The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd by RichardZacks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Captain William Kidd was one of history's most notorious and bloodthirsty pirates, right?
Wrong, according to this well-researched book. It presents him as a skilled seaman and commander, ambitious, but naive in the treacherous ways of political man. Having made his name and fortune as a merchant skipper in New York (then a notorious pirate haven) he took passage to London in the futile hope of an appointment as a Royal Navy captain. After kicking his heels for a while he obtained a commission as a privateer to hunt pirates and attack the king's enemies. From which point his self-belief and gradual accumulation of enemies eventually led him to Execution Dock.
The book contrasts his career with contemporary Robert Culliford, an unsavoury piece of work if ever there was one. There is a lot of detail so keeping track of characters, events and ships needs a certain amount of focus. Some of the reproduction maps and documents are printed so small as to be barely worth inclusion. There are acknowledgements, a list of sources and index but no text notes.
All in all, an interesting and worthwhile read.



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