Glasby's Fortune

by James H. Drescher

Steer this ship ... or die! Harry Glasby of Boston, a man with impeachable honor and big dreams, has earned a reputation as one of the best navigators off the northeast coast of the North American colonies. Only 21, he is already the sailing master of the merchant sloop Samuel. But on July 13, 1720, Glasby's world is capsized. The crew of Captain Bartholomew Roberts swarms over the gunwales of the sloop and takes another prize. At the point of a cutlass, Glasby and most of his shipmates are taken prisoner. When Roberts, who has recently lost his navigator, learns that Glasby is a master of the art and craft, Harry's fate is sealed. The most ruthless pirate captain of the day makes it clear: "You will steer my ship or you will die!" As His Majesty's Royal Navy declares war on piracy, Glasby, no longer on the side of the angels, is thrust into a life of bloody sea battles, plunder, and the precarious and dangerous fellowship of the pirate brotherhood. From the islands of the Caribbean to the disease infested coast of Africa, Glasby guides Roberts, the scourge of the Royal Navy, to countless victories and incalculable wealth. Glasby is haunted by guilt and wracked with worry for Constance Sacker, his fiancee and the woman carrying his child. Intelligent and resourceful, Glasby must escape and return to Boston. But how does a prisoner of pirates find his way home? Glasby's Fortune is inspired by real events surrounding two historical figures, Harry Glasby and Bartholomew Roberts. Roberts is credited with more than 400 sea victories, making him the most successful and audacious pirate of The Golden Age of Piracy.

380 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2017

Reviews

[Gail Gibson-milliron]

I like books on pirates.
Thoroughly enjoyed your book. The picturesque description of the various characters, especially Roberts, Glasby, & .. gave a great in-depth revealing of the high seas adventures.
I always appreciate learning new things. E.G. did not know about the historic listing of certain streets that indicate activities that abound within their perimeter.
Just knew with your career background we would find within a courtroom type rendition of superb investigation, presentation, and conclusion!
Loved some of your most descriptive phrases:
Oh my goodness - the burning of the Porcupine - “Anyone left....had the choice be being drowned, devoured by sharks, or roasted alive”.
Profound statement,those to whom evil is done often do evil in return”.
The ending was also a great entanglement of dangerous threats, romance, and happy ending.
Loved it.
Look forward to reading the sequel.

[JoAnn Stearns]

Fantastic!

This is a story about an unfortunate soul who was cruelly yanked out of his peaceful existence and forced to live among some of the most dreaded and feared individuals who roamed the face of the earth, pirates! This adventure was so fantastic and spellbinding, I couldn't put the book down. There was danger at every turn, but there was also deep and everlasting friendship and respect between the main character, Harry,and some of his pirate captors. Glasby's Fortune is a tale of how Harry was, for a short time, captain of the pirate ship, the Royal Fortune, and in the end, the owner of a pirate's fortune literally and figuratively. His story is well worth absorbing yourself in, you won't regret it.

[Mack the Turtle]

I found this on a book share shelf at work and it seemed interesting, so I took it (and will now put it back for someone else to take). At the time I didn't realize it was by a local first-time author, which was pretty neat. Overall it was a pretty interesting read and solid piece of historical fiction. I will say though, if this ever gets printed again it is in desperate need of a copy editing job beforehand. Having edited for a living, I'm sure textual errors and inconsistencies nag me more than most, but there are so many in this novel that it is at times distracting.

[George Nolte]

This is an excellent novel of historical fiction. It is based on actual people and placed in the time in which they lived. The characters are well developed and believable. The book gives an fascinating insight of what it might have been like to be on a Pirate ship. It is a interesting story that is not cliché or predictable. It has a good balance of facts and history with out being boring or overly detailed in sailing terms. It is unique, I have never read another book like it. I am looking forward to reading the second book, "Glasby's Pirates".

[PixiePop]

An amazing exploration of a time in history that the media fails to portray in a mature and nuanced way. I especially enjoyed how natural the humor in the book felt and how (SPOILER) it has a happy ending that does not feel forced or chliche. As I reached the last chapters, I was jumping with joy in my living room.

[L. martin]

This is a terrific book with a very involving and even first person perspective. It gets deep into the ennui of pirates... where they come from, who they are, what is going on in their brains. The research is brilliant and about as encompassing as it comes. It's a massive epic and may remind you of the writing of John Jakes and even a little bit of Michener.

[Howard E. Robertson]

Excellent story telling.

The author researched the known facts and I twined the into a book that is impossible to put down. This is a #1 best seller. Good job Jay.

[Jen Parenti]

What a fun book!!!!! Loved it!

[Sidney W.]

I love to read historical fiction. I especially like stories where the author comes up with a believable outcome where facts are unknown. Glasby's Fortune is such a book. Much of the book as well as the major characters are based on actual events and people. You can look them up on the internet as you read. But, not everything was recorded in the main time period of this book (1720-1722) and in other cases, many of the people who did record what happened were known to exaggerate or change the information to put themselves in a better light.

This is a possible story of what happened when Harry Glasby was abducted by Bartholomew Roberts to serve as his first mate because of his navigation skills. The story is told in first person from Harry's point of view as if it had been written many years later. This gives Harry the ability to give the reader a glimpse into the future from time to time which made the story more interesting. I had to remind myself that Harry must have lived through the many fights he observed on the pirate ship since he was writing about it at some future time. Even so, I read on hoping he would achieve his goal to escape and return to his fiancé and child in Boston.

The author shows his knowledge of the time as well as shipping, pirates, international business, prostitution, and slavery. The author admits he found little about Harry Glasby's personal life in the historical record, but this book portrays a person so interesting you can't help but keep reading.

There are many surprises along the way. I think you'll enjoy each one.