Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 37

Hook's Tale by John Leonard Pielmeier

Hook's Tale: Being the Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself by John Leonard Pielmeier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Everything you think you know about me is a lie. (2)

Perhaps not everything, but the Scottish playwright doesn’t seem to have gotten a lot right, so sharing his own story finally sets the record aright. We know him as Captain Hook – a name he does use – but he is dubbed James Cook upon his birth in the Year of our Lord 1860. (’Tis the year his father is lost at sea.) Gifted with a love of reading, James discovers a true treasure amongst the many books in his father’s library: A History of the Voyages of Captain James Cook. (The illustrious one better known to history, of whom James’s father was a direct descendant.)

Life first goes awry when he’s sent by his grandsire to Eton College, where his father’s reputation proves insurmountable. Everything James attempts ends in failure, and his mates ridicule and taunt him to no end. Do they not have the gall to frame him for a prank in which he had no part? Rather than face being kicked out, James quits the school in the dark of night, intending to meet his father’s family once and for all. Alas, at fourteen, James isn’t privy to the ways of the world and the evil that lurks in the shadows, which is how he comes to find himself impressed into the Royal Navy and at sea the next morn.

But James makes the best of his situation – a good thing since he’s in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – and learns the art of sailing and fighting, as well as other tasks deemed fit for a cabin boy. An injury festers, which lands him in sick bay, and during his recuperation, he discovers a map hidden in his favorite book. (Of course the map shows an island and an “X”! What pirate tale would not?) Afore long the man who shanghaied him learns of this treasure map and demands James hand it over. Not knowing what else to do, James heeds the “request,” only to soon discover that the man and his mates have mutinied and James is now a pirate.

During the voyage to find the treasure island, a storm overtakes them and when the sky clears, can you guess what they find? Aye, matey, islands in a world where no one ever ages, latitude and longitude never change, the sun rises in the west, and no matter which direction they sail don’t they always end up where they started. The first island explored offers skeletons and eggs – the former they avoid, but the latter they have for breakfast. All except one, which James pockets. Now, you can be guessing what type of egg, and you’d be right. When it hatches, James names the wee crocodile “Daisy” and raises her as if she were his own child.

Being a young lad, James takes to exploring the island in hopes of finding the treasure. Instead, he meets Arthur Raleigh, a mate of his father who’s been living alone in a cave for fourteen years. Late one night, the need to know more about his dad lures James from his post as lookout. A fatal mistake to be sure since another ship’s crew sneaks aboard and a fight ensues. The pirates surely do win, but forsaking one’s duty has dire consequences for James. Or so he expects, but a boy who can fly saves the day and, during many adventures, they become friends. But there’s a dark side lurking inside Peter, which James glimpses when Peter steals his shadow, and despite their promises to always be fast friends, ’tis a pledge that is horribly shattered.

Like a sprinkling of fairy dust, this imaginative and riveting tale whisks readers back and forth between England and Never-Isle during the Victorian Era. All the elements readers expect to find because of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan are seamlessly woven together into a vivid tapestry that is sometimes joyous, other times chilling, and nearly always unexpected. While some scenes involve children, this story is meant for adults. Addiction, greed, bullying, love, science, and fear play key roles in this story, but perhaps the most dire theme concerns payback. As James writes, “Revenge, dear reader, can be so focused it blinds one to consequences.” (254) A lesson James, and you dear reader, well learn in this imaginative tale of love, betrayal, and growing up.




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Blue Water, Scarlet Tide by John M. Danielski

Blue Water Scarlet Tide by John Danielski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle swims ashore in July 1814, to rescue a captured lieutenant who is scheduled to hang as a spy on the morrow. He succeeds in the endeavor, but not without cost, and the result adds to his haunting memories of war. Fighting had never been his goal, but an incident during his days at medical school forced him onto this path – one at which he is very good. Thus his next mission is to find a suitable landing site along the Chesapeake Bay for British troops from Admiral Cockburn’s flotilla. Unlike last time, he’s determined that the slaves who help him will secure their freedom.

He and Gabriel Prosser meet at a pre-arranged rendezvous near the Patuxent River, but are unexpectedly interrupted by four men. These Marylanders have come to move hidden gold, and from them he learns that they are responsible for the loss of a missing ship and her crew. Pennywhistle recovers the British payroll, locates a good place to land soon-to-arrive regiments of veteran infantry, and arranges to meet Gabriel at an extraction point. But a posse of slave hunters, with their hounds, track down the runaway slave, only to find themselves led into an ambush.

As the landing time nears for the British troops, Pennywhistle and his scouting party head toward Bladensburg, Maryland. One of their first objectives is to locate the U. S. Navy’s flotilla of gunboats – perhaps the only real impediment to the British advance on Washington. Like an unevenly balanced scale, war pits success against failure, each with its own consequences. This time an innocent soul deepens the indelible wound in his psyche, yet also brings him face to face with his doppelganger, an American Marine.

Captain John Tracy should have killed the British officer rifling through his papers, but is astonished to find himself looking at a man who could be his twin. Although the similarities are too close to be coincidental, he vows to avenge the slaying of six-year-old Molly. Duty must come first, however, and with the British on the march, he prevents them from using the flotilla against his fellow Americans. Then he must locate his commander to report what he knows. On the way to Washington, he encounters a group of drunken teens shooting at Redcoats as they come ashore. His conscience forces him to act, so he launches a daring rescue to save at least some of the lives of these miserable wastrels.

In the ensuing pages of this tale, which takes readers up to the moments before the Battle of Bladensburg, readers accompany the British as they endure marching through enemy terrain in wool uniforms on hot, humid, summer days. They witness surprising and bloody encounters with American marines and inexperienced militia, including an attack from the air in a hot-air balloon and an audacious escape through enfilading fire. They also experience the same frustrations and astonishments as Pennywhistle and Tracy when they encounter the stunning ineptitude of American leaders. Not to mention the startling, yet refreshing, introduction of a frontier sharpshooter, who almost succeeds in taking down Pennywhistle.

Most chapters in this third book in the Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle series are of average length, but several are between twenty-five and forty-seven pages long. Readers will encounter occasional misspellings and missing words, as well as several instances where certain phrases may pull the reader out of the story. For example, in 1814, Washington is known as Washington City, rather than Washington, DC (45), and while the effects of adrenaline (415) are familiar, the word itself isn’t coined until its discovery in 1901 by a Japanese chemist. The inclusion of salicylic acid as the active ingredient in aspirin (106) also intrudes into the story.

On the other hand, Blue Water, Scarlet Tide is a thought-provoking and you-are-there recreation of the days leading up to the British invasion of our nation’s capital. Most of the action takes place on land, but a few water encounters provide edge-of-your-seat thrills and heart-stopping action. The story provides readers with a good understanding of the differences between the two armies and ably showcases the contrast between militia and professional soldiers.

Danielski’s strength in crafting stories lies in his knowledge of history and experience as a historic interpreter. These skills allow him to transport us back to a crucial time in the War 1812 to find ourselves marching alongside the troops, experiencing the scratch of wool against sweaty skin, the constant biting of insects, and the throat-parching thirst of trekking along dusty roads under a brutal sun. He also conveys with keen insight the physical and psychological toll war takes on men, especially those who have engaged the enemy for more than a decade. Interwoven through Tracy’s story is a curious mystery about a secret organization that could lead him down a traitorous path. For Pennywhistle, there is an alluring, but highly impractical (the captain’s conclusion, not mine), romantic twist. And then there’s the intriguing thread regarding an occurrence in the distant past that somehow unites these two men in the present. It is hoped that the fourth installment in the series, Capital’s Punishment, will provide resolutions to these storylines as the author once again transports us back to the fateful battle that preceded the burning of the White House.




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The Most Bold and Daring Act of the Age by E. Thomas Behr

The Most Bold and Daring Act of the Age: A Henry Doyle Novel by E. Thomas Behr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Napoleon escapes from exile and returns to Paris, where he proclaims himself emperor. If a shipment of gold, destined for his Shiite collaborators, succeeds in reaching its destination, the leaders of Russia and Prussia will be assassinated and the disruption of supplies to their armies will pave the way for his Grand Armée to defeat the British.

Ten years have passed since Henry Doyle left America and joined the Tuaregs, a nomadic desert people of North Africa. He’s now fifty-one years old, married to Dihya, the leader of his adopted tribe, and together they have a son. A Mohawk and former British spy, he knows England cannot succeed without her allies. The best way to thwart Napoleon is to snatch the gold as it passes through the desert, but to do that he must once again become El Habibka the spy. After successfully infiltrating an enemy tribe, he takes the information to his friend, the Dey of Algiers. But the Dey has his own enemies, and instead of achieving the desired outcome to their plans, the Dey dies and Henry is imprisoned in a dungeon where excruciating tortures are inflicted.

Once a feared manipulator of people and money during the Reign of Terror and later as one of Napoleon’s trusted secret agents, Chameau now lives in a crime-ridden section of Paris. He enjoys his reclusive retirement until he learns that his most despised nemesis is once again afoot. Finally having a chance to kill Henry Doyle entices Chameau to once again assist the emperor in his new bid for power. He must go to Algiers, but first he requires bait to tempt Doyle into a trap.

Patrick Kirkpatrick, a former captain in the American Navy and now a successful privateer, operates out of Nantes, France. He intervenes one night in a vicious assault on an American woman and her brother. Only later does he discover the truth about her and the attack and, realizing the danger Henry is in, he and his men head for the Mediterranean to warn his half-brother. On the way he encounters his old friend, Steven Decatur, now commodore of a squadron of vessels bound for Algiers to force an end to the raids on American ships and the payment of tribute in return for peace. Steven is only too happy to assist, but for Patrick to succeed in rescuing Henry they must find a way to get past the Algerine fortress and into the harbor without their true identity being discovered.

Intrigue, greed, betrayal, and love are intricately interwoven into this sweeping historical novel. Faith and philosophy also play important roles in Henry’s singular life, and Behr ably shows how different beliefs can respectfully intersect and peacefully co-exist. This long-awaited sequel to Blood Brothers takes readers from Algiers and France to the woodlands of the Iroquois Confederacy and the rebuilding of Washington, DC. There are also several sea battles, including an astounding confrontation with a legendary Barbary corsair. While the majority of the action occurs in 1815, brief interludes journey back to 1779 when Henry was a young Mohawk warrior.

This story may not appeal to all readers. At times the language is explicit and leaves little to the imagination. Peter’s union with Lavinia aboard the privateer seems somewhat contrived. The exploration of Henry’s morality and evolving beliefs are at times lengthy, but they are essential elements to the story and his character.

The intricacy of the web Behr spins, the profound depth of his characters, and his ability to meld people from history with imaginary ones are the hallmark of this book and the series. For those who would like to learn more about Henry’s earlier life, he includes a sample chapter from Blood Brothers. For fans who eagerly await the next title in the series, he entices with a preview of The Lion’s Son. Regardless of whether a reader likes or dislikes The Most Bold and Daring Act of the Age, this thought-provoking novel leaves an indelible mark that lasts long after the story concludes.




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The History of Newgate Prison by Caroline Jowett

The History of Newgate Prison by Caroline Jowett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although this book involves piracy on a peripheral basis, two infamous pirates – William Kidd and John Gow – spent time within the walls of this notorious prison. Divided into seven chapters, The History of Newgate Prison explores its history from its medieval beginning until its demolition in the first decade of the twentieth century. Even though the Central Criminal Court of the Old Bailey now sits where Newgate Prison once stood and the prison has been gone for more than a century, people still remember this “hanging prison.”

Each chapter focuses on a specific period in the prison’s history: its earliest years, crimes and punishments, its existence under the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, effects of the Great Fire, the “republics” that sprang up in the first half of the eighteenth century, its rebirth in the second half, and prison reforms. In addition to being a history of Newgate, this book also traces the development of the English penal system from the days when the Normans occupied the country to its reformation during the Georgian and Victorian eras. Three appendices discuss Newgate’s more famous inmates, such as Robin Hood and Captain Kidd; depictions of the prison in art and literature; and the inmates’ secret language. Jowett also includes an index, a center section of illustrations, and a bibliography.

Even though there are only a few mentions of pirates, readers will find this book to be a fascinating account of what it was like to be a prisoner across the centuries. Entering the fortress prison’s gates didn’t necessarily mean an inmate had committed a crime; for many centuries it played host to debtors like Daniel Defoe and their innocent families. Chapter five dramatically explores a condemned person’s day of execution or what it meant to receive a sentence of transportation.

We think of prisons mostly as public institutions of incarceration, but Newgate was privately run and those imprisoned there had to pay for the “privilege” of entering, leaving, and residing within its walls. Jowett provides vivid descriptions, sometimes in her own words and sometimes in those of people who experienced it. By book’s end it’s easy to understand why this long-gone prison remains an indelible memory of times past. One may also comprehend why some chose to follow the short, but merry, life of a pirate instead of living within. When the back cover closes, readers will be thankful they were never “treated” to the experience of being a Newgate inmate.




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Echo in the Wind by Regan Walker

Echo in the Wind by Regan Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Unlike many of women of the ton, Lady Joanna West has vowed to never marry, even though at twenty-five, her brother the earl believes it’s high time she wed. She also refuses to stand idly by why the villagers of Chichester starve from lack of work and the inability to pay high taxes. To that end she begins delivering food baskets to the poor, but now oversees the delivery of smuggled tea and brandy and makes sure the goods reach their proper destinations without alerting the revenue agents. One night in April 1784, her men row her out to meet a new partner, a stranger who could be a free trader or a spy.

Captain Jean Donet silently watches from the shadows as his new partner inspects the merchandise and haggles with his quartermaster. Before the Englishman departs, Jean suspects the stranger is actually a woman in disguise. But that possibility intrigues, rather than discourages him, for he, too, is more than he appears to be. Disowned by his father, he is a French spy, was a privateer for Benjamin Franklin during the American Revolution, and is now a successful smuggler with a fleet of vessels. He is also the comte de Saintonge, a title inherited after the untimely death of his father and older brother. He must finally return to the estate he left years ago, but first he must attend several events leading up to the christening of his new grandson.

Since her brother has yet to marry, Joanna serves as his hostess at a party honoring the new prime minister, who is determined to put an end to the smuggling that plagues England. Two other gentlemen in attendance also catch her attention, but for different reasons. One commands the sloop of war responsible for hunting down vessels engaged in this illegal trade. The other is a forty-year-old Frenchman who seems taken with her younger sister, who has just come of age. Joanna will do whatever is necessary to keep Tillie from becoming a sacrificial lamb.

While in London for the christening, Joanna accompanies a friend to the Old Bailey to attend a trial. But the experience leaves her shaken when the smuggler is found guilty and sentenced to hang. Her chosen trade has become too dangerous, so after one last run, she will find another way to help the villagers. Just as she is about to disembark from her partner’s brig, the revenue ship announces her arrival by opening fire and Joanna is badly wounded.

Jean immediately sets sail and, after successfully eluding his pursuers, attends his beautiful guest. Her best chance of survival is to get her as quickly as possible to a French doctor he trusts. But a storm brews in France. King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette continue to spend money, even though the country is badly in debt. The incident that killed his family may not have been accidental. And his mind wages war with his heart over his growing attraction for Joanna.

Echo in the Wind is the second book in the Donet Trilogy and takes place five years before the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. As in the previous title, To Tame the Wind, Walker opens with a list of “Characters of Note” so readers can acquaint themselves with who’s who before the story begins. Aside from Chichester and London, she whisks readers back to eighteenth-century Lorient, Saintonge, and Paris to experience firsthand the discontent of the people and the callow disregard of the nobility. Walker also includes an author’s note where she discusses the history behind the novel.

Chapter one places readers in the midst of the action and shows great promise of suspense, but the pace slows thereafter and doesn’t pick up again until after page 100. Those pages focus more on character development, with only minor hints of possible adventure and misadventure. Yet stalwart readers who brave the trials and tribulations that they and the characters experience will be richly rewarded with a wonderful love story.




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Raider's Wake by James L. Nelson

Raider's Wake: A Novel of Viking Age Ireland by James L. Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Book six of The Norsemen Saga begins with the return of Conandil, who appears in an earlier volume. No longer a thrall, she is married to an Irish chieftain’s son. When Irish raiders attack their ringfort, she and her husband, as well as others, are driven to the beach where they are beset from the sea by Norsemen. Rather than become a slave again, she fights with her husband. But one of the Vikings thwarts her desire for a quick death and she is once again bound for the slave pens in Dubh-linn. There she, her husband, and the other captives are sold to a Frisian merchant who plans to sell them at a slave market in his homeland.

Lord of Vík-ló, Thorgrim Ulfsson is sick of Ireland, the Irish, and the eternal rain that plagues the country. Most of his men, including his son Harald Broadarm and beserker Starri Deathless, imbibe liberally when confined, so once the sun finally deigns to shine, Thorgrim announces it’s time to go a-viking. As his four longships prepare to set sail, he makes the unconscious decision to take their hoard with them. He has no intention of returning. Their first capture goes precisely as planned, but the victim is known to Thorgrim and is permitted to continue on his journey. First, though, he imparts knowledge of a Frisian merchant with three ships rumored to be heavily laden with treasure. Expecting these to be easy prey, Thorgrim and his men decide to lie in wait – but no one knows better than he that the gods can be fickle and one should never tempt fate.

Irish brigands ambush a traveling friar on his way to Dubh-linn, but they soon learn the error of their ways when he turns out to be adept with a sword. Once Louis de Roumois, the Frank who betrayed Thorgrim, dispatches the trio, he discards his disguise and continues on to the Norse longphort. He seeks passage home to bring his brother to account for banishing him to Ireland and then sending assassins to kill him. Louis knows nothing about ships and the sea, but he quickly discovers the vessel’s captain is a brutal madman whose thirst for wealth includes acquiring the silver Louis hides in his belongings.

A wealthy slave trader and master of a small, but fast, fleet of ships, Brunhard of Frisia loves to hear himself talk. He’s always thinking of ways to gain the most while losing the least. Such wily thinking and a no-holds-barred approach to dealing with his cargo is why he survives in an otherwise violent and often unpredictable world.

When the Norsemen spot the Frisian ships, the chase begins. Brunhard’s out-of-the-box maneuvers earn Thorgrim’s respect because the merchant is a savvy seaman. But one trick nearly destroys Sea Hammer, earning Thorgrim’s wrath and vow to make the man pay. The pursuit becomes a heart-pumping, careening-out-of-control thrill ride that leaves readers breathless and refuses to release them from its grip until the story ends.

Raider’s Wake is a welcome return to the sea, where Thorgrim once again demonstrates why Norsemen are remembered for their expert seamanship. What makes this an unforgettable and very believable tale are Nelson’s knowledge of and experience in sailing wooden ships. The nautical language adds a healthy dose of realism, but Nelson writes in a way that readers unfamiliar with the terminology still get the gist of what the sailors are doing. For those who wish to better understand, he provides a diagram of a longship and a glossary.

Although Harald Broadarm has played important roles in previous titles, he finally comes into his own in this one. He has matured over the series and has ably demonstrated both his bravery and skill at fighting. Yet now he finds himself in a command situation where his decisions and knowledge play a vital role in determining the fates of those aboard all the vessels.

Another crucial story element is the inclusion of two Irish women, Conandil and Failend. Rather than being mere window dressing, they are well-drawn characters who play critical warrior roles and they possess the determination to influence their own fates. As a result, Thorgrim makes some keen observations about women – ones that all men could learn from.

Front first page to last, Raider’s Wake is written by a master weaver who keeps readers spellbound and places them on the longship in the midst of the Vikings. This adventure is one treasure to savor and as memorable as, or even more so, than the Norsemen’s previous stories.




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Review of Katherine Bone's The Pirate's Debt

The Pirate's Debt by Katherine Bone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The guise of the Black Regent offers Basil Halford, Earl of Markwick, a chance to right his father’s wrongs and restore the reputations and incomes of the dead marquess’s victims. But prowling the seas around the coast of South West England as the masked smuggler and pirate necessitates that he separate himself from his few remaining friends. One of those men is Pierce Walsingham, a revenue agent who has vowed to hunt down and destroy this so-called “Robin Hood.”

Reality weighs on Markwick like an anchor around his neck. The hangman’s noose awaits him if he’s caught, and even a lifetime spent redressing the destructive deeds of his father may never pay for that man’s sins. Nor is he as adept in this role as his predecessor, the Duke of Blackmoor. But in July 1809, news arrives that Lady Chloe Walsingham has gone missing. He must rescue his friend’s sister before her curiosity ruins her reputation or puts her in harm’s way. Doing so, though, puts him in danger. She could well see through his disguise and, inevitably, he will cross paths with her brother who also searches for her.

Constant reading of her favorite novel convinces Chloe Walsingham that she must find the man she loves, but locating Markwick proves challenging. Only her love can redeem him from the depths of his despair over his father’s scandalous greed. When whispers of Markwick’s whereabouts surface, she and her maid board the Mohegan bound for Penzance. Besides, her brother has taught her how to defend herself, so what trouble can she get into?

Rough seas force the captain to head for safer waters, and lights on the shore seem to indicate a refuge. Then rocks are sighted and a black ship looms behind, preventing the Mohegan from collision. With insufficient boats for all the crew, the captain orders some sailors to swim for shore. Chloe watches in horror as those who reach the safety of the shore encounter wreckers who bludgeon the sailors to death. Nothing in her books has prepared her for such malevolence. Then cannon fire erupts and a second ship, farther out, is spotted. Which evil poses the greatest danger? Her only salvation is the Black Regent, but where is he when she needs him most?

The Pirate’s Debt is the second book in The Regent’s Revenge series. Sufficient background information from the first book, a novella, is included within The Pirate’s Debt, that readers new to this series will readily understand the events leading up to Markwick’s assumption of his alter ego. The only flaw in this otherwise gripping historical romance is a tendency to repeat character motivations and feelings, which at times dissolves the tension. The scenes involving the wreckers, Chloe’s rescue, the sea battle, and the confrontation with the black ship’s captain are nail-biting, riveting pages. Bone is adept at snaring the reader’s attention and not releasing it until the story concludes. Her well-drawn characters easily come to life. Even the villain – Captain Carnage, a man whose mantra is “Dead men tell no tales” – is depraved yet stirs the reader’s sympathy. Those who dare to venture within the covers of this book won’t be disappointed.




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Review of Katherine Bone's The Pirate's Duchess

The Pirate's Duchess by Katherine Bone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A suicide in 1806, a vow to his father, and an assassin’s attempt on his own life in 1807 compel Tobias Denzell, the sixth Duke of Blackmoor, to abandon his beloved wife Prudence and assume a false identity. The Black Regent, a notorious smuggler and pirate, allows him to protect his wife, assist those who have suffered devastating losses at the hands of a greedy swindler, and help out-of-work miners in Exeter, England. His sole aim is to bring about the downfall of the Marquess of Underwood, a curmudgeon obsessed with wealth who will do whatever is necessary to acquire others’ inheritances.

For two years Tobias attacks Underwood’s ships until he is on the verge of bankruptcy. But then his wife decides to marry Underwood’s son and shows her future father-in-law a survey map of the Blackmoor estate. It shows the location of a rich vein of copper – a fact that puts Prudence in grave danger. Once Underwood gets his hands on her dowry, her worth will be nil. The only way to save her life is for Tobias to come back from the dead, but she may never forgive him for betraying their love. Not to mention that his sudden reappearance will endanger his life since Underwood will assuredly attempt to murder him again, and someone may connect him to the Black Regent, which will earn him the hangman’s noose. The lynchpin in his plan to finally bring about his nemesis’s downfall and keep Prudence safe requires the help of Underwood’s son, but Tobias is no longer certain he can trust his longtime friend.

It’s taken two long years for Prudence Blackmore to shelve the memories of the horrible night when her husband died, but with the Earl of Marwick’s help, she is finally ready to move on with her life. She’s no longer the timid widow, but a strong woman who can stand on her own feet and take whatever life brings. Although still in love with Tobias, a dead man can’t give her the companionship and family she desires, so she accepts the earl’s proposal. Standing at the church altar, she’s unprepared for her husband’s resurrection. Anger and hurt play tug of war with her heart, and the winner is by no means a certainty.

This historical romance novella is the first volume in a new series, Regent’s Revenge. Bone’s imagery is vivid and readily transports readers back to the 19th century, and her characters are memorably drawn. It’s a short, fast-paced read with only a small portion of it taking place on a ship, but it adeptly sets the stage for future adventures.




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The Travels of Reveren Olafur Egilsson

The Travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson by Ólafur Egilsson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


July 1627. Ships are sighted in waters around Iceland. With Danish warships still to arrive, the villagers can do little to stop the Barbary corsairs who come ashore in search of slaves. Among the 4,000 captured are Reverend Ólafur Egilsson, his pregnant wife, and two young sons. Once at the slave market, he is separated from his family, and while they remain in Algiers, his captors free him to secure the ransom money. In his sixties, he travels by foot and boat through Europe to Denmark, but unable to raise the money, he arrives in Iceland almost a year later. A decade passes before 35 slaves are ransomed; only 27 of whom successfully survive the journey home.

After his return to Iceland, Egilsson wrote about this event, known in Iceland as the Tyrkjaránið (the Turkish Raid), but it has never been accessible to those unfamiliar with Icelandic. Now translated into English, his tale brings to life the horrors of that raid – one conducted not just by men born and raised in Algiers and Salé (Morocco), but also by Europeans who renounced their faith to join the ranks of the corsairs of North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. His story also tells of the voyage to Algiers, the devastating and humiliating experiences of being sold into slavery, his religious turmoil, and his travels and struggles to secure the necessary ransom to rescue his family and friends. In addition, he talks about the people and countries that he visited, providing readers with rare glimpses of 17th-century customs, religions, and ways of life.

To complement Egilsson’s work, the editors include five translated letters. One is a sheriff’s account of the raid; the others are from slaves. Maps and images are interspersed throughout the book, which also includes an index, suggestions for further reading, and four appendices. The latter contains information about Algiers, Salé, and Iceland at the time in which the Icelanders were taken; the sources used in translating the manuscript, which survives only as copies and copies of copies; and aspects of early modern Europe (famous people, religious and historical events, publications, and science) in Egilsson’s lifetime.

Footnotes enhance readers’ understanding of unfamiliar elements within the narrative. They sometimes provide help with pronunciation and compare Egilsson’s account with first-person accounts from contemporaries, such as Father Pierre Dan, a Trinitarian friar who redeemed captives in Algiers. The introduction gives an excellent grounding in events leading up to the attack and the world in which Egilsson lived. If Hreinsson and Nichols know what happened to any of the captives, they editors supply this information as well.

A seamless and riveting translation, The Travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson goes far beyond a mere sharing of experiences at the hands of the Barbary corsairs. This haunting account opens our modern eyes to the realities of the past and shows us that we’re not the only ones who struggle to overcome tragedy, adversity, and heartache.




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Review of Martin W. Sandler's The Whydah

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Originally constructed for a member of parliament involved in the slave trade, the Whydah was bound for England when Samuel Bellamy and his fellow pirates attacked her in February 1717. In 1984 Barry Clifford and his team of divers discovered what remained of her off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Born in 1689, Englishman Samuel Bellamy found himself unemployed after his stint in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession. He eventually journeyed to New England, where he hoped to seek his fortune. He met Paulsgrave Williams, son of an influential Rhode Island family, and the two decided to try their hand at diving on the Spanish treasure fleet that had sunk off the Florida coast in 1715. The fortune both sought failed to materialize, so they went on the account in hopes of finding adventure and wealth. Along the way they encountered other infamous pirates, such as Benjamin Hornigold, Olivier Levasseur, and Edward Teach. Bellamy also came to captain his own pirate ship, which led him to acquire new crew members. Among these were John King (the youngest known pirate), John Julian (a Moskito Indian), and Tom Davis (a carpenter forced to join). They captured many vessels, but the Whydah finally delivered what Bellamy desired most – an ideal pirate ship loaded with treasure. But tragedy struck when she and all but two of her crew sank during a violent storm.

In the aftermath of the wreck, many sought the treasure, but locating the Whydah proved elusive. Centuries passed before she finally gave up her secrets. This volume, written for middle-grade readers, recounts the story of this ship, the pirates who attacked her, and the hunt to locate the first verified pirate shipwreck. Sandler also includes the legends surrounding Bellamy; what the recovered artifacts have taught us about piracy during the early eighteenth century; and the establishment of a museum to showcase these artifacts.

This fascinating tale is recounted in twelve chapters, each of which includes a feature that further illuminates some facet pertaining to the information in the chapter. Among these historical sidepieces are discussions on the slave trade, pirate life and tactics, the history of diving, and preserving artifacts. To further enhance the reading experience, Sandler incorporates quotations from period documents or people involved in the hunt and discovery of the shipwreck, black-and-white illustrations, and maps.

The inclusion of an index makes this history of the Whydah more accessible than Clifford’s own books that often lack this important feature. Sandler clearly mentions any alterations he makes, such as rewording passages from Captain Johnson’s A General History of Pyrates into modern-day language for easier reading, and points out when the historical record remains silent about a particular aspect of the story, such as the legend of Maria Hallett. The inclusion of lesser-known facts, such as two of the divers who helped in the search, will surprise many. The chronological unfolding of events and the smooth flow of the narrative make this an inviting tale that snares the reader’s attention. This might be a book aimed at young pirate readers (ages ten and up), but adults will find it an equally intriguing adventure.




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