[MacWage]

I was referred to this book By Ed Foxe, a significant figure in Pirate Reenactor and key figure in the Museum with the Golden Hind replica in England. I had asked about the influence of the Jacobites and the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion upon the "Golden Age of Piracy" (1715-1725, roughly).

Jacobitism is not a mojor thrust of the book, but it DOES make a tremendous amount of Jacobite sympathies among the pirates themselves, the founding of the New Providence/Nassau base, and the continuation of Jacobite feelings after the failure of the uprising. I didn't know that the Jacobite Lord Hamilton's BROTHER was governor of Jamaica and raised a fleet of war-ships with the intent to creating a "Jacobite Navy" (under the cover of protection from the Spanish) and the leaders of that fleet of privateers, Hornigold and Jennings were the primary figureheads of the pirates at the start of the GAoP. After the failure of the Rebellion, Hamilton tried to cover his tracks and cut off his own sea captains, who moved their base from Jamaica to New Providence, mainly Nassau. There, they created a semi-democracy, wherein there were MANY Scots and Jacobite sympathizers, of other British nationalities/ethnicities as well. Nassau was the "Republic of Pirates" in the title.

The book is a WELL researched and documented treatise on the Golden Age of Piracy and follows the key figures in a chronological format, with subsections within each chapter focusing on one group/figure at a time. So, the text is easy to follow. The endnotes reflect an ENORMOUS amount of primary and contemporary or near-contemporary secondary sources for the statements and claims by the author.

The book more than met my expectations, which (admittedly) weren't very high after the rash of HORRIBLE "pirate books" released after the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. This one, however, ranks as one of the better treatments, PERIOD, on the era of Sam Bellamy, Charles Vane, Blackbeard/Teach, and the like. it is well researched and worth the time to read, which is a claim the MAJORITY of modern "pirate histories" cannot make.

For the treatment of the Jacobitism, I can think of NO better book I have come upon in my studies.

An example of the depth of the feelings among the pirates can be shown in their ship names:
"Queen Anne's Revenge" Blackbeard's renaming of the La Concorde
"Royal James" (Stede Bonnets renaming of his ship to cover his tracks)
Several "Charles" based names

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to those interested in the REAL story of the Golden Age of Piracy.

[Deer Sniper]

I never realized the depth of the Jacobite sympathies in the pirate ranks, but it does seem so on reflection.

[starringashrslf]

Deer Sniper said:

I never realized the depth of the Jacobite sympathies in the pirate ranks, but it does seem so on reflection.

That's because...It's All Part Of Being A Pirate

[Mike]

starringashrslf said:

That's because...It's All Part Of Being A Pirate

Oh dear...

I suspect other than you and myself, only pngwn and Cupcake will know what you are referring to with that line.

[starringashrslf]

Mike said:

Oh dear...

I suspect other than you and myself, only pngwn and Cupcake will know what you are referring to with that line.

I figured, but I just couldn't help myself.