The best books about pirates (fact and fiction)

The best books about pirates (fact and fiction)
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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Book Review: Operation Darksail




Let me say first, that I enjoyed this book from beginning to end! The story is built on the premise of how things might go down if Blackbeard made a pact with the Devil to be allowed to come back to life in the modern world to recover his treasure and seek revenge against the descendants of Lt. Maynard, who is credited with having killed him back in November of 1718.

Blackbeard’s time travel is achieved through the mechanism of a storm, similar to that which sent the USS Nimitz back in time in the 1980 movie The Final Countdown. In the book, Commander Maynard, the last descendant of Lt. Maynard is serving aboard the USS Spruance when Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge first appears in modern times. But instead of being obliterated by modern weapons, the QAR survives unscathed. 

The story revolves around Blackbeard’s quest to recover his treasure and achieve revenge against Maynard. Maynard (and the US Navy) must figure out how to destroy him when none of their modern weapons have any effect on him. There are interesting sub-stories of Jeremy Ratliff, a sailor on the QAR who didn’t die with the others in 1718 but has come forward in time with them, and also around Angela Killian, a passenger on a yacht they capture who develops a love interest in Blackbeard. 

It also involves bringing the USS Constitution back into service, which for me was a fun part of the story, as I got to tour that ship when I was in Boston in 2012. 

Mr. Hayden served in the Navy in the Spruance, so the naval procedures and tactics are authentic and believable. His experience also makes the tactics utilized on the QAR believable.
All in all, this is an enjoyable tale that despite getting a little technical at times should appeal to a wide range of readers.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

New review of my book!

I thought you might enjoy reading this latest review of my book:

This book is nonfiction analogy written about events, particularly centering on pirates and their activities. Despite being a historical compilation of real-life events that took place back in the sixteenth century, in the areas known today as the United States of America and the islands surrounding the Caribbean Sea, yet the story is as thrilling as any farfetched fiction could be.
Reading through this book can make anyone have a feeling of déjà vu especially if you’ve watched movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and the likes.
Set during the era of wooden ships, the plot revolves around the activities of pirates operating on the Whydah ship, especially how they attacked ships took prisoners and also looted goods.
Samuel Bellamy is the principal character as well as a chief pirate the book dwelt on. It recounted his adventures and forays as one of the most notorious pirates in recorded history.
The author wrote the book more like a narrative than a novel, and also recounted most of the trends of that era, including how the authorities battled to contain piracy as well as the punitive measures that were taken against pirates that were caught.
Another good thing about the book is the fact that each chapter is followed by a glossary that explains certain terms as used in the book.

Original web site:

Book review

http://iloveuniquebooks.com/book-review/the-whydah-pirates-speak-volume-2






Women in Piracy 2022

Women in Piracy 2022
Listen to my talk on what life was like for women in the early 1700s and what made them decide to sneak on board ships as sailors.

Tune in to my interview with Phil Johnson!

Tune in to my interview with Phil Johnson!
Positive reviews on itunes are appreciated!