Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this informative volume, Dolin (When America First Met China) focuses on "pirates who either operated out of America's English colonies or plundered ships along the American coast" during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, a period dubbed the Golden Age of Piracy. While he is an unabashed fan of popular culture's treatment of legendary pirates, and includes a chapter on that topic, Dolin more than meets his objective of separating fact from fiction and establishing that there was "absolutely nothing romantic about [pirates], other than the legends woven about their exploits after they were gone." Graphic descriptions of violence, such as sexual assaults of passengers, debunk the image of pirates as appealing rogues. This is also more than just a litany of raids on prospective prey and battles between pirates and governments; for context, Dolin lays out the history of "political intrigue and collusion" between pirates and colonists who encouraged them because they enabled colonists "to obtain the goods and money they so desperately desired despite the onerous trade restrictions put in place by the mother country." Dolin's interpretations could be debated-he asserts that Capt. William Kidd was really a pirate-but this is nonetheless an excellent starting point for readers interested in this misunderstood chapter of American history. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Dolin (Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America) looks at the real-life adventures of the pirates who operated off the North American coast in the late 1600s. The British North American colonies were frequently willing to support piracy as a way to resist the Crown quietly. Pirates provided much-needed infusions of cash and goods into the colonial economy and often had close community ties through marriage and family. Colonial officials were not averse to accepting or extorting bribes from pirates. Dolin also includes informative tales and anecdotes of famous pirates, including sadistic Edward Low and Blackbeard, while setting listeners straight on pirate myth: pirates did not send victims to walk the plank; they wanted to spend their booty not bury it; they preferred not to fight; and African slaves sometimes served as crew and shared in the spoils. In the early 1700s, the East India Company pressured the British government into cracking down on piracy, and the practice faded in North America. Narrator Paul Brion delivers a solid performance. Verdict A colorful and diverting history of piracy in its heyday; will be of general interest and to pirate buffs. ["A colorful and well-researched study of piracy's glory days, rooted in historical context. Sure to appeal to pirate enthusiasts as well as serious researchers": LJ 8/18 review of the Norton hc.]-Cynthia Jensen, Gladys Harrington Lib., Plano, TX © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A brief but intriguing history of piracy's heyday.The word "pirate" evokes numerous symbols and legends, but what were the pirates of yore actually like? Focusing on American waters during piracy's "Golden Age" of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Dolin (Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, 2016, etc.) explains that pirates thrived in times of war, when privateering commissions provided a cover for more illicit activities. For a time, North American colonists welcomed these brigands, who simultaneously spent their ill-gotten gains in Colonial ports and provided an effective counter to unpopular English trade laws. Inevitably, however, they wore out their welcome, and a multipronged response by Colonial and English authorities in the aftermath of Queen Anne's War (1702-1713) virtually eliminated them. The author helpfully dismisses some of the more potent pirate myths. For example, there is little evidence that Cpt. William Kidd buried treasure on Gardiner's Island, New York; pirates tended to spend their treasure right away, not inter it. Moreover, no documentation exists of any "Golden Age" pirate forcing someone to walk the plank. But Dolin is at his best when he offers generalizations of pirates and their trade. The majority of pirates were white men in their 20s, but a significant number were black slaves taken from captured ships who "became valued crewmembers who fought alongside their white pirate brethren and shared in the spoils." Despite their reputation for violence, most pirates "never wanted to fight if they could avoid it," as confrontation only put their lives, ships, and potential cargo in jeopardy. Finally, a pirate ship was a highly democratic and regulated place, as buccaneers selected their captains by majority vote and abided by a written code that "governed their behavior, the distribution of treasure, and the compensation provided in case of injury."A general lack of records compromises Dolin's efforts, leaving one wanting to know more about notorious pirates such as Blackbeard and Edward Low. Nonetheless, the author offers an informative and often entertaining blend of narrative history and analysis that should appeal to a general audience. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
