Oshkosh Public Library

Black flags, blue waters, the epic history of America's most notorious pirates, Eric Jay Dolin

eng

Includes bibliographical references (p. [317]-365) and index

contains biographical information

index present

non fiction

Black flags, blue waters

bibliography

1021802812

Eric Jay Dolin

the epic history of America's most notorious pirates

"With surprising tales of vicious mutineers, imperial riches, and high-seas intrigue, Black Flags, Blue Waters vividly reanimates the 'Golden Age' of piracy in the Americas. Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the dramatic and surprising history of American piracy's 'Golden Age'--spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s--when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond. Best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates how American colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them. Through engrossing episodes of roguish glamour and extreme brutality, Dolin depicts the star pirates of this period, among them towering Blackbeard, ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey. Also brilliantly detailed are the pirates' manifold enemies, including colonial governor John Winthrop, evangelist Cotton Mather, and young Benjamin Franklin. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes, Dolin provides this wholly original account of the seafaring outlaws whose raids reflect the precarious nature of American colonial life"--, Provided by publisher

Small beginnings -- Welcomed with open arms -- "Where the money was as plenty as stones and sand" -- Crackdown -- War's reprieve -- Interlude or a pirate classification -- Treasure and the tempest -- The gentleman pirate and Blackbeard -- Fading away -- Epilogue: "yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!"