Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 8

Julian Stockwin's Pasha

Pasha by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The summons from the Admiralty is not unexpected. The court-martial is inevitable; Thomas Kydd just doesn’t know whether he will stand as a witness or join his former commander as a defendant. He no sooner arrives than finds himself in front of the king and honored in a way he never expects.

His friend, Nicholas Renzi, encounters his own share of surprises. He must fulfill his promise to Thomas to propose to Cecilia Kydd, but how can he do so without the means to support her? He’s had no word as to whether his first novel has met with success or failure. Then a family death leaves him with a dilemma that opens a door he thought long closed. It also requires him to confess a truth to Cecilia, one which may turn her against him once and for all.

The return home means that the friends’ paths in life must finally diverge. Renzi does not leave Kydd emptyhanded. He recommends a young man named Dillon, who is both loyal and determined to see the world. That wish is granted when Kydd and his men are sent to join the Mediterranean squadron. Currently Admiral Collingwood blockades the port of Cádiz, but he has a different assignment for Kydd, one that will take him and Dillon to Constantinople. It’s essential that the French not gain a foothold there. Sailing to and from the city is fraught with danger, and upon arrival, Kydd discovers not only civil unrest but also that the British ambassador is determined to destroy the Ottoman city.

Renzi’s new station in life offers him a unique opportunity, one that also takes him to Constantinople. Whereas Kydd sails right in, Renzi’s path there is more clandestine. How he accomplishes his mission is totally at his discretion, but he will be on his own and at the mercy of the sultan and his advisers, which include French agitators determined to win Constantinople for Napolean.

Pasha is the fifteenth title in the Thomas Kydd series. Stockwin deftly recreates time and place so readers become immersed in the intrigue and adventure that unfolds from two different perspectives. Although Kydd has some unique experiences that showcase new aspects of sailing and command because of the setting, it is Renzi who plays a more prominent role this time around. His story is reminiscent of television’s Mission Impossible exploits, just set in the first decade of the 19th century. This book showcases international intrigue and the domino effect. Maps and a glossary provide readers with orienting information, while the list of Dramatis Personae offers a handy reference as to who’s who. Stalwart fans of Stockwyn and the Kydd series will find this an engrossing tale rife with unusual encounters and noteworthy action. As always, each book in the series can stand alone, so newcomers will soon find themselves entangled in the lives of both Kydd and Renzi.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)



View all my reviews

Julian Stockwin's Tyger

Tyger by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Returning home from the Mediterranean, L’Aurore is discovered to be a rotting ship. Her crew is paid off and Thomas Kydd finds himself on land. He is to command a heavy frigate, but it could be a year before she is finished and ready to man and sail. In the meantime, he must appear as a witness at the court martial of his former commander. He finds himself betwixt wind and water as regards Commodore Popham, who did seize the initiative but also abandoned his post.

A conversation between friends is overheard by a reporter, and the next day Kydd finds himself a pariah. Instead of the promised new frigate, he is ordered to take command of Tyger, a ship recently beset by mutiny. If he declines, his naval career will be at an end. If he accepts, his chances of successfully carrying out his duty are slim to none. But Admiral Russell, whose force is part of the North Sea Fleet, believes in giving opportunities and judging men by their actions. He chooses Kydd and the Tygers for a mission to Archangel, Russia. As an ally, the Royal Navy should be welcomed with open arms; instead, their arrival is anything but. Distrustful of what he sees, Kydd must find a way to uncover the truth while getting his men to trust him and work as a cohesive unit. Tall orders when suspicion, betrayal, and discontent are the current watchwords of his crew, and the Admiralty merely wants to get rid of him.

This sixteenth title in the Thomas Kydd series delves into the notorious and unusual court martial of Sir Home Popham, showcasing both sides of the coin. While interesting, it leaves readers and Kydd feeling like fish out of water. Yet there is purpose in its inclusion, for it provides a stunning look at how a hero can fall from grace in an instant. At the same time, it sets up how Kydd comes to command Tyger and finds himself embroiled in a mutiny once again. The key to this novel is that much lies beneath the surface; nothing is exactly as it appears. Enemies lurk where least expected and this time, readers understand exactly what is meant about the loneliness of command as Kydd sails through treacherous waters from England to the Baltic and the High Arctic.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)



View all my reviews

Kathryn Howe's A True Account

A True Account: Hannah Masury’s Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself by Katherine Howe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A hanging is a momentous affair. Especially when the execution is of a pirate. William Fly, no less, a totally unrepentant sinner. Everyone will be there . . . well, everyone but Hannah Masury. She’s been forbidden to go by her employer, but Hannah doesn’t necessarily heed what she’s told.

When Hannah finally returns to the tavern’s stable where she sleeps, she finds it occupied by a young lad. He claims to be Billy Chandler and he’s hiding because everyone wants him dead. He even shows her the black spot that marks him for death. She’s not fully convinced that he tells the truth until after they head for the tavern to get some food while everyone else is asleep. But they become separated. She hears a gravelly voice and an odd sound before she stumbles upon Billy’s dead body. Then her name floats through the fog. If she wants to live, she has only one chance: don male attire and pretend to be Billy. He planned on shipping out on a schooner as a cabin boy, which provides her with the means and opportunity to escape before the pirates catch her. As they say, the best laid plans don’t always work out exactly as one hopes, and she finds herself aboard the Reporter whose captain spends most of his time drunk in his cabin and the first mate is none other than Edward Low.

Travel forward in time from 1726 to 1930. Professor Marian Beresford teaches history at Cambridge College in Boston. One of her students, Kay Lonergan, has come across a handwritten diary from two centuries ago. Marian is skeptical about its authenticity, but there’s something compelling about the journal. The more she reads, the more she questions her initial findings. She decides to visit her father, an esteemed historian, in New York and get his opinion. He concurs with her initial assessment . . . but even a slim chance of it being real is sufficient for the trio to persuade the Explorers Club to finance a trip to find the pirate treasure that Hannah Masury writes about in her diary. Just imagine the glory that such a find will bring with it. Marian may finally prove herself worthy of following in her father’s footsteps. In the meantime, Kay wants to go for another reason . . . publicity. She thrives on getting her name in the spotlight, and so she joins them on their grand adventure.

The past and present are interwoven in a seamless tapestry that contrasts Masury’s life with Beresford’s. Marian also compares who she is now with who she was when she was Kay’s age, as well as measuring her own choices and career with that of her father. Howe provides an accurate depiction of Ned Low’s brutality as a pirate and hints at the fact that he didn’t start out being that way. The story is also rife with pirate tropes. Pirate life and behavior is realistically portrayed, although I found it interesting that Marian’s father cites The Pirates Own Book as being the source he uses as proof that the journal is a fake. (This 19th-century volume includes falsehoods as well as truths much like the pirate-age contemporary resource, A General History of Pyrates.)

Two words are key to whether this story works: “plausible” and “probable.” Women did masquerade as men and did become pirates, but how likely was it for one to join the crew of Ned Low? While I think the answer improbable, Howe weaves her tale with enough believability to make Hannah’s story plausible. The entwining of past and present strengthens that belief, while the themes of betrayal, humiliation, and proving oneself are universal and transcend time.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-hist...)



View all my reviews

Gareth Glover's The Two Battles of Copenhagen 1801 and 1807

The Two Battles of Copenhagen 1801 and 1807: Britain and Denmark in the Napoleonic Wars by Gareth Glover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A signal went up to break off the engagement, but Horatio Nelson was said to have brought his telescope up to his blind eye and claimed not to see his commander’s signal. This may be the only incident that readers are familiar with as regards these two battles. Many accounts of Nelson’s life mention the fight, but they don’t go into great depth and they often omit or gloss over what came before and after. They also recount the episode from a single perspective rather than including multiple sides of either conflict. Glover attempts to rectify this by showing the interconnecting threads in this period of history and how what transpired during the first battle impacted the second. He also shows the complexity of Anglo-Danish relations, as well as Denmark’s precarious situation as regards its neighbors and Napoleon’s aggressiveness.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark managed to remain neutral despite its strategic location that provided ingress and egress to Baltic ports which supplied products vital to Britain’s shipbuilding industry. In 1799, the Russian tsar proposed that Denmark and other countries form a league of Armed Neutrality, wherein the members would fight to stay impartial. The Danes were set to be the “front line” of defense for this alliance, but they weren’t keen on being in this position. Britain saw the policy as a subtle shift and wished to safeguard their supply source since the Royal Navy was a key component in the fight against Napoleon’s territorial expansion.

To that end, a fleet was assembled, and Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker was placed in command of the Royal Navy’s Baltic Fleet. The problem with this proved twofold: Parker was sixty-one at the time and, being recently wed, was more interested in his eighteen-year-old wife than in preparing the fleet for departure. His second-in-command was a rising star, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, whose seamanship, daring, and bravery were never in question, but some thought him arrogant and his private life involved scandals. Although their working relationship seemed to jibe, Parker’s orders weren’t explicit enough. He was to take or destroy the Danish fleet, but what then? The other difficulty was that Nelson craved action, while Parker had doubts even after decisions were made and commands given.

On the flipside, the Danes’ purpose during this time was to further fortify their defenses and stall long enough for the fleets of Sweden and Russia to arrive. Although the Danish navy was well-equipped, they didn’t truly plan for it to engage in battle. After all, if they lost their ships and men, who would defend their city and country? Even the Crown Prince, Commodore Fischer, and Admiral Wleugel doubted they could win against the British, but they didn’t see they had any alternative.

The outcome of this first battle depends on which side it is viewed from, as Glover shows. Afterward, there was a brief respite in the war until the conflict was renewed in 1803. Although Denmark maintained a strict neutrality once again, the defeat of Russian forces at the Battle of Friedland (1807) left Denmark as one of only three countries on the Continent that was still trading with the British. Napoleon’s new tactic involved economic warfare, which put Denmark in a tenuous situation. The British had no intention of losing their trading partner, but the Crown Prince of Denmark refused to hand over his fleet. Another confrontation between Denmark and Britain was inevitable, and it would involve a joint operation between the Royal Navy and the Royal Army. This time, the principals would be Admiral Gambier, General Arthur Wellesley, and Danish General Peymann.

Divided into twenty-three chapters, the narrative includes black-and-white illustrations throughout with color artwork at the center. An overview is provided as is a brief recounting of what visitors will see if they go to Copenhagen today. Aside from footnotes, a bibliography, and an index, Glover provides nine appendices concerning the 1801 battle and twenty-seven for the 1807 siege of the city.

Glover’s goal in writing this history is to heal any breaches that still exist and to provide a better understanding as to why each side did what they did. He provides a clear understanding of before, during, and after each battle and incorporates eyewitness reports, such as that of a student watching the battle who found his view obscured from all the gun smoke, or the twelve-year-old who climbed a crane and reported to the crowd below what transpired, or the private who believed he could win the battle by himself. This book is for anyone who wants a clearer, well-rounded picture of what happened and why.


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



View all my reviews

Jennifer Newbold's The Private Misadventures of Nell Nobody

The Private Misadventures of Nell Nobody by Jennifer Newbold

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Abused by her husband, Eleanor Buccleuch flees her home, becomes Edmund “Ned” Buckley, and joins the Royal Army as a rifleman in the 69th Regiment of Foot in 1794. (Growing up with her brother, she acquired skills and habits a lady would never possess.) The only way she vows to return to England is in a coffin.

On Corsica, the army must work with the navy to carry out a successful siege of St. Fiorenzo. Since this is a joint operation, a liaison must carry dispatches between the two branches of the military. Ned is selected to work with Captain Horatio Nelson of HMS Agamemnon. He is a man of action, so he’s frequently ashore and involving himself in army affairs even though the army isn’t keen on open lines of communication. As a result, Nelson relies on Ned to keep him informed and makes him privy to the daily problems and situations he faces. The more interaction between the two, the more Ned grows to admire Nelson because he cares for his men and his country.

Ned’s invaluable service leads to his being transferred to Agamemnon. His duties are split between being the captain’s scribe and helping the marines during enemy engagements. When a new marine commander comes aboard, he singles out Ned, making life intolerable. Eventually, his intent becomes clear. Ned’s handling of the situation leads to charges that may end in a court martial and hanging. It is up to Nelson to figure out who tells the truth.

If that is not enough trouble, Richard Buccleuch still hunts for his missing wife. Nelson’s health suffers and caring for him resurrects long-buried, but unwanted, feelings in Ned. During a period of two years, he follows Nelson as the captain transfers to other ships and is eventually promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue. Then fever sweeps through the ship, paying no heed to one’s rank or the secrets one keeps.

The Private Misadventures of Nell Nobody is a compelling, well-researched tale that brings Horatio Nelson to life. This three-dimensional portrayal allows readers to see Nelson as a person with foibles and virtues. The what-ifs and emotional arcs propelling the story forward are plausible and believable. Newbold ably transports readers to the past and gives them a you-are-there experience as Ned lives and works with his fellow riflemen during the siege, as well as learning to adapt to life at sea. Newbold also provides good contrasts between army and navy life, as well as a glossary for those unfamiliar with nautical and military terms.

Aside from the siege and the evacuation of Leghorn, there are several gripping sea engagements with French ships. The story ends two months before the Battle of Aboukir Bay in 1798. A short epilogue shows reactions on Gibraltar, where Ned eventually ends up, following the news of Nelson’s death at Trafalgar. Aside from being a good introduction to Nelson and the Royal Navy, it is also an untraditional love story. Readers who seek to read a story set during the French Revolution without the nautical terminology and details, will enjoy this telling of a time when Nelson is on the crest of taking center stage. Those who read any of the series set during the days of the revolution or Napoleon’s conquests will also enjoy this memorable story.


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



View all my reviews

Julian Stockwin's Caribbee

Caribbee by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This fourteenth Kydd Sea Adventure returns Captain Thomas Kydd to the Caribbean, which he hasn’t visited since he was press-ganged into the Royal Navy as a seaman. Now, he comes to Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane of the Leeward Islands Squadron for assistance in rescuing captured men in Argentina. Instead, Kydd and L‘Aurore are reassigned to Cochrane’s command since he is woefully short of frigates to protect the all-important sugar trade and to prevent the French from sending theirs to ports where the proceeds can fill Napoleon’s war chest.

Unfortunately, Kydd’s return isn’t all happy. One of the other commanders in the squadron is known to him and not in a good way. Captain Tyrell of the ,i.Hannibal was a lieutenant when they first encountered each other and his penchant for strict discipline left a bitter taste in Kydd’s mouth. Now in command of a ship-of-the-line, Tyrell is even more of a martinet, continuing to sow seeds of hatred amongst his crew. Equally unsettling is the fact that Tyrell thinks Kydd familiar but cannot fathom why. Sooner or later, Kydd fears that Tyrell will remember and destroy all that he has worked so hard to attain.

In the meantime, Renzi is plagued with a deep sense of foreboding. Napoleon is not one to take defeat lying down. In the year since Trafalgar, he has had time to plan and foment payback. Renzi fears that when he launches his next attack, it will prove catastrophic. It doesn’t take long for the emperor to reveal his next move, and it brings English trade to a standstill. One of the Jamaican planters affected is none other than Renzi’s brother.

Further complicating British trade in the West Indies is the fact that a pair of mysterious corsairs are seizing British vessels without fear of reprisal. The raiders and their prizes simply vanish and are never heard from again. While Kydd and his men patrol the Caribbean Sea in search of the enemy, Renzi follows through on the thought that a masterful organizer, similar to a spy master, is behind the many French successes. If Renzi can figure out where the enemy’s base of operation is, Kydd and the rest of the squadron can destroy the enemy once and for all.

Caribbee is an engrossing tale that mixes sea adventure and intelligence while contrasting how two men command their ships. One garners loyalty, the other, hatred bordering on mutiny. One aspect of this comparison involves the transfer of one of Kydd’s lieutenants and how he deals with the intolerable situation that he encounters. Interwoven into the central theme of the war and the navy, readers will enjoy noteworthy episodes that include tangling with an underwater volcano, a love interest for Kydd, a bumbling lieutenant who makes an audacious arrival that arouses Kydd’s ire sufficiently to want him transferred off L’Aurore, and a charge of murder that may see Kydd hanged. One of the best so far in the series where readers get reacquainted with people from Kydd and Renzi’s past and jaw-dropping action abounds.


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



View all my reviews

Julian Stockwin's Betrayal

Betrayal by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sneaking around the African jungle in the dark of night isn’t the safest way to take the enemy. After all, there are lions and snakes and animals with horns. The water may be more familiar, but unknown dangers lurk there as well. The French ship has chosen her hiding spot well some distance up the Zambezi River where L’Aurore cannot venture. A frontal assault by boats will be a slaughter, but Captain Thomas Kydd is not to be deterred. It’s vital to discover the location of Admiral Maréchal’s squadron and Nicholas Renzi’s intelligence, acquired from locals, is their first lead. Kydd’s plan is fraught with danger and timing will be key.

Later, Kydd learns the risks have been for naught. Maréchal and his ships have returned to France. Of course, that presents Kydd with another dilemma – one that he gives no thought to until after he meets with his commander, Commodore Home Popham. They are far from home and the war, and with everything going smoothly in Cape Town and its environs, the opportunity to distinguish themselves in ways that will gain them honors, riches, and promotions are just about nil. Has Kydd truly gone from working in a wig shop to commanding his own ship only to have his career stymied?

Never fear, Popham isn’t one to sit on laurels. Prior to Trafalgar, an idea was put forth to the prime minister and received his blessing. It involves taking advantage of the unrest in South America to gain new allies and profit from the seizure of the treasure currently going to, when possible, into Napoleon’s coffers to fund the war. Now is the perfect time to implement that amphibious operation and using a page from Nelson’s handbook, Popham intends to have his squadron sweep across the ocean and seize Montevideo and Buenos Aires for the British just as they did when they conquered Cape Town. With Kydd’s help, they should have no trouble gaining the army’s assistance and swaying the other captains over to their way of thinking. There’s only a slight problem; they will be undertaking this venture without proper orders from the Admiralty. Better to take action and ask for forgiveness later. After all, this will be a cakewalk. What can possibly go wrong?

Stockwin is a master at recreating exotic locales that transport readers back to past places and times. Nowhere is this more evident than in Betrayal, the thirteenth Kydd Sea Adventure. Contrasts between Africa and South America make the latter even more menacing, as do revelations about Popham that Renzi shares with Kydd. Equally engaging, at least to anyone who has ever thought of writing a book, is Renzi’s trials and tribulations once he decides to craft the novel that his friend suggests. As with any creative endeavor, taking an idea and turning it into reality isn’t as easy as it appears. In this regard, Renzi’s writing shines a mirror on the dilemmas that Kydd faces. Patriotic fervor is another theme interwoven into this story. Rather than a coin with two sides, this passion can be multi-faceted and involve intrigue as much as treachery. While Kydd spends a fair portion of his time on land in this tale, the contrivances that place him on water are unique and the action, hair-raising. While stories set during the Napoleonic era are many, Stockwin selects lesser-known aspects of it to provide readers with uncommon undertakings where the risks and the rewards are high.


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



View all my reviews

Review of Dead Man's Chest edited by Russell K. Skowronek and Charles R. Ewen

Dead Man's Chest: Exploring the Archaeology of Piracy by Russell K Skowronek

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Archaeology studies what remains of people who lived in the past. History tells us what happened and why. One examines the physical items left behind, whereas the other peruses the written records. Over the years many histories of pirates have been written, but no one had seriously considered studying the archaeology of piracy. Skowronek and Ewen wanted to change that; in 2006, they found other like-minded people and published X Marks the Spot. Ten years later, they brought us Pieces of Eight. In both titles, their intent was not to craft stuffy, pedantic volumes that were meant only for students and practitioners of archaeology. They wished to also share the knowledge found with others interested in maritime piracy. Now, they add a third volume to the mix. Dead Man’s Chest shines a light on new avenues of study and revisits a few finds to provide different perspectives. The sixteen essays found here are written by doctoral candidates, archaeologists, curators, consultants, historians, paleographers, professors, anthropologists, conservationists, archivists, and oceanographers.

Although popular culture tends to celebrate pirates, the men and women who preyed upon merchantmen during the Golden Age of Piracy were actually thieves and murderers who utilized violence and intimidation to acquire their ill-gotten goods. Ewen’s opening salvo shines a thought-provoking light on this reality in “On Celebrating Piracy: But Should We?”

From here, the book is divided into four sections: Pirate Swag: Material Culture Studies, Transatlantic Piracy, Pirates of the Caribbean and Tierra Firma, and Piracy in the Indian Ocean. The first set of essays discusses some of the artifacts that archaeologists have unearthed and what those tell us about pirates. Kimberley P. Kenyon’s “The Stories They Tell: Recent Finds from Queen Anne’s Revenge/La Concorde” highlights recovered items from Blackbeard’s flagship. Since this vessel was a slaver before pirates acquired it, she highlights the dilemma of determining whether an artifact belonged to or was used by pirates (a theme that surfaces in several other essays in the book). Jessie Cragg and Michael Thomin remind us that pirates also lived ashore in “Sail Bags and Black Flags: Identifying Material Culture of Nineteenth-Century Pirates.” It concerns a ship that set sail in 1794. Instead of the few weeks it should have taken to arrive at her destination, the voyage lasted five months because pirates attacked twice. In “‘Running a Rig’: Pirates and Archaeology in Video Games,” Coy J. Idol and Katherine D. Thomas discuss the influences of archaeology on Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Jean Soulat’s focus in “The Material Culture of Pirate Wrecks and Lairs: A Reflection of Colonial Archaeology through Multicultural Assemblages from the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries” explores the delineation of items found at archaeological digs and how it may be possible to differentiate between those that belonged to pirates and those that did not.

The second group of essays continues this comparison between legal and illegal behavior as it relates to piracy. In “Casting Piracy a Line: An Examination of the Influence of Piracy in the Archaeological Record of Two New England Fishing Settlements,” Megan Rhodes Victor shows how difficult it can be to distinguish between fishermen and pirates when they inhabit the same area. Patrick J. Boyle’s “The Archaeology of Lundy Pirates: A Case Study of Material Culture” concerns a known area frequented by pirates and whether found items are connected to pirates. Bradley Rodgers and Jason T. Raupp’s “The Mystery of Morgan’s Island: Archaeological Insights into a Possible Pirate Wreck at Somerset, Bermuda” demonstrates how the confluence of historical documentation and archaeological studies allow for a reexamination of a past event and its proper interpretation.

The third set of essays opens with Kenneth S. Wild’s “What’s to Become of Me? Pirates and Refugees in the Archaeological Landscape of the Virgin Islands.” Here, he focuses on pirateering, a profession where the line between privateering and piracy blurred. Alexandre Coulaud, Nathalie Sellier-Ségard, and Martijn van den Bel demonstrate the possibility of an emerging pattern in locations where pirates are thought to have set up temporary camps in “Pirates at Grand Case Bay, St. Martin (French West Indies): Interpreting Archaeological Evidence from a Late-Seventeenth-Century Settlement.” Tortuga has long been associated with pirates, but archaeological studies of the island have not been possible; Laurent Pavlidis suggests avenues of research should that change in “Mysterious Tortuga Island, Republic of Haiti.” Geraldo J. S. Hostin’s investigation into “The Pirate of Cotinga Island: The History and Archaeology of a Mysterious Shipwreck in the South of Brazil” puts forth a convincing case as to the identity of the pirate who lost his ship in 1718. Lynn B. Harris concentrates on the connections between “Buccaneers and Harpooners of the Miskito Coast.”

Archaeological investigations in the Indian Ocean are the topic of the fourth section of essays. John de Bry and Jean Soulat discuss recent and upcoming explorations of “Pirate Lairs in Ambodifototra Bay (Saint-Marie Island, Madagascar)? Traces of Fortifications and Camps in Archives and Archaeological Remains.” A French expedition discovered one of the earliest pirate shipwrecks in 1979. Soulat, Yann von Arnim, and Patrick Lizé reconsider what archaeologists discovered and how they made their determination in “The Speaker (1702) Pirate Shipwreck on the East Side of Mauritius: Review of Archaeological Data and Research Perspectives.”

The parting shot in this collection comes from Skowronek with “Unpacking the Dead Man’s Chest.” When X Marks the Spot came out, the majority of the research shared came from historical inquiries. Whereas archaeological waters were uncharted then, much like in the days of these pirates, Dead Man’s Chest and its companion volumes show that the archaeology of piracy does exist and can shed new light on pirates and how they lived.

We tend to think of archaeology as stodgy and dull. Sometimes, it takes just one book to show us the error of that thinking. (My awakening came when I read Anna Ritchie’s Viking Scotland.) To find not one but three offerings that achieve this for pirate afficionados is a true treasure trove. Dead Man’s Chest is enlightening, entertaining, and compelling. The pictures, tables, and maps provide us with concrete examples, while the references and index permit us to explore the archaeology of piracy further. Skowronek and Ewen, as well as the contributors, share their enthusiasm and knowledge to mentor and inspire us, whether we are armchair wannabes, exploring a possible career, or already working in the field of archaeology. If you want to know about piracy during the early eighteenth century, Dead Man’s Chest is a must read. Once read, you’ll want to delve into the earlier volumes to learn even more.


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



View all my reviews

Review of Angela C. Sutton's Pirates of the Slave Trade

Pirates of the Slave Trade: The Battle of Cape Lopez and the Birth of an American Institution by Angela C. Sutton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


History is required in school, but during my youth at least, my teachers didn’t always show how what happened one place was connected with or impacted events happening elsewhere. My research into pirates and the past has taught me that these interconnections do exist. More and more, books that come across my desk strive to show this bigger, often global picture. Pirates of the Slave Trade is one such book.

At first glance, readers may wonder what was the Battle of Cape Lopez. Those familiar with pirate history know of it but more because of what happened at this fight than by its name. It took place off the coast of West Africa on 10 February 1722. The outcome brought about the demise of one of the most prolific pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy, Bartholomew Roberts. The subsequent trials at Cape Coast Castle led to mass hangings of fifty-two pirates. Captain Chaloner Ogle of the British Royal Navy would be honored with knighthood. Piracy began to wane, whereas the buying and selling of slaves increased in scope and intensity. In turn, this led to changes in how Europeans viewed Africans and how Britain and her colonies, especially in what would become the United States, characterized those who were enslaved.

This is, in essence, what Pirates of the Slave Trade is about, but Sutton touches on many peripheral topics related to piracy and slavery. After setting the scene and introducing the main characters, she examines what drew Roberts and his men to Africa. He was neither a stranger to the slave trade – his sailing career started aboard slave ships – nor unknown when he returned to African waters in 1722. (He was already a notorious pirate, having captured more than 400 vessels and murdered a governor.) Captain Ogle, on the other hand, was a pirate hunter, a man determined to end Roberts’s depredations and he possessed the authority to do whatever it took to accomplish the pirates’ eradication.

Sutton also introduces a third man to this equation: John Conny, an Ahantan king who learned the ins and outs of European slave trading operations firsthand and used them to his advantage in what is now Ghana. As he grew more influential and powerful, he sheltered pirates and made it possible for them to prey on ships of the various West India companies in African waters.

The book is divided into two parts. “The Battle of Cape Lopez” identifies principal players and establishes the parameters that lead to the final confrontation between the Royal Navy and the pirates. “The Birth of an American Institution” delves into the battle’s legacy, asking and seeking answers to:

Who were the real gentlemen of fortune here?
And who are they today?
Who benefits from global extraction-based exploitative processes that change the face of the entire world?
And who among us (“us” meaning the national as well as the global population) are left behind? (143-144)

Maps, artwork, and tables accompany the narrative. Footnotes provide additional information on topics mentioned in the text, while endnotes provide citations to source material consulted. There is an index, but no bibliography.

Sutton deftly lays the groundwork on the slave trade and slavery, piracy in Africa, and the people and places involved to orient the reader in the primary purpose of this book. She discusses the trading companies to a fuller degree than is often covered in history volumes. Readers gain a better understanding of before and after, especially as regards slavery in America. She skillfully shows how one incident leads to another and another, showing their interconnectedness and the resultant outcomes. In addition, she utilizes the words and deeds of William Snelgrave, a captain engaged in the slave trade who also became a captive of three pirates, to graphically depict the before and after changes.

Many authors writing books about pirates and their connections to slavery tend to gloss over the details, preferring to mention rather than elucidate. Sutton dares to venture much further into what is a provocative and sometimes incendiary discussion; she does so “with an antiracist lens.” (238) She explains why and lets readers know that they can effect change – a fact that resonates today. Pirates of the Slave Trade is enlightening, thought-provoking, and a must read for anyone who wants a fuller picture of the connections between piracy, the slave trade, and the legacy the downfall of one created for the other.


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



View all my reviews

Review of Ryan Starrett & Josh Foreman's Pirates, Raiders & Invaders of the Gulf Coast

Pirates, Raiders & Invaders of the Gulf Coast (No Series by Ryan Starrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Gulf Coast of the United States has a complex history populated with people from different walks of life and lands near and far. Between 1699 and 1819, six different nations flew their flags here: Spain, France, Great Britain, the State of Muskogee, the West Florida Republic, and the United States. It was a land inhabited by tough survivors and a region fought over more than once because its waterways provided access to land and opportunity.

Among the individual stories found within these pages are those of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, who sought peace between the Choctaws and the Chickasaws. Jean Baptiste Story served as a galley slave. Governor Bernardo de Galvez upset the balance of power along the Gulf Coast when he captured Mobile. William Augustus Bowles went AWOL from the British army, tried his hand at mutiny, and established the State of Muskogee. Emigrés from Haiti sought refuge in New Orleans and its environs, only to experience a well-organized slave insurrection in their new homeland. Jean and Pierre Laffite established a smuggling operation and eventually helped the Americans during the Battle of New Orleans. Lieutenant Robert Gleig, a veteran of the Duke of Wellington’s forces in the Peninsular War, participated in that final battle of the War of 1812. There are also accounts of the Massacre of Fort Mims and the Seminole Wars.

The book is laid out in chronological order and the chapters cover specific periods and people. It opens with the French and Indian Wars, which cover 1702 through 1759 and goes through Manifest Destiny (1816-1835). The authors include a preface, a list of key people, an introduction, an epilogue, notes, and sources. There are many illustrations, but no index, which makes it more difficult to locate information on specific people since they may be discussed in more than one place.

This is an interesting introduction to the early history of the Gulf Coast. The title is something of a misnomer, as the only pirates discussed here are the Laffites, even though many others found safe havens along the coast between Tallahassee in the east and Galveston in the west. For those seeking a quick, enlightening initiation into the history and people of this area, Pirates, Raiders and Invaders of the Gulf Coast is a good place to start.


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



View all my reviews