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Blackbeard's Ghost #1
Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard, probably the most idealized pirate of all time, is inadvertently raised from the dead by the two teenage boys of this story. Either tradition carved out an undeserved reputation for him, or his personality faded over the ages, but this folksy apparition seems to be missing his old swashbuckle. The prologue blends some facts about Blackbeard's last days, protected by the Governor of the Carolinas until his undoing by the Governor of Virginia, with a tale about a tavern built by the pirate and his crew. When the old tavern is to be torn down and replaced by a gas station, J.D. Jones and Hank Obertuffer poke around in the rubble and find an old incantation which they read aloud at a mock seance. The spectral old salt makes his appearance, and rants about town until he gets to repossess the tavern, and thereby avenge his betrayal. Blackbeard emerges as a greasy looking fellow, with an underlay of bluster rather than fire. The boys, who seem too young for their high school classes, have tedious wise-cracking, ungrammatical conversations. The author has included a number of paintings in his widely popular Saturday Evening Post style. -Kirkus Reviews
184 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1965
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 21, 2024
I don't even know what to think of this book. I got it because I grew up watching the 1960s Disney movie by the same name, after I saw it was based off of this book by Ben Stahl. It's not the book's fault that it is NOTHING like the movie, but it tainted my enjoyment of the book for its own merit. The only thing it had in common with the movie was the character of Blackbeard and the fact that he got called back as a ghost. Otherwise, absolutely nothing like the film.
Apart from that, the story was just so-so, the character development was lacking, and it was kind of like a poorly written Hardy Boys (which is saying something). Overall, while I'm glad I read it for the experience, I just can't give it more than 2 stars.
Apart from that, the story was just so-so, the character development was lacking, and it was kind of like a poorly written Hardy Boys (which is saying something). Overall, while I'm glad I read it for the experience, I just can't give it more than 2 stars.
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January 4, 2019Good book and also movie too
August 23, 2008
I saw the old Disney version of this and thought it was hilarious! So I was really excited when I found the book! They actually are really different, but both are really funny in their own ways.
January 24, 2016
Review to come.
May 22, 2017
An adventure story, a bit scary, a bit funny and a good read.
July 17, 2025
Blackbeard's Ghost is one of the first movies I remember seeing in a theater. Watching it again, I saw how ... basically terrible it was, save for Suzanne Pleshette. Still, the nostalgia was there, so I got the novella it was based on.
Sort of. First of all, this book has Blackbeard, a town called Godolphin, and an incantation left by a witch named Aldea. There the commonalities end. And it's excruciating reading. If all the instances of the word grin were removed, it would be reduced to a short story. If I never see grin as a verb again, my life will be blessed. You never saw such grinning as in this book. It means smile, sneer (when modified by sneering), and "say while grinning." And the humor is agressively unfunny.
Oh, and the pacing. If you're writing a story about Blackbeard's ghost that's 140 pages long, don't have Blackbeard all alive and stuff for the first 30 pages, then jump forward 250 years! And have the kids who conjure his ghost do it before page 60! At least Disney got that right - start as late as you can in the story. Dean Jones shows up and unwittingly reads a good conjuring spell he finds in a bedwarmer he bought at the auction to help save the inn built from Blackbeard's ship right off the bat.
Anyway, nobody in the book seems to wrestle with the implications of hard evidence of a literal hell - the spell that mentions (if misspelled) Satan, and Blackbeard's first-person reports of hell and knowing Satan personally. I think I respect that - subversion in kid lit, even if (I'm confident) it's just that the author was too clueless to know THAT'S AN INSANE THING TO HAVE IN A KID'S BOOK.
The slang is charmingly terrible, and the adults are alternately "ghosts? ridiculous!" and "oh, a real ghost. huh. well, anyway, we have a gas station to build" in that perfect "what the hell is wrong with every adult in a kid's book or movie?" way.
If you know the movie, don't expect this book will scratch that itch in any way.
I guess I needed to process. You didn't have to read this. Now I tell you. Oops.
Sort of. First of all, this book has Blackbeard, a town called Godolphin, and an incantation left by a witch named Aldea. There the commonalities end. And it's excruciating reading. If all the instances of the word grin were removed, it would be reduced to a short story. If I never see grin as a verb again, my life will be blessed. You never saw such grinning as in this book. It means smile, sneer (when modified by sneering), and "say while grinning." And the humor is agressively unfunny.
Oh, and the pacing. If you're writing a story about Blackbeard's ghost that's 140 pages long, don't have Blackbeard all alive and stuff for the first 30 pages, then jump forward 250 years! And have the kids who conjure his ghost do it before page 60! At least Disney got that right - start as late as you can in the story. Dean Jones shows up and unwittingly reads a good conjuring spell he finds in a bedwarmer he bought at the auction to help save the inn built from Blackbeard's ship right off the bat.
Anyway, nobody in the book seems to wrestle with the implications of hard evidence of a literal hell - the spell that mentions (if misspelled) Satan, and Blackbeard's first-person reports of hell and knowing Satan personally. I think I respect that - subversion in kid lit, even if (I'm confident) it's just that the author was too clueless to know THAT'S AN INSANE THING TO HAVE IN A KID'S BOOK.
The slang is charmingly terrible, and the adults are alternately "ghosts? ridiculous!" and "oh, a real ghost. huh. well, anyway, we have a gas station to build" in that perfect "what the hell is wrong with every adult in a kid's book or movie?" way.
If you know the movie, don't expect this book will scratch that itch in any way.
I guess I needed to process. You didn't have to read this. Now I tell you. Oops.
February 1, 2019
I have finally read Blackbeard's Ghost by Ben Stahl, a book I picked up over twenty years ago at a yard sale. I picked this book up, among others, because I was a kid when the Disney movie came out and I wanted to read the book to relive the wonder my younger self had sitting in the movie theater watching Peter Ustinov play Blackbeard. This book was written in 1965, three years before the movie was released. Due to this, the language and writing seemed dated.
Although the idea for the movie comes from the book, it is vastly different. I found this to be a plus though because I have read that Walt Disney liked pirates (thus the ride), and while reading it I could picture possibly him reading it and think about the changes he would make to it so it would be more entertaining to his chosen audiences.
The book starts out with a brief introduction to Blackbeard and his death at the hands of Robert Maynard. Flash forward 200 years or so and two Jr. High School boys are looking for treasure in the Boar's Head Tavern built by Blackbeard as it is being torn down so they can build a gas station on the site.
The treasure J.D. and Hank find is a yellowed old piece of parchment with a spell written on it. they decide to have a seance to earn some money by scaring younger kids. But of course when they go through with their plan, they bring to life the ghost of Blackbeard.
During the next few days, several comical events happen all leading to the saving of the Boar's Head Tavern.
I enjoyed this book as a pure escapist read that brought back many of the memories I had when I first saw the movie. I would say it is more geared toward young readers, unless like me you are using it to remember fond childhood adventures.
Even though I had a real pleasure reading this book, I rated it a three because I had to strip all my memories away so other readers without my reasons wouldn't come to this book with high expectations.
Although the idea for the movie comes from the book, it is vastly different. I found this to be a plus though because I have read that Walt Disney liked pirates (thus the ride), and while reading it I could picture possibly him reading it and think about the changes he would make to it so it would be more entertaining to his chosen audiences.
The book starts out with a brief introduction to Blackbeard and his death at the hands of Robert Maynard. Flash forward 200 years or so and two Jr. High School boys are looking for treasure in the Boar's Head Tavern built by Blackbeard as it is being torn down so they can build a gas station on the site.
The treasure J.D. and Hank find is a yellowed old piece of parchment with a spell written on it. they decide to have a seance to earn some money by scaring younger kids. But of course when they go through with their plan, they bring to life the ghost of Blackbeard.
During the next few days, several comical events happen all leading to the saving of the Boar's Head Tavern.
I enjoyed this book as a pure escapist read that brought back many of the memories I had when I first saw the movie. I would say it is more geared toward young readers, unless like me you are using it to remember fond childhood adventures.
Even though I had a real pleasure reading this book, I rated it a three because I had to strip all my memories away so other readers without my reasons wouldn't come to this book with high expectations.
January 14, 2022
I found this on my bookshelf and thought I would give it a read. I'm sure I watched the movie as a kid, but don't really remember much about it which seems to be a good thing as it sounds like the book and the movie don't follow one another very closely.
A fun and spirited book about two young boys who bring a Pirate back as a ghost/poltergeist. A quick and easy read though the language definitely dates to the time period it was written (1965). I kept picturing the brothers from Leave it to Beaver as the main characters. I was impressed by how quickly you get to know all the characters, although, they are not very complex.
A fun and spirited book about two young boys who bring a Pirate back as a ghost/poltergeist. A quick and easy read though the language definitely dates to the time period it was written (1965). I kept picturing the brothers from Leave it to Beaver as the main characters. I was impressed by how quickly you get to know all the characters, although, they are not very complex.
June 1, 2020
I received this book from Gold Beach Books during the Great American Book Giveaway of Quarantine 2020.
It's a middle-grade children's book, written in the 1960s, about the ghost of a pirate who comes back to life after being awakened by a duo of junior high boys. Even as an adult, it's an enjoyable read. It was also apparently made into a Disney movie even before I was born, so I am looking forward to checking it out from Netflix soon.
It's a middle-grade children's book, written in the 1960s, about the ghost of a pirate who comes back to life after being awakened by a duo of junior high boys. Even as an adult, it's an enjoyable read. It was also apparently made into a Disney movie even before I was born, so I am looking forward to checking it out from Netflix soon.
October 21, 2021
I picked this book up out of curiosity to see how closely the movie followed it. I will say this, in terms of comparison Blackbeard's ghost is accidentally brought forth to the current era and that is where the similarity stops. Personally I liked the movie better. That being said, the book is well written and entertaining. The artwork is beautiful. Most likely middle-grade readers would enjoy this the most. It might be a little scary for younger readers.
April 7, 2019
this was just a fun read. Unfortunately, the whole time I read this, I was thinking of the Disney version. this isn't that. this is the original book, which has two young boys bringing back Blackbeard's ghost.
October 21, 2018
Completely different than the Disney movie that was supposedly based on this, but still a fun, quick read.
December 30, 2018
D. fiction, children's fiction, grade 5, restoration of Blackbeard's property, mom's stash, discard
September 13, 2019
Got nothing on the movie.
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February 14, 2020Still love this book
October 3, 2021
It was a little difficult to start but then picked up and I enjoyed it.
December 21, 2023
Deedee Hooker, really
October 9, 2022
Quite different from the Disney movie, but still a fun story about two teenage boys and the ghost of the pirate Captain Blackbeard.
Read
July 27, 2012Funny kid's book
February 5, 2014
This is a good fictional book, that actually has a pretty solid factual basis. The movie, however, is far better. A quick and easy read that would be most appreciated by an older child or young teen.
March 28, 2013
Entertaining book for kids.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews