Review of Robert Jacob's Blackbeard

Blackbeard: The Truth Revealed by Robert Jacob

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Everyone knows the story of Blackbeard, or do they? Myth and legend permeate Edward Thache’s life, which is why Jacob delves further to separate fact from fiction in his latest offering. Comprised of thirty-six chapters, this book attempts to examine all aspects of Blackbeard’s entire life. Jacob relies primarily on contemporary documents to accomplish this goal, although there are instances where he uses poetic license to enliven some events for readers rather than presenting a list of dry facts.

As much as he wants to tell Blackbeard’s story from beginning to end, there are occasional gaps in the historical record. When these occur, Jacob does speculate; that speculation, which is usually identified as such, is grounded in facts and schooled hypothesis. If he cannot provide an educated response, he shares existing viewpoints and discusses the pros and cons of conclusions drawn by “historian authors.” (He uses this collective term to denote professional historians, amateur researchers like himself, and authors who write on subjects of interest.)

The opening chapters lay the groundwork for readers and discuss Jacob’s search for information, the many variations of Blackbeard’s name (Thach, Teach, and Thache to name a few), Jacobite pirates, the scavenging of the 1715 treasure fleet, early pirates of the golden age (Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings, for example), and Captain Charles Johnson’s bestseller and the start of the Blackbeard legends. Chapters six through twenty-five examine Thache’s early years to his demise at Ocracoke at the hands of Lieutenant Robert Maynard and his men. Among the topics covered here are Stede Bonnet and his partnership with Blackbeard, Queen Anne’s Revenge, various cruises, the siege of Charles Town, South Carolina, and Thache’s time in places like Bath, North Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The subsequent five chapters deal with the aftermath of the Ocracoke battle and the politics involved, what happens to the crew, and the charges levied against Tobias Knight, a government official in colonial North Carolina. The final six chapters examine the legends and mysteries surrounding Israel Hands, Black Beard and Edward Thache, and Blackbeard’s wife, as well as some of the stories of the pirate and his treasure.

Sidebar notes define words (an example being reales, a Spanish coin of silver) or provide historical facts (such as 1603-1625 when James I ruled England or HMS Scarborough, a fifth-rate warship, carried thirty-two guns). Eighty-six black-&-white figures (maps, illustrations, and historical documents) are included as is an appendix that summarizes pirate activity (not just Blackbeard’s), vessels taken and what happens to them, and the dates of the attacks. In addition to end notes, there is a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

In his preface, Jacob identifies this book as “the first comprehensive and definitive look at the world’s most famous pirate.” (xii) This is accurate because he also looks at more than just the historical Blackbeard, whereas Baylus C. Brooks’s Quest for Blackbeard focuses almost exclusively on the historical record and who Blackbeard is and the world in which he lives. Together they make compelling resources for anyone who wants to know the truth and seeks the historical evidence without having to do the hands-on research themselves. The difference between the two books is that the latter is written by an academic historian, whereas Jacob is a reenactor who thrives on ferreting out the truth and sharing that knowledge with readers.

While this is a fascinating investigation into the man who was Blackbeard and the myths surrounding him, there are occasional missteps. Contrary to Jacob’s belief in Arne Bialuschewski’s 2004 theory, there is no definitive proof that Captain Johnson and Nathaniel Mist are one and the same. A copyeditor would have picked up on some of the misspellings, incomplete sentences, and formatting issues. There are times when the phrasing of sentences presents something as fact, when it’s actually Jacob’s belief. One example occurs when Blackbeard and Hornigold are discussing the King’s pardon. “John Martin was certainly in on the discussion, as well as Blackbeard’s current quartermaster, William Howard.” (150) This is supposition because there is no historical record of the meeting that lists who was or wasn’t there.

What Jacob does well is to show his resources and the depth of his research. He clearly demonstrates that the story of Blackbeard is “the most complicated pirate tale ever told. There is nothing straightforward about it. Political intrigue abounds. Challenging relationships within his crew and between him and his partners add to the complexity.” (1)

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



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