The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan

by Robert Hough

The Sisters Brothers meets Master and Commander in Robert Hough’s rollicking and raucous new historical novel.


The year is 1664, and Benny Wand, a young thief and board game hustler, is arrested in London for illegal gaming. Deported to the city of Port Royal, Jamaica, known as “the wickedest city on earth,” Wand is forced by his depleted circumstances to join a raid on the Spanish city of Villahermosa. The mission is a perilous success, and Wand attracts the attention of the mission’s leader, an up-and-coming Welsh seaman, Captain Henry Morgan, whose raids on Spanish strongholds are funded by the British government.


While embarking on a campaign in the Caribbean, Wand and Morgan develop an unlikely friendship through a shared love of chess. As Morgan is corrupted by his increasingly sordid attacks on Spanish cities, he slowly becomes Wand’s greatest enemy. To defeat his former ally, Wand embarks on a strategic battle of wits and must help Morgan in the most savage and unexpected way possible. This is blistering and bawdy storytelling at its best.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Pirates, Adult, Adventure, Ebooks

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Toronto author, bon-vivant, family man, spelunking enthusiast. My seventh novel, The Marriage of Rose Camilleri, was published in November of 2021.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious, horrifying, sad, emotional, frightening and fun story of the real pirates of the Caribbean. It wasn't all rum drinking and pillaging! The writing in this book transported me right to the dirty streets of Port Royal. I still don't know what the "wigglies" were but I could feel them crawling over my feet. Were they guinea pigs? This book definitely isn't PG with lots of cussing, sex, horrific violence and torture and general sordidness which is exactly what I suspect Port Royal was actually like during this time. As far as I'm concerned with historical fiction I want to become completely immersed in the time and place that I'm reading and this book achieved that with flying colours!
What the impoverished men and women of this time had to do to survive is heartbreaking. I wasn't sure about Benny at first since he was a hustler and a criminal but he ended up being a surprisingly likable character. Right from the beginning he made me laugh and I knew that I was going to end up cheering for him. He was very believable as a hidden genius and it made sense to me that his abilities at chess would make him the perfect military strategist. In this story there are no real bad guys, except maybe the ignorant nobles back in England. There are also no true heroes although there are heroic actions performed. All of the main characters are complex and not at all one-dimensional. My feelings for many of them developed throughout the story as I would alternately pity them, despise them and laugh along with them.
Captain Morgan is such an interesting figure and I really didn't know that much about him. I knew him as the swashbuckling hero who liked a good party, mostly from the advertising from the rum brand that bears his name. I also know that those in the areas he decimated see him as an absolute butcher. This story really shows him as both and his struggle with his conscience over what he is forced to do. I definitely pitied him in his downfall.
I learned a lot about who the pirates were and why they chose to live that life, or were forced into it as the case may be. I also learned that apparently pirates lined their eyes with charcoal to deflect the sun. I thought the guyliner was just a Johnny Depp pirate thing!
While this story was incredibly sad I didn't finish the book feeling sad at all but rather hopeful. The adventure and humour stuck with me much more than the torture and despair. I wouldn't call this book uplifting but it is a lot more fun than it sounds! There's drinking, singing, gambling, whoring and everything you expect from pirates but it is also very thoughtful and philosophical.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you!

[Jean-Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I'll admit: I am a fan. So, with this out of the way, let's talk about this great story. It is the story of Benny Wand, a hustler, who decides to go to Jamaica instead of prison for his crime. He ends up in Port Royal, the "wickedest city on Earth". To earn a living, he enrolls to be a privateer, as a member of captain Henry Morgan's crew. The first part of the book takes us through his adventures and his becoming part of Morgan's inner circle. The second part takes us through his struggles in a life after privateering.

What makes this book a real pleasure to read is Hough's ability to tell a fantastic story, and his ability to create characters that are fascinating.The relationship between Wand and Morgan develops throughout the book, with their passion for the game of chess, and the struggle they're going through from their lives as privateers.

The book takes you through wonderful places and difficult times. And an ending I did not see coming.

Highly recommended.

[Filippa Depaolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be a simple tale, with great pace. It really zips along. Learned all about privateering vs. pirates. Henry Morgan was a privateer in the 17th century, which is something I knew little about. A Privateer was any individual granted license by their government to attack shipping belonging to an enemy government, usually during a war. Privateers were like private contractors: They received a Letter of Marque from their nation’s Admiralty, which granted them permission to raid enemy ships and keep a percentage of the spoils – so long as they paid a cut of that bounty back to the government. The bearer of the Letter of Marque would then go about hiring his or her own crew and ship at their own expense. A Privateer was operating legally, so long as they have the Letter of Marque. Unlike pirates who were operating illegally. At any rate, the book was an easy read, with interesting details about life during that period.

[H Peter Ji · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, what an exciting book. Well, till it wasn’t! But I did enjoy reading this book. Well, to the last 50-70 pages of the book. I’ll get to that in a moment but for now I must confess that I didn’t know any significance of Henry Morgan or his achievement in history. Besides the fact that it is fiction, it never crossed my mind that Benny Wand was a fictional character created around Morgan’s life. I bet everything was condensed toward the end of his life to fit in Wand’s story around him. Fascinating story for sure, from a privateer’s point of view.

I was excited throughout the whole time, again, except for the last 50-70 pages, that the story unfolded around adventures, mishaps, risk taking and most of all camaraderie that these English captains and expat-turned-privateers on Port Royal against the Spanish territories. It was different from what I had read in the past, and it was quite a nice change.

The story is about Brenny Wand, who had cheated people for money with his almost Godsend chess skills, ended up in Port Royal, and because of lack of money and food, he joined Henry Morgan’s attacks on the Spanish territories and brought swags back as rewards. Along the way, him being an excellent chess player, he identified the danger and risks of the battle but also helped Morgan take over the targets. Although it will never happen in real life, the author makes a very compelling case for Wand, and eventually Morgan and Wand develop a great relationship over playing chess.

I won’t give away the whole story nor do I have time to write all about it. But if you’re interested in adventures, history, in particular, the war between the English and the Spanish around the Caribbean for the world domination in the late 17th century, and how a fictional story was woven into the historic settings and developed around the such a prolific historic figure, which I learned as I was reading, thanks to Wikipedia, then you’ll love this book.

The only reason why I was rather bothered by the ending was, although it is how the author chose to have Wand to ‘save’ Morgan, to me it seemed a bit hasty and simply a justification riddled with the words that these two characters exchanged to the unavoidable ending. To me it was a bit of let down. But I’m not the only reader in this world, and many will find this ending quite suited.

[Doug Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

DOUG'S PICK

Cabin again for Book Club. This book averaged 3.5 stars.

Wade: 3.25 stars
p. 331 "I told you I'd beat you one day .... We'd been playing a game all along, Morgan and I, even since he got back from London, only I'd been too tick to realize it. I was his endgame. I was his escape. He knew the trap he was in and the beast he's become - there's nothing for it but the grave, Wand - and so he strung me along. He stole my livelihood, he murdered my friends, he showed me a fat sparkling reward - he did everything but put the gun in my hand. He was right. He made me kill him, and by doing so had grounded me."

Betsy: 3.75 stars
p. 338 "She just stood there looking at me, like I was someone she'd never seen before. Then she sighed and tilted herself forward, her forehead thudding again my chest. It was funny, that. I'd seen punched there and clubbed there and one frightful East Ender with an ugly imagination once smashed me there with a hot iron. Yet none of it made as much impact as Tessie's little head tap. Yeah, she was saying. I'll come."

Kathy: 3.5 stars
p. 102 "Like I said, he was a good player - better than good, even - though no match for someone born with an understanding that on every board there lies a glorious truth and it's your job to reveal it. Fact was, I heard music when I played chess. When I was getting at the truth, it was like birdsong. When I was crapping it, it was rusty pots clanging together. It was a hammer striking metal. It was hippo blowing farts from a sackbut."

Doug: 3.5 stars
p. 36 "The fact was, I put boarders in the same category as religion; as far as I could tell, both were invented to keep men in the places, and if that was the case, I saw no reason to fight for whatever country those borders contained, be it England or Spain or France or what have you."

[Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

DOUG'S PICK

Cabin Book Club! Average 3.5 stars.

Wade: 3.25 stars
p. 331 "I told you I'd beat you one day .... My bones turned cold, but there it was , refusing to go away, that bastard called the truth. We'd been playing a game all along. I was his endgame. I was his escape. He knew the trap he was in and the beast he'd become, and so he strung me along. He stole my livelihood, he murdered my friends, he showed me a fat sparkling reward - he did everything but put the gun in my hand. He was right. He made me kill him, and by doing so had trounced me."

Betsy: 3.75 stars
p. 338 "She just stood there looking at me, like I was someone she'd never seen before. Then she sighed and tilted herself forward, her forehead thudding against my chest. It was funny, that. I'd been punched there and clubbed there and one frightful East Ender with an ugly imagination once smashed me there with a hot iron. Yet none of it made as much impact as Tessie's little head tap."

Kathy: 3.5 stars
p. 102 "Like I said, he was a good player - better than good, even - though no match for someone born with an understanding that on every board there lies a glorious truth and it's your job to reveal it. Fact was, I heard music when I played chess. When I was getting at that truth, it was like birdsong. When I was crapping it, it was rusty pots clanging together. It was a hammer striking metal. It was a hippo blowing farts from a sackbut."

Doug: 3.5 stars
"p. 36 "The fact was, I put borders in the same category as religion; as far as I could tell, both were invented to keep men in the places, and if that was the case, I saw no reason to fight for whatever country those borders contained, be it England or Spain or France or what have you."

[Ron Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is evocative of its times, well researched and, most importantly, richly imagined. Chess sharp, thief and grifter Benny Wand is transported from an English prison to Port Royal in Jamaica. With no trade or means of survival, he signs on as a privateer with Captain Henry Morgan, who leads a series of bloody if lucrative raids on the Spanish Main. Morgan, it turns out, is a chess player, and takes an interest in Wand, and Wand is flattered, even besotted, by the great man. You could read this entertaining novel as a simple swashbuckler but it is also a sly and serious commentary on morality. I found it interesting to follow Benny’s development and growth against Morgan’s simultaneous moral decline.

[Järvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

An adventure story that has extremely outdated and naive feel about it. Do we need another book about colonialist powers dividing the world between themselves… There are some good philosophical points (both borders and religion are invented to keep men in their places, hopelessness if born in the wrong place, thinking - which means dwelling on things you know - vs imagination), but an uneducated illiterate bum being worshipped as a super strategist is just completely unbelievable.

[Peter Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sat on my bookshelf for a long time, always passed over for a flashier cover.  I finally broke down and cracked the cover last week.  Surprise, it’s a pretty good book but not what you expect.  Light on the pirate/privateer stuff (looting and pillaging) but more into the people and the situations.  A great read.

[SB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good beach read with an, unfortunately, predictable ending.

[Peter Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

swashbuckling and chess, who'd have guessed?

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp through early Caribbean pirate-ish conquest, told by a very entertaining main character. It didn't end how I wanted it to but it was still a really entertaining read

[Rory Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall enjoyable read.

[morowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY:

A young thief named Benny Wand is arrested for illegal gaming and deported to the city of Port Royal, Jamaica. Benny is forced to join a raid on a Spanish city, and he attracts the attention of the mission's leader, Captain Henry Morgan. Benny and Morgan develop an unlikely friendship through their shared love of chess. Morgan becomes corrupted through his attacks on Spanish cities, and he becomes Wand's greatest enemy.

[Stacey Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Hough is a great story teller.
Fight for the new world, chess and pirates!
no, you don't have to enjoy or know anything about Chess to enjoy this book, but it does add to the enjoyment. And don't worry, its a back story, a hobby of the main character, not the main focus.

[Steven Nowak · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great adventure! I really felt connected to several of the characters in this book. If you like pirates and adventure this is for you

[Kaj Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is dat de rum rijkelijk vloeit en troosteloze mannen op het strand bij elkaar kruipen om samen piratenliederen te zingen. Want voor een geschiedenisroman over een iconische boekanier bevat 'The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan' (2015) weinig scheepvaartromantiek. De roman speelt zich voornamelijk af rond het Jamaicaanse Port Royal, als een plek waar de gehele economie wordt gedreven door de vele plundertochten op Spaanse nederzettingen. In het havenkwartier zijn de tijdingen van overschot en schaarste voelbaar als plaatselijke cafébazen en prostituees hun marktwaarde bepalen aan de hand van het humeur van hun clientèle. Benny Wand zwerft er met zijn schaakbord door de straten op zoek naar betalende tegenstanders. Tot Benny's eigen verbazing maakt zijn schaakzwendeltje hem tot vaste sparringpartner van Henry Morgan, die verlegen zit om een waardige tegenstander. Voor de scheepskapitein zijn hun nachtenlange schaakpartijen een manier om zijn eigen schuldgevoelens te bezweren. Maar deze gelegenheidsvriendschap blijkt grillig als Morgan's positie in gevaar komt en hij weinig loyaal is naar ondergeschikten.

'The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan' (2015) is een aardige schelmenroman over klassenverschillen, privileges en ontmenselijkende kapitalistische mechanismen. Over de hypocrisie waarmee de Engelse Kroon enerzijds profiteerde van de dukaten die Henry Morgan binnensleepte, maar anderzijds op hem neerkeken als een ordinaire schobbejak zonder raffinement. Tegenover de roemruchte kapitein is ik-verteller Benny Wand een innemende underdog, die op jonge leeftijd moest leren om rijkeren in te palmen om zelf te overleven. Hij kan niet lezen of schrijven, maar heeft zelf geleerd hoe het schaakspel naar zijn hand te zetten. Anders dan Henry Morgan heeft Benny Wand veel te verliezen als een schaakmatch niet verloopt naar wens van zijn gastheer. Toch is het een serieus minpunt aan deze roman dat het spel van privileges beperkt blijft tot klassenverhoudingen tussen witte personages. Robert Hough laat zich weinig vleiend uit over de kolonialistische praktijken van de Engelsen, maar tegelijkertijd fungeren tot slaaf gemaakten en indianen vooral als decorstukken om een omgevingssfeer te creëren of om wreedheden te accentueren. Als er een fictieve figuur als Benny Wand verzonnen kon worden om de dualiteit van Henry Morgan mee te verbeelden, dan snap ik niet waarom bijvoorbeeld het perspectief van de Marrons schittert door afwezigheid.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the story of Benny Wand, a young chess player in London, England, who is doing what he can to survive. He is given the choice of either going to prison or getting shipped off to Port Royal, Jamaica, the "wickedest city on earth". He figures he has a better chance in Jamaica so off he goes. Needless to say, his voyage isn't on luxury liner.

When he arrives in Jamaica, he finds there are many like himself with no money, living on a beach, eating turtles, and waiting for Henry Morgan to gather together some men to raid Spanish cities in the area (at this time, England and Spain were at war).

Sir Henry Morgan (ca. 1635 – 25 August 1688) was a Welsh privateer, pirate and admiral of the Royal Navy who made a name for himself during activities in the Caribbean, primarily raiding Spanish settlements. He earned a reputation as one of the most notorious and successful privateers in history, and one of the most ruthless among those active along the Spanish Main.

After the raids, the men are extremely wealthy but then they blow their money on booze, guns and hookers ... and then wait 'til the next time Morgan needs them and the cycle begins again.

Because of Benny's expertise in chess, he and Morgan become friends because Morgan wants Benny to teach him how to play chess. Morgan soon looks to Benny for strategic advice in his attacks also. At first Benny has much admiration for Morgan but this changes as Morgan becomes corrupt with power and wealth.

This is not the kind of story I usually read but I enjoyed it. It caught my eye because I like Captain Morgan rum, which is named after Henry Morgan, plus the book is written by a Canadian.

The book is written in first person perspective, from Benny's point of view. Despite being a bit of a lowlife, I found Benny likable. I liked the writing style and found the pace was good. I thought the story was interesting. As a head's up, there is swearing, violence and adult activity.

I'd recommend this book.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2015/05...

[Colleen Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great, classic adventure story based on real historic events and figures. It's a pretty straightforward read; the plot is propelled by action based always on necessity rather than flowery description. In this way, the story keeps its momentum, finding natural climaxes in scenes of danger and bloodshed. Benny Wand is a fascinating character about whom you learn very little, but it makes him an interesting one to follow. It also makes you think about the title, which refers to him as only "the man." Despite Wand being a famous figure in reality, Hough paints a strangely anonymous portrait. The ending finally gives over to a bit of scenic admiration, which is a nice calming touch to the end of such an adventure.

[Cherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this book and to be honest I'm not really sure what the story was about. Was it about pirateering? Chess? A man vs. man or human nature? I'm not 100% sold on what the whole "point" was.

I gave it 3 stars because it was different from what I read, the writing was good, the story moved along and had just enough action and such but it lost me with all its pirate terms, and "seamen" talk. Don't even get me started about the chess. If you like chess I bet you'd love this book for me who knows nothing about it, I found myself bored and wanting to skim.

So all in all I have no idea what this story wanted to convey. It entertained me enough that I finished it, luckily for me it was a quick read.

[Anne Derkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the sort of book I would normally choose to read but I won it from Goodreads so gave it a go.

And I couldn't put it down.

It's the story of Benny Wand, a young thief and hustler who is deported to Jamaica in 1664 and the story of his survival in "the wickedest city on earth" and of his interactions with Captain Henry Morgan.

It's a fascinating story full of interesting and believable characters and graphic descriptions of the times they lived in. And oh, such a satisfying ending.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A foul-mouthed, hard-partying pirate story with echoes of the familiar Disney or Treasure Island, but based on the historical figure of Henry Morgan and with the actual geography and politics. Benjamin Wand was a chess hustler in England when he was arrested and transported to Jamaica, where he joined Henry Morgan's expeditions as a privateer against the Spanish. His skill as a master strategist in chess caught the eye of Henry Morgan and they became friends of a sort...until Morgan grew to be an enemy instead. What and how much does it take to make a monster of a man? A good guy read.

[Josianne Haag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won in Goodreads Giveaways.

Right away it is so easy to be transported into the setting. The way they speak, act and dress feels so authentic. The writing was also very engrossing. But because it was so different from the present in the morals and attitudes it was hard for me to connect with any of the characters. I did really think they were well developed but I never grew to care for them as much as I wanted to.

[Steven Buechler · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is the right mixture of research and imagination here to make this both an enlightening and entertaining read. We get an understanding of history, planning, politics and even human nature through the thoughts of Wand to appeal to our intellect but we also get the a sense of adventure and emotion too to thrill us. In short the plot has the right amount of strategy and swashbuckling.

http://tinyurl.com/j4byj85

[Mike Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many years I've been stuck on crime novels, mostly because I love a good whodunit story. But reading Hough's latest book made me realize there is a higher level of storytelling that I should seek out more often. Great characters, great plot, and clever, witty writing ...I'm a bit bummed out that I finished it this afternoon and can't look forward to a few more chapters tonight.

[Barbara Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What starts out as a wild, darkly humorous ride slowly turns into the sort of morality tale that would suit a novel by Dostoyevsky. Furthermore, the transition is seamless and so, so entertaining. Plus, I have to say that Benny Wand -- the book's protagonist -- is one of the most memorable characters I've come across in ages. Amazing literature.

[Catriona Rollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction. I love adventure. I love a good story. This was such a pleasurable culmination of everything I love in a book! It was my first "pirate" book and though it won't be my last I hope the rest can live up to the standards set by it. It was so exciting I would race home at night to read more. I can't wait to read the rest of Robert Hough's works now.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

As ever from Robert Hough, a great read. Meticulous research brings a time and place - 17th century Caribbean, most notably Port Royal, Jamaica - to life. Peppered with a cast of rapscallion characters, the story unfolds like the chess games which bind Henry Morgan and Benny Wand to each other. With an unexpected twist at the end this will keep you captivated.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan" kept us engaged throughout.

Despite my preconceived feelings about the life of an explorer and his men, the writer paints a life that is both challenging and a bit heartwarming. Both Benny and Henry Morgan's love of chess help cement their friendship. Surprisingly, the ending was unexpected.

Thank you GoodReads for the book.

[Jaclyn]

I couldn't get through this book. I really wanted to like it -- I love Sister Brothers and I love Hough's earlier novel Dr Brinkley's Tower. But this lacked the bite of the first and the magic of the second. I gave up on reading it about halfway through.