punishment, spinning yarns, ghosts, sea hazards, ingenious games, Voudou, pirates, slavery, superstitions and witches, first love, and duels. His many talents and knowledge elicit the friendship of some and the enmity of others.

Remarkable Rascal, the first entry in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series, is a rollicking tale of adventure, romance, and life in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries for a lad in his teens. Although cited as a book for young adults, the violence and gruesomeness make me question whether all readers of this age group are mature enough to handle some of the covered topics. Throughout the narrative some words are italicized, although the purpose for being so is never given. Some can be found in the glossary, others cannot.

Well-researched, this novel deftly captures the essence of this period. The author, a gifted storyteller, uses a first-person perspective to suck readers deeper and deeper into a whirlpool that, at times, is as violent as a maelstrom or as serene as a halcyon day. Rather than recount every detail of Echo’s young life, he weaves together a series of vignettes that introduce the main character and provide the framework that allows Echo to accomplish all that transpires both in London and the Caribbean. Along the way readers meet a host of unique and memorable characters – some scary, others who bring smiles, all easy to picture.




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Barracuda

Barracuda by Michael Aye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A mail packet pounded to bits, a flagship sunk, and a devastating attack on a 64-gun ship send Admiral Lord Gilbert Anthony and his squadron to Saint Augustine, Florida. His mission is twofold: protect the British port and its merchant shipping, and stop American privateers’ raids in 1776. Gil and his men enjoy the warmer climate after a stint in the North Atlantic during winter, but these waters are prime hunting grounds that also provide excellent hiding places for the rebels and their allies.

After delivering dispatches on their way to Florida, Lieutenant Gabriel Anthony, captain of HMS SeaWolf, and his longtime friend, Lieutenant Francis Markham of HMS Swan, investigate distant gunfire. What they witness are two ships attacking a brig. The red and yellow sails identify one of the attackers as a Spanish frigate; instead of allowing the prey to surrender, the Spaniard pounds the brig into oblivion. Only twenty-seven men survive.

Nor is this the Royal Navy’s only encounter with the Spanish “ghost ship,” as she becomes known because the frigate always seems to vanish afterward. Although the reason for such viciousness and the identity of her master are unknown, the Anthony brothers realize that they must stop this Spaniard and his vendetta against the British. When patrols prove fruitless, Gil alters his strategy. They will seek out as much intelligence as possible before launching any attacks. Information provides clues that lead them to the Keys, but it will take skill and cunning, as well as luck, to bring the enemy to heel.

This third installment in this nautical series weaves together high action with numerous subplots providing vivid glimpses into rivalries, long absences from family, life at sea and in port, love between enemies, and a court martial involving ear biting. There are some minor irks – a wounded character who miraculously heals, incorrect words (i.e., “to” for too, “partial” for “parcel”), and a climactic battle that ends too quickly – but the humor, longing, and adventures overcome these. Fans will enjoy this fast-paced and satisfying episode in the saga of the Fighting Anthonys.




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HMS SeaWolf

HMS Seawolf by Michael Aye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Set early in the Revolutionary War, HMS SeaWolf is the second installment in The Fighting Anthonys saga. It recounts a fictional version of the very real threat that American privateers posed, attacking merchant shipping to acquire much needed gunpowder and armament for General Washington’s Continental Army, but seen from the perspective of the men and officers of the Royal Navy.

Stationed in the north Atlantic, Admiral Lord Gil Anthony’s squadron must cruise from Nantucket to Sable Island, east of Nova Scotia. His orders are to protect merchant shipping convoys from privateers who consider these waters their personal raiding grounds. Although he misses his half brother, who is in the Caribbean, he also realizes that keeping him close hinders Gabe’s career.

Lieutenant Gabriel Anthony doesn’t necessarily agree with the war between the American colonies and the British, but that doesn’t keep him from doing his duty. His current assignment has taken him to Barbados to deliver dispatches, which is why the commander in the Caribbean slightly alters those orders. His Majesty’s troops stationed in Halifax have dire need of the convoy slated to deliver gunpowder and troops there. Under no circumstances can the Royal Navy afford to lose another cargo to the rebels, which is why Gabe finds himself inching his way northward playing nursemaid to the ships. HMS SeaWolf and her men prefer to run free, but can only go as fast as the slowest vessel under their protection.

One master, however, disregards Gabe’s commands and sets out ahead of the convoy. As all the vessels head toward Charleston, South Carolina, they encounter a storm that separates the ships where the enemy privateers are known to hunt. When all but Turtle are accounted for, Gabe suspects that her master may be in league with strange sails sighted by the lookout. As SeaWolf pursues, his suspicions are confirmed. During the offloading of this precious cargo by the enemy, Gabe attempts a daring plan to retake Turtle. An unexpected consequence results in an explosion that sends Gabe, the men who accompany him aboard the wayward vessel, and Turtle’s master to kingdom come.

Aboard SeaWolf everyone mourns Gabe’s loss, except for his uncle. Although chances of surviving the conflagration are slim, Dagan Dupree is certain his nephew yet lives, but he is unable to do anything about it. And it would be wrong for Lord Anthony to hear the news from anyone else’s lips. Reluctantly, Dagan sails north with the rest of the convoy, while at the same time vowing to return to find Gabe and bring him home.

A few early scenes are a bit disjointed; their purpose for inclusion is uncertain and they aren’t connected to the main plot. Nor are pronouns always clear as to who is who, as in the scene with a commodore before the convoy leaves Barbados. In the EPUB format that I read, there were several explanatory notes, but the numbers aren’t linked to the endnotes, requiring readers to manually go to the end of the book and then return to the story where they left off reading.

Aside from these minor issues, Aye weaves together the intriguing topics of gunpowder thefts, white slavery, sexual abuse, romance, and a planned invasion of Nova Scotia to craft a fast-paced novel that holds the reader’s attention from first page to last. Original poetry introduces each part of the story, and Aye also includes a glossary for those unfamiliar with nautical terminology. He further spices the tale with a strange alliance between enemies with Dagan on one side and Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, on the other. Equally satisfying are resolutions to several questions that Gil and Gabe were left to ponder when the first book in the series ended. Whether old fans or new, HMS SeaWolf is a delightful addition to the stories about the Anthony brothers and the men of the Royal Navy who served with them.




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Black Flag of the North by Victor Suthren

Black Flag of the North: Bartholomew Roberts, King of the Atlantic Pirates by Victor Suthren

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On 17 May 1682, a son is born to a Welsh family. His name is John Robert(s) and he has a fifty percent possibility of reaching his third birthday. If he survives until then, his chances of attaining adulthood are even less; against all odds, John lives into his late thirties. Between the recording of his birth and 1718, no record has been found to explain his formative years and how he goes from working on land to being Second or Third Mate of a slave ship. Somehow, he gains navigational skills, fighting tactics, and nautical expertise – all of which prove instrumental in launching him on a path his parents never foresee the day he comes into this world.

Two fateful days mark the beginning and end of John’s final years. In 1718, off the West African coast, the slaver on which he works is taken by pirates. Their captain, Howell Davis, is a fellow Welshman; this common bond connects the two men in spite of John’s initial rebuffs to join in the sweet trade. Yet the day eventually comes when John decides “a merry and short life” is better than his current one. Taking the name “Bartholomew,” he embarks on a career in piracy. Six weeks after meeting the pirates, they elect him captain after Davis’s demise. Although atypical of many of his mates – he abstains from drink and wenching – he possesses traits and skills necessary to lead and succeed. Pillaging more than 450 ships also brings him notoriety, which garners the attention of authorities and forces the pirates to look elsewhere for plunder several times. His career ends where it begins: off the coast of Africa at the hands of the British Royal Navy.

Suthren opens his account with what is and isn’t known about this legendary pirate. He also explores what may have influenced Roberts’ upbringing, as well as possibilities of how he came to be an accomplished mariner. Before delving into particulars about his piratical career, the author devotes three chapters to necessary background information on piracy (especially between 1680 and the 1720s), the slave trade and slave ships, and pirates in Canada – the place where Roberts went from ordinary to unparalleled. Along the way readers meet a variety of other pirates, including Walter Kennedy, Peter Easton, Sheila NaGeira, Edward Low, and Eric Cobham and Maria Lindsey. Also mentioned is pirate hunter Sir Henry Mainwaring, although without any hint of his piratical past. While the majority of passages quoted within the narrative come from other historians, Suthren does include one extant letter from Roberts to the highest ranking soldier on St. Christopher (St. Kitts today), who dared to fire on the pirates. Contrary to what the book says, Roberts is not the first captain to implement a code of conduct to govern his men. These articles derive from a legal document used by buccaneers, a sample of which appears in Alexandre Exquemelin’s The Buccaneers of America (1678).

In addition to several period maps and two illustrations, the book has a bibliography and index. Endnotes provide source citations, although none is provided for one curious reference in the text to pirates blackening their faces so they appear more threatening. At times, Suthren shares how twists of fate lead men on differing paths. James Cook possessed similar traits and skills with Roberts and both were shaped by the time they spent in Canadian waters. Black Flag of the North provides a good overview of the period, while succinctly entertaining readers with the meteoric rise and fall of the man often referred to as “King of the Pirates.”




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Pirates & Privateers

Pirates & Privateers by Jane Glatt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After a decade of training, Dagrun Lund returns from her first assignment only to learn from spymaster Joosep Sepp that her twin sister has gone missing. Dag’s value as an Intelligencer is her Unseen Trait, and she quickly figures out that her boss is involved in Inger’s disappearance in some way. Dag has always looked out for her sister, whose trait of always being noticed makes her accepting of all others without comprehending their motives. For her to run away means that someone upset her and, from what Dag uncovers, that person is none other than Tarmo Holt, the Grand Freeholder of the Fair Seas Treaty Alliance who only has three months left before he must relinquish that title and its authority to another. He wishes to mate with Inger so she might bear children with other Traits – ones he might use for his own purposes even though it’s against the law to have personal spies. When Inger refuses, he threatens Dag with future assignments of great danger, but Inger’s Trait prevents her from understanding that these are idle threats. To save both herself and Dag, she runs away and now Dag must find her.

Joosep Sepp regrets discussing his Intelligencers with Tarmo Holt, but never before has a Grand Freeholder attempted to usurp his authority as spymaster. Dag’s return provides no useful information about the next man who will become his boss, other than to confirm his identity. Past transitions of the office have gone smoothly, but Holt’s questions and Inger’s disappearance arouse Joosep’s suspicions. Then another of his Intelligencers learns that Holt may have dealings with pirates. Somehow all these separate issues are connected, but how? He requires Dag’s Trait to discover the truth, but she’s off looking for her sister and he has no idea where. What he needs is a trusted agent with luck to find her and Inger and bring them back.

Calder Rahmson’s Lucky Trait has kept him alive for many years, first during his childhood, then as a privateer, and for the past decade as an Intelligencer. His return from his last mission coincides with Sepp’s need to find Dag, but there’s no telling how long his search will take. He learned long ago not to force his Luck; it leads him to places where he will learn something he needs to know when he needs to know it. His first success comes when he overhears a conversation that tells him that someone is looking for children with Traits, especially twins, whose Traits are stronger than those in individual children. Although this doesn’t seem relevant to his mission of finding Dag and Inger, it must have importance else his Trait would not have revealed it. Next, he comes across a woman on the docks who has knowledge of two women boarding a privateer ship heading for Strongrock Island at two different times. He dons a disguise, signs aboard an outbound ship, and follows. But not everyone aboard the vessel is pleased with his presence and the captain seems more concerned with speed than the safety of his ship and her crew. Aside from those dangers, there’s also the risk of pirates, for a number of ships – some with crew members whom Calder considers friends – have gone missing.

Pirates & Privateers is the fast-paced, gripping first entry in Glatt’s Intelligencers fantasy series. Dag and Calder are intriguing characters and their back stories are intricately interwoven into a maze of twisted, but seemingly unconnected, threads. Reminders of who has what Trait and how these work, as well as frequent repetition of questions needing answers may annoy some readers, yet these elements also keep the complicated plot and main characters front and center throughout the story. While a resolution is reached and Dag, Inger, and Calder evolve by story’s end, remaining questions and a budding romance keep readers hooked for the sequel, Traits and Traitors, slated for release in 2019.




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Review of On the Lee Shore

On The Lee Shore by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A summons from the Admiralty signals the end of Captain Alexander Clay’s convalescence after being wounded in a sea battle in the Caribbean. Upon his arrival in London, he learns of the discontent rippling through the Royal Navy. The ranks are dissatisfied with their pay – which hasn’t been raised in over a century – poor rations, and no leave when ships are in port. Such disgruntlement can’t be swept under the rug either, for the crew of HM Frigate Titan took matters into their own hands. They locked up the officers and refused to obey any orders from their captain, accusing him of murder and misuse. The First Lord has decided that he needs an intelligent officer with dash to assume command of this warship and Clay is just the man.

When Clay first steps aboard the 36-gun vessel, he sees only hostile faces. Many are angry. Some are contemptuous, others indifferent. His orders are to restore order and discipline aboard Titan, but he prefers menial labor and constant drilling to achieve this, rather than the lash as his predecessor favored. Clay also permits music and other lively entertainment among the men when they’re off duty. Regardless of these easements, there are those who remain discontent. One is an officer who favors the stricter enforcement of Titan’s former commander. Among the ranks, there is a cadre of men led by Richard Sexton, an Irishman and an avid adherent of the United Irishmen. He’s not above using trickery and violence to achieve his goals, which includes once again taking control of the ship.

A few officers and a handful of men, however, know Clay and transferred with him to the Titan. Those of the lower decks discover how the United Irishmen communicate with each other when posted to different ships. They also are determined to prevent Sexton and his group from succeeding in their endeavor, especially when a message is intercepted that informs those on board the Titan that the ranks have staged a mutiny, based in Spithead, that has essentially brought the navy to a standstill at a time when they can least afford one.

Titan is one of a squadron a warships, under the command of Commodore Sir Edward Pellew, that is blockading the French navy port of Brest. Clay is tasked with making daily sails close to port to check on the comings and goings of the fishing fleet, the French navy, and any other intelligence that might be of interest. The more havoc he can cause, the better, but his daring, unconventional sorties require officers and crew to work in unity. Complicating each plan are the dangerous waters in which they patrol and the dirty weather that frequently hampers and endangers them. When a particularly violent storm scatters the fleet, Clay and his men must make the French continue to think the whole squadron remains on blockade. But the danger aboard remains and it only requires a single match to ignite.

On the Lee Shore is the third entry in the Alexander Clay series and is filled with action and peril that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Allan provides a unique perspective of the Spithead Mutiny, splitting his depiction between the points of view of the officers and the men. He deftly intertwines avarice, corruption, and mutiny, while spicing these with glimpses into the everyday lives of sailors and their personal lives both at sea and at home. There’s even a bit of romance, as Clay and Lydia Browning are finally reunited.




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Review of Black Flags, Blue Waters

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For five decades encompassing the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, pirates played an integral role in colonial history and life. Initially, they were welcomed, but as the years passed, what was once profitable coexistence became a dogged determination to eradicate these sea marauders.

Black Flags, Blue Waters presents the “celebrities” of this “golden age” of piracy with a narrowly focused lens. Most comparable volumes look at this historical period in a broad manner that encompasses the whole breadth of who, where, what, why, when, and how. Dolin examines one facet – those pirates with intimate connections to the American colonies – to showcase how world events and shifting attitudes led to them being seen as the “enemies of all mankind.” In doing so, he demonstrates how these criminals also became more legendary with the passage of time. This approach also permits him to showcase rarely mentioned pirates, as well as names familiar to many people today.

The narrative unfolds in chronological order. The first chapter, Small Beginnings, sets the stage, providing necessary background information to orient readers. The next two chapters – Welcomed with Open Arms and “Where the Money Was as Plenty as Stones and Sands” – explores the financial connection between pirates and the colonists, as well as the danger this interaction posed to England, and the transitions that shifted piracy from the Caribbean and Atlantic seaboard to the Indian Ocean and Madagascar and back again. Crackdown, the fourth chapter, concerns the mysterious Henry Avery. While he has no tangible connection to America, his capture and plundering of a single ship made the pirates wealthy and severely impacted how governments, the media, and people viewed pirates.

Like intermission at a theater, chapters five and six provide key information readers need to know to fully understand this historical time period. War’s Reprieve discusses the War of the Spanish Succession, when pirates all but disappeared from the world stage. In the war’s aftermath came the greatest upsurge in sea marauders that history has ever witnessed. It also gave rise to a different class of pirates than those who came before. Interlude, or a Pirate Classification covers the reasons for this and investigates who these people were and how they operated.

The subsequent chapters – Treasure and the Tempest, The Gentleman Pirate and Blackbeard, and Fading Away – introduce pirates, such as Samuel Bellamy, Stede Bonnet, Edward Thatch, and Edward Low – whose personalities and exploits commanded the attention of the public and the authorities alike during their lifetimes. Also discussed are the pirate hunters and the laws and punishments enacted to end the marauding.

Dolin concludes his narrative with his epilogue, “Yo-ho-ho, and a Bottle of Rum!” Here he explores the public’s fascination, both then and now, with pirates, including the discoveries of actual pirate shipwrecks.

Maps and illustrations pepper the pages throughout Black Flags, Blue Waters. The majority appear in black and white, but a vibrant collection of color plates is also present. (One curious note concerning one caption is the identification of Low’s Jolly Roger. The contemporary accounts I’ve read describe his flag as a red skeleton on a black background, rather than a white skeleton with an hourglass and three drops of blood.) Unfamiliar words and brief historical tidbits are noted at the bottom of the pages where they occur, while source citations and longer explanations can be found in the end notes. Dolin also provides readers with a select bibliography and an index.

The predominant personages readers meet are pirates, men such William Kidd, Henry Morgan, Dixie Bull, Thomas Tew, Francis Drake, John Quelch, and John Rose Archer. (Technically, Drake falls outside the time parameters of this history, but he did raid the American coast. Morgan, however, is a questionable inclusion. He may have been the greatest of the buccaneers, but his raids always centered in the Caribbean and Spanish Main.) But history and people never occur within a void. There are always others involved, and Dolan introduces these too. Among those who aided and abetted the pirates are Adam Baldridge and Governor Benjamin Fletcher. Victims who suffered at the hands of pirates include Philip Ashton and John Fillmore. Then there are those who helped to bring about their demise, such as Governor Alexander Spotswood, Lieutenant Robert Maynard, and Captain Peter Solgard.

Entertaining and compelling, Black Flags, Blue Waters is a swift-flowing, all-inclusive account of the history and evolution of piracy from 1680 through 1730. Dolin transports readers back in time so they better understand the time and places where intimidation, pillaging, cruelty, political intrigue, collusion, and punishment eventually led to the downfall of these “enemies of all mankind.” A worthy and must-read addition to any reputable pirate collection.




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