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Blackbeard: The Birth of America
Winner Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year AwardsWinner Beverly Hills Book AwardsAward-Winning Finalist American Book Fest Best Book Awards The Birth of America is the true story of Edward Thache--former British Navy seaman and notorious privateer-turned-pirate, who lorded over the Atlantic seaboard and Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. A Robin-Hood-like American patriot and the most famous freebooter of all time, Blackbeard was illegally hunted down by Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood, the British Crown's man in Williamsburg obsessed with his capture. Based on reliable historical records and the latest research, this adventure tale illuminates the true man behind the myth and his doggedly determined pursuer, revealing a cat-and-mouse game and important historical figure lost to us in a "fog of legend, myth and propaganda" for three hundred years. A folk hero in his own lifetime, Blackbeard exploded onto the scene during the birth of America and was one of the first American revolutionaries in the War of Independence against British rule.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2018
1401 people are currently reading
908 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Marquis
16 books111 followersThe ninth-great-grandson of legendary privateer Captain William Kidd, Samuel Marquis, M.S., P.G., is a professional hydrogeologist, expert witness, and bestselling, award-winning author of twelve American non-fiction-history, historical-fiction, and suspense books, covering primarily the period from colonial America through WWII. His American history and historical fiction books have been #1 Denver Post bestsellers and received multiple national book awards (Kirkus Reviews and Foreword Reviews Book of the Year, American Book Fest and USA Best Book, Readers’ Favorite, Beverly Hills, Independent Publisher, Colorado Book Awards). His historical titles have garnered glowing reviews from bestselling authors, colonial American history and maritime historians, U.S. military veterans, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Foreword Reviews (Starred Reviews, 5 Stars). His website is samuelmarquisbooks.com and for publicity inquiries, please contact BooksForward at info@booksforward.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
March 31, 2018
5 stars and a bottle of rum to Blackbeard! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
One of the places I was fortunate to live while growing up was the coast of North Carolina. Blackbeard’s ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, was run aground in 1718 at Beaufort Inlet, NC. Blackbeard-everything abounded from standing exhibits at the local nautical museum and aquarium, trinkets and souvenirs, a restaurant in his name, and even a play. I was a young child then and already had an interest in history, so my obsession with the legend of Blackbeard began.
Reading this historical fiction book about Blackbeard was like the most delectable bit of nostalgia. Told in dual narratives of Blackbeard himself and Virginia lieutenant governor, Alexander Spottswood, Blackbeard is on the run while the obsessive Spottswood wants him captured to garner favor with England.
Prior to that, the book gives a full background on Edward Thatch (Edward Teach) painting him as quite the hero before he became much maligned. His motives and values are explored throughout. In the early days, pirates like Blackbeard were given charters from state governments to attack French and Spanish ships, and it was only later that alliances were shifted.
Interestingly, the author is a distant relative of Captain Kidd, so he offers unique insight into this tale. I was able to read Blackbeard over a couple weeks, easily picking up the book at different times and falling right back into the well-written, engaging, and entertaining story. Well-done, Samuel Marquis! I’ll be checking out more of your historical novels.
Thank you to Samuel Marquis, JKS Communications, Mount Sopris Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. Blackbeard is available now!
One of the places I was fortunate to live while growing up was the coast of North Carolina. Blackbeard’s ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, was run aground in 1718 at Beaufort Inlet, NC. Blackbeard-everything abounded from standing exhibits at the local nautical museum and aquarium, trinkets and souvenirs, a restaurant in his name, and even a play. I was a young child then and already had an interest in history, so my obsession with the legend of Blackbeard began.
Reading this historical fiction book about Blackbeard was like the most delectable bit of nostalgia. Told in dual narratives of Blackbeard himself and Virginia lieutenant governor, Alexander Spottswood, Blackbeard is on the run while the obsessive Spottswood wants him captured to garner favor with England.
Prior to that, the book gives a full background on Edward Thatch (Edward Teach) painting him as quite the hero before he became much maligned. His motives and values are explored throughout. In the early days, pirates like Blackbeard were given charters from state governments to attack French and Spanish ships, and it was only later that alliances were shifted.
Interestingly, the author is a distant relative of Captain Kidd, so he offers unique insight into this tale. I was able to read Blackbeard over a couple weeks, easily picking up the book at different times and falling right back into the well-written, engaging, and entertaining story. Well-done, Samuel Marquis! I’ll be checking out more of your historical novels.
Thank you to Samuel Marquis, JKS Communications, Mount Sopris Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. Blackbeard is available now!
August 12, 2018
An interesting point of view, setting up the pirates of the early 19th century, as patriots of the fledgling "Americas." There is no doubt of the corruption of the British Crown's appointed colony governors. However, I feel the author belabored his point of view, ad nauseum.
I skimmed the last one hundred pages or so and pretty much skipped the Afterword.
I skimmed the last one hundred pages or so and pretty much skipped the Afterword.
August 20, 2018
Once an officer in the Royal Navy, Edward Thache (pronounced “Teach”) has become disenchanted with the restrictions and interference the British government in London enacts on her colonies in the New World. Nor is he the only one who feels as he does. A growing portion of sailors, as well as some colonists, see themselves as Americans first and Englishmen second, and their dislike of these infringements and London’s unequal treatment of her colonies mirrors his own. Such thoughts seem foreign to the love of his life, Margaret of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. When he announces his intention of sailing to Jamaica to become a privateer and salvage gold from the Spanish treasure fleet wrecked off the coast of La Florida, she sees nothing legal about such a venture. He will just follow in Captain Kidd’s footsteps – become a pirate and hang.
Gold and silver, as well as other riches strewn across the ocean floor in July 1715, lure many others to the wreck site. By the time Edward sets sail in September, arrives in Jamaica to get his commission from the governor, and then heads to the coast of La Florida, little remains to salvage. But Henry Jennings has a plan, and Edward and three other captains join forces to raid the Spanish wreck camp ashore. No sooner do they succeed in capturing the wealth they seek, than Edward realizes he has crossed the threshold Margaret predicted and is now a pirate. No longer able to return to Jamaica or Pennsylvania, the flotilla heads for New Providence; the British colony lacks a government and none seems forthcoming, so the pirates claim it for their own. Two principal factions form this pirate republic: those who follow Jennings, an upper-middle-class landholder from Bermuda, and the Flying Gang, whose leader is Benjamin Hornigold, whom Jennings considers beneath him, a common thief and wrecker with no scruples. Although Edward burns no bridges, he decides to sail in consort with Hornigold.
Alexander Spotswood, the lieutenant governor of Virginia, finds himself once again at odds with the House of Burgesses and other leading citizens of Williamsburg, who disagree with the king’s proclamations, especially those that endanger their livelihoods. Such thoughts not only rub Alexander the wrong way, they also border on being treasonous, for he is a stalwart Loyalist. Nor are they happy with his edicts, which ostensibly are to protect the colony, but always seem to profit him as much as the king and the absentee governor. They are at such loggerheads that they have a representative in London working to have Spotswood recalled.
While these hassles demand much of his attention, Alexander works on another plan – one that involves the treasure wrecks. His advisor cautions against doing so without permission, and once it arrives, Spotswood sends a friend and naval officer on a two-pronged mission: recover what silver and gold he can and then proceed to the Bahamas to determine a truer count of pirate numbers and learn as much as possible about their strengths, weaknesses, and whereabouts. This information will ultimately allow Alexander to devise a plan to eradicate the threat the pirates pose to his colony and trade. During the interim, he explores Virginia and oversees the building of his palace in the capital.
Sent by his owner, Tobias Knight, Caesar accompanies men from Bath County, North Carolina to the wreck site. Soon after he surfaces after one dive, pirates capture their vessel. When the captain discovers that Caesar is an educated slave, he invites Caesar to join the pirates and become a free man. It is an opportunity Caesar welcomes, and he quickly becomes Edward Thache’s trusted steward.
Having taken the path of piracy, Edward understands that he can’t go back to the life he knew. What he doesn’t expect is the lonesomeness that accompanies his new life. To visit his family in Jamaica or Margaret in Pennsylvania risks their lives as well as his own. Even though he is surrounded by his men, whose lives he won’t risk unless he can win, they cannot fill the void he feels until Samuel Bellamy arrives in New Providence. This audacious newcomer pirate had the temerity to steal Jennings’ ship laden with 30,000 pieces of eight after the pirate captain entrusted the vessel into his care. Sam sees himself as a Robin Hood of the sea, which strikes a chord with Edward, and their shared experience in the Royal Navy gives them a bond that allows a friendship to grow. The more time they spend in each other’s company, the more Edward comes to see Sam as a feisty younger brother. But Sam has no qualms about attacking ships of all nations, and this eventually causes a rift within the Flying Gang.
Another newcomer to the pirate republic is Stede Bonnet. Compared with other pirates, he is an odd fellow and his arrival is less than auspicious. Ever since he was a child, Stede dreamed of becoming a successful buccaneer like Sir Henry Morgan and Henry Avery. Death, boredom, a nagging wife, and a deep melancholy eventually lead him to forsake his family and follow his dream. Rather than acquire a ship and crew in normal pirate fashion, he buys the former and hires sailors to go on the account with him. But Stede hasn’t a clue how to sail the ship and his crew shows him little respect. Against their advice, he attacks a more powerful Spanish vessel, which causes the death of many of his men and nearly kills him. With no other options, his men sail to New Providence where the brethren there can deal with Stede.
Most of the Flying Gang pay him little heed, but Edward admires Bonnet’s sloop and has met this gentleman pirate once before, back when he was an honest man. Their similar backgrounds provide a common bond, and Edward offers to repair the sloop and acquire a crew and new captain for her. In exchange, he will give Stede his own cabin aboard his vessel and teach him about navigation and sailing.
In time, news reaches New Providence of Sam Bellamy’s death, King George’s pardon for pirates, and the imminent arrival of Governor Woodes Rogers who has orders to put an end to the pirate republic. Edward senses the tide is changing and the days of pirates are numbered. The more successful he becomes, the more infamous the newspapers paint him. The future looks bleak, but a small beacon of hope offers him way to regain respectability, to marry Margaret, and to settle down to raise a family. While he works toward making his hopes a reality, Spotswood is determined to bring about his demise no matter what.
This historical novel is a riveting portrayal of the legendary Blackbeard, two of the men who sailed with him, and their nemesis Alexander Spotswood. Marquis does a superb job incorporating historical research unveiled in the past two decades with global archival documentation to reconstruct a bygone era in places as they existed during the golden age of piracy. In nearly 400 pages, I came across only one short chapter where Thache’s actions seem out of character, but when you consider that the historical events are equally incongruous, Marquis’ retelling becomes somewhat plausible. The only low mark I give this book concerns the very small font size that was used. It’s a strain on the eyes and makes it easy to lose one’s place.
Marquis does a commendable job sifting through 300 years of myths and legends that surround Thache. The depth of his research and strict adherence to history’s timeline combine to add threads of authenticity to what is in reality a fictional story that allows us to see these men as living, thinking people with hopes and dreams and to understand what motivated them to do as they did. The manner in which Bonnet is depicted makes him less of the anomaly that he is in pirate history. Even though most readers know the outcome of the story as regards Blackbeard, the fight between Lieutenant Maynard and Thache is just as gripping as if we are present to witness the battle. Nor does the story end there. The last chapter where Caesar and Spotswood finally meet is a rousing scene that leaves readers feeling well satisfied and eager to learn more about these characters and piracy in general, not to mention looking forward to reading other stories written by this author.
While I might not see Blackbeard as the patriot that Marquis does, Blackbeard is one of those rare historical novels that transports us back to the past where Thache, Spotswood, Caesar, Bonnet, and all the other pirates and colonists lived in ways that make them truly memorable. Each scene is a you-are-there moment forever frozen in time and each character elicits an emotional response, be it good or bad, with which we can identify. Blackbeard is both thrilling and thought-provoking, and an adventure only a reader with an ardent dislike of historical fiction would want to miss.
Gold and silver, as well as other riches strewn across the ocean floor in July 1715, lure many others to the wreck site. By the time Edward sets sail in September, arrives in Jamaica to get his commission from the governor, and then heads to the coast of La Florida, little remains to salvage. But Henry Jennings has a plan, and Edward and three other captains join forces to raid the Spanish wreck camp ashore. No sooner do they succeed in capturing the wealth they seek, than Edward realizes he has crossed the threshold Margaret predicted and is now a pirate. No longer able to return to Jamaica or Pennsylvania, the flotilla heads for New Providence; the British colony lacks a government and none seems forthcoming, so the pirates claim it for their own. Two principal factions form this pirate republic: those who follow Jennings, an upper-middle-class landholder from Bermuda, and the Flying Gang, whose leader is Benjamin Hornigold, whom Jennings considers beneath him, a common thief and wrecker with no scruples. Although Edward burns no bridges, he decides to sail in consort with Hornigold.
Alexander Spotswood, the lieutenant governor of Virginia, finds himself once again at odds with the House of Burgesses and other leading citizens of Williamsburg, who disagree with the king’s proclamations, especially those that endanger their livelihoods. Such thoughts not only rub Alexander the wrong way, they also border on being treasonous, for he is a stalwart Loyalist. Nor are they happy with his edicts, which ostensibly are to protect the colony, but always seem to profit him as much as the king and the absentee governor. They are at such loggerheads that they have a representative in London working to have Spotswood recalled.
While these hassles demand much of his attention, Alexander works on another plan – one that involves the treasure wrecks. His advisor cautions against doing so without permission, and once it arrives, Spotswood sends a friend and naval officer on a two-pronged mission: recover what silver and gold he can and then proceed to the Bahamas to determine a truer count of pirate numbers and learn as much as possible about their strengths, weaknesses, and whereabouts. This information will ultimately allow Alexander to devise a plan to eradicate the threat the pirates pose to his colony and trade. During the interim, he explores Virginia and oversees the building of his palace in the capital.
Sent by his owner, Tobias Knight, Caesar accompanies men from Bath County, North Carolina to the wreck site. Soon after he surfaces after one dive, pirates capture their vessel. When the captain discovers that Caesar is an educated slave, he invites Caesar to join the pirates and become a free man. It is an opportunity Caesar welcomes, and he quickly becomes Edward Thache’s trusted steward.
Having taken the path of piracy, Edward understands that he can’t go back to the life he knew. What he doesn’t expect is the lonesomeness that accompanies his new life. To visit his family in Jamaica or Margaret in Pennsylvania risks their lives as well as his own. Even though he is surrounded by his men, whose lives he won’t risk unless he can win, they cannot fill the void he feels until Samuel Bellamy arrives in New Providence. This audacious newcomer pirate had the temerity to steal Jennings’ ship laden with 30,000 pieces of eight after the pirate captain entrusted the vessel into his care. Sam sees himself as a Robin Hood of the sea, which strikes a chord with Edward, and their shared experience in the Royal Navy gives them a bond that allows a friendship to grow. The more time they spend in each other’s company, the more Edward comes to see Sam as a feisty younger brother. But Sam has no qualms about attacking ships of all nations, and this eventually causes a rift within the Flying Gang.
Another newcomer to the pirate republic is Stede Bonnet. Compared with other pirates, he is an odd fellow and his arrival is less than auspicious. Ever since he was a child, Stede dreamed of becoming a successful buccaneer like Sir Henry Morgan and Henry Avery. Death, boredom, a nagging wife, and a deep melancholy eventually lead him to forsake his family and follow his dream. Rather than acquire a ship and crew in normal pirate fashion, he buys the former and hires sailors to go on the account with him. But Stede hasn’t a clue how to sail the ship and his crew shows him little respect. Against their advice, he attacks a more powerful Spanish vessel, which causes the death of many of his men and nearly kills him. With no other options, his men sail to New Providence where the brethren there can deal with Stede.
Most of the Flying Gang pay him little heed, but Edward admires Bonnet’s sloop and has met this gentleman pirate once before, back when he was an honest man. Their similar backgrounds provide a common bond, and Edward offers to repair the sloop and acquire a crew and new captain for her. In exchange, he will give Stede his own cabin aboard his vessel and teach him about navigation and sailing.
In time, news reaches New Providence of Sam Bellamy’s death, King George’s pardon for pirates, and the imminent arrival of Governor Woodes Rogers who has orders to put an end to the pirate republic. Edward senses the tide is changing and the days of pirates are numbered. The more successful he becomes, the more infamous the newspapers paint him. The future looks bleak, but a small beacon of hope offers him way to regain respectability, to marry Margaret, and to settle down to raise a family. While he works toward making his hopes a reality, Spotswood is determined to bring about his demise no matter what.
This historical novel is a riveting portrayal of the legendary Blackbeard, two of the men who sailed with him, and their nemesis Alexander Spotswood. Marquis does a superb job incorporating historical research unveiled in the past two decades with global archival documentation to reconstruct a bygone era in places as they existed during the golden age of piracy. In nearly 400 pages, I came across only one short chapter where Thache’s actions seem out of character, but when you consider that the historical events are equally incongruous, Marquis’ retelling becomes somewhat plausible. The only low mark I give this book concerns the very small font size that was used. It’s a strain on the eyes and makes it easy to lose one’s place.
Marquis does a commendable job sifting through 300 years of myths and legends that surround Thache. The depth of his research and strict adherence to history’s timeline combine to add threads of authenticity to what is in reality a fictional story that allows us to see these men as living, thinking people with hopes and dreams and to understand what motivated them to do as they did. The manner in which Bonnet is depicted makes him less of the anomaly that he is in pirate history. Even though most readers know the outcome of the story as regards Blackbeard, the fight between Lieutenant Maynard and Thache is just as gripping as if we are present to witness the battle. Nor does the story end there. The last chapter where Caesar and Spotswood finally meet is a rousing scene that leaves readers feeling well satisfied and eager to learn more about these characters and piracy in general, not to mention looking forward to reading other stories written by this author.
While I might not see Blackbeard as the patriot that Marquis does, Blackbeard is one of those rare historical novels that transports us back to the past where Thache, Spotswood, Caesar, Bonnet, and all the other pirates and colonists lived in ways that make them truly memorable. Each scene is a you-are-there moment forever frozen in time and each character elicits an emotional response, be it good or bad, with which we can identify. Blackbeard is both thrilling and thought-provoking, and an adventure only a reader with an ardent dislike of historical fiction would want to miss.
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May 7, 2018
Blackbeard: The Birth of America, is the latest novel by #1 Denver Post Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Samuel Marquis. Marquis, who has been described as "The new Follett, Silva and Clancy all rolled into one," is best known for his World War II and Colorado-based enviro/techno-thrillers. But he tries a new tack and takes to the sea for this latest page-turner, which in nautical terms is a chest full of booty.
Marquis did meticulous research for this 369-page tour de force, but it turns out the novel may have been in his DNA. Marquis is the ninth great-grandson of legendary privateer Captain William Kidd, so it is with an historian's focus, a writer's precision and the blood of a pirate that he crafted this true story of Edward Thache--former British Navy seaman and notorious privateer-turned-pirate, who lorded over the Atlantic seaboard and Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy.
The latest Marquis release coincides with tricentennial celebrations of Blackbeard, (see: www.ncdcr.gov/blackbeard-300), which promise plenty of rigorous historical debate about this celebrated -- and misunderstood -- man of the sea. In his book, Marquis clarifies some of the myths and realities of Blackbeard, reveals intimate details about Blackbeard's alluring Swedish lover Margaret (last name unknown) and captures the vernacular of the era's plunderers and picaroons with dialogue that is as salty as the waters The Queen Anne's Revenge patrolled three centuries ago.
In short, Blackbeard: The Birth of America was outstanding! Once I had it in my hands, I couldn't put it down. Although some reviewers complained about the type size, I had no problem reading it as the words literally jumped off the page.
SAMUEL MARQUIS--#1 DENVER POST BESTSELLING AUTHOR; WINNER FOREWORD BOOK OF THE YEAR, BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARDS, AND NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS; AWARD-WINNING FINALIST USA BEST BOOK AWARDS, BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARDS, NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS, AND COLORADO BOOK AWARDS
Marquis did meticulous research for this 369-page tour de force, but it turns out the novel may have been in his DNA. Marquis is the ninth great-grandson of legendary privateer Captain William Kidd, so it is with an historian's focus, a writer's precision and the blood of a pirate that he crafted this true story of Edward Thache--former British Navy seaman and notorious privateer-turned-pirate, who lorded over the Atlantic seaboard and Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy.
The latest Marquis release coincides with tricentennial celebrations of Blackbeard, (see: www.ncdcr.gov/blackbeard-300), which promise plenty of rigorous historical debate about this celebrated -- and misunderstood -- man of the sea. In his book, Marquis clarifies some of the myths and realities of Blackbeard, reveals intimate details about Blackbeard's alluring Swedish lover Margaret (last name unknown) and captures the vernacular of the era's plunderers and picaroons with dialogue that is as salty as the waters The Queen Anne's Revenge patrolled three centuries ago.
In short, Blackbeard: The Birth of America was outstanding! Once I had it in my hands, I couldn't put it down. Although some reviewers complained about the type size, I had no problem reading it as the words literally jumped off the page.
SAMUEL MARQUIS--#1 DENVER POST BESTSELLING AUTHOR; WINNER FOREWORD BOOK OF THE YEAR, BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARDS, AND NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS; AWARD-WINNING FINALIST USA BEST BOOK AWARDS, BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARDS, NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS, AND COLORADO BOOK AWARDS
February 24, 2022
A refreshingly realistic take on the man known as Blackbeard, cobbled together from various historic documents and testimony. Making him out to be an American patriot may have been a bit of a stretch though. While I chose this book for research - and learned a few things - I didn't count on the immense amount of fictionalized conversations that were often just historical narration. This struck me as completely unrealistic and disingenuous to the point of distraction. Another fatal flaw was the amount of redundancy as the author repeated points both major and minor - often in prose and dialogue in quick succession. Perhaps he was a little too close to the subject matter and let his feelings color his writing. Regardless, I appreciate the attempt to clear away the myths, embellishments, and downright propaganda surrounding this most famous of pirates.
February 22, 2024
I agree with 5 Stars and a bottle of rum, great read!!
January 25, 2018
I could not stop reading this great piece of historical fiction. The book artfully unpacks emergent dimensions of a unique character in a fascinating historical context. Marquis' eight previous books all feature his terrific research, articulate story-telling, and super-tight writing. BLACKBEARD, Marquis' pilot pirate novel, adds a new attribute to Marquis' impressive profile: personal and familial ties to piracy. These connections shine through and make this a super-compelling romp through truly exciting lives and times.
January 16, 2024
I got this book for free! Always good to get free books on Kindleh.
Alright, so I had some mixed feelings on this one; it is essentially a novelization of Blackbeard’s life, but written with the idea that Blackbeard, and other pirates of the Golden Age, were what we might think of as the first “Americans”. They are people who thought to split away from the nations of Europe and start a democratic experiment. Marquis is hardly the first I’ve seen to suggest something like this (“Assassin’s Creed IV” did much the same thing), though to say it so explicitly, constantly having characters refer to themselves as “Americans” rather than just pirate characters rejecting British rule, is something new.
I don’t know that I buy it? I am fully for putting historical characters within the context of the socio-political movements of the day! I don’t think that characters talking about this specific type of freedom is warranted, though, and I suspect it’s a result of Marquis really trying to romanticize Blackbeard.
Yes, it’s true that historians believe Blackbeard wasn’t the bloodthirsty monster he’s often depicted as by pop culture–until his final battle, we have little evidence that he ever committed violence on anyone at all. He preferred to use his reputation to get enemies to surrender. Yes, it’s true that he was killed in battle when he was about to retire. However, I don’t think that Marquis’s suggestion in the Afterward that he’s really a noble man, the colonial Jean Valjean, who only wanted to be with his love and was trapped by circumstances, is a perfect view either. It makes him way too noble of a man, and while Blackbeard could have been many things, a patriot fighting for love feels…like it’s trying too hard.
Also, a surprising number of the pirates in this book are Jacobites? I thought that was weird.
I don’t know! My understanding is that pirates were almost entirely apolitical. They couldn’t be completely divorced from the political institutions of the time, true, but I don’t think piracy was a form of political protest as much as what they did to survive with the skills they had. And of course, we can’t escape that it involves stealing from people.
So as a novel, it’s fine, I guess–it’s not outstandingly written, I think, though I like having different points of view, especially Caesar’s. You don’t often see (or *I* don’t, anyway) pirate narratives from the point of view of black men, and so it’s nice to see that here. Spotswood is a bit cartoonishly evil for my taste, however effective that may have been for the author’s point.
And of course, even if I took issues with a lot of the choices, it is startlingly effective in making a tragedy of the resolution: Blackbeard still gets killed, Bonnet goes to his noose blubbering, Caesar goes back to slavery, Maynard doesn’t get paid, and Spotswood doesn’t even get the power that he was planning on.
I’m also a little confused as to Marquis’s excuse for refusing Charles Johnson as a source? I’ve seen scholars say it was unreliable and exaggerated, sure, and Marquis says that. At the same time, Marquis then says something like, “Well, it was written six years after his death, so it’s obviously unreliable!” and, uh, my guy, six years is not that long a time, historically speaking. Most of the time when people make that kind of criticism, it’s about an account written over a hundred years later.
And hey, Caesar’s slavery is played a lot less… bad than it really would have been.
Okay, so the book’s a mess. Still, if you like Blackbeard and pirates, you should maybe check it out? If nothing else, there’s a lovely list of scholarly sources in the back that are worth checking out (including a scholar named ‘Duffus’???). And it’s certainly a *different* take on pirates than I’m used to. Maybe it’ll work better for someone else than it did for me. I don’t regret reading it, but I think it could have been much better in execution.
Alright, so I had some mixed feelings on this one; it is essentially a novelization of Blackbeard’s life, but written with the idea that Blackbeard, and other pirates of the Golden Age, were what we might think of as the first “Americans”. They are people who thought to split away from the nations of Europe and start a democratic experiment. Marquis is hardly the first I’ve seen to suggest something like this (“Assassin’s Creed IV” did much the same thing), though to say it so explicitly, constantly having characters refer to themselves as “Americans” rather than just pirate characters rejecting British rule, is something new.
I don’t know that I buy it? I am fully for putting historical characters within the context of the socio-political movements of the day! I don’t think that characters talking about this specific type of freedom is warranted, though, and I suspect it’s a result of Marquis really trying to romanticize Blackbeard.
Yes, it’s true that historians believe Blackbeard wasn’t the bloodthirsty monster he’s often depicted as by pop culture–until his final battle, we have little evidence that he ever committed violence on anyone at all. He preferred to use his reputation to get enemies to surrender. Yes, it’s true that he was killed in battle when he was about to retire. However, I don’t think that Marquis’s suggestion in the Afterward that he’s really a noble man, the colonial Jean Valjean, who only wanted to be with his love and was trapped by circumstances, is a perfect view either. It makes him way too noble of a man, and while Blackbeard could have been many things, a patriot fighting for love feels…like it’s trying too hard.
Also, a surprising number of the pirates in this book are Jacobites? I thought that was weird.
I don’t know! My understanding is that pirates were almost entirely apolitical. They couldn’t be completely divorced from the political institutions of the time, true, but I don’t think piracy was a form of political protest as much as what they did to survive with the skills they had. And of course, we can’t escape that it involves stealing from people.
So as a novel, it’s fine, I guess–it’s not outstandingly written, I think, though I like having different points of view, especially Caesar’s. You don’t often see (or *I* don’t, anyway) pirate narratives from the point of view of black men, and so it’s nice to see that here. Spotswood is a bit cartoonishly evil for my taste, however effective that may have been for the author’s point.
And of course, even if I took issues with a lot of the choices, it is startlingly effective in making a tragedy of the resolution: Blackbeard still gets killed, Bonnet goes to his noose blubbering, Caesar goes back to slavery, Maynard doesn’t get paid, and Spotswood doesn’t even get the power that he was planning on.
I’m also a little confused as to Marquis’s excuse for refusing Charles Johnson as a source? I’ve seen scholars say it was unreliable and exaggerated, sure, and Marquis says that. At the same time, Marquis then says something like, “Well, it was written six years after his death, so it’s obviously unreliable!” and, uh, my guy, six years is not that long a time, historically speaking. Most of the time when people make that kind of criticism, it’s about an account written over a hundred years later.
And hey, Caesar’s slavery is played a lot less… bad than it really would have been.
Okay, so the book’s a mess. Still, if you like Blackbeard and pirates, you should maybe check it out? If nothing else, there’s a lovely list of scholarly sources in the back that are worth checking out (including a scholar named ‘Duffus’???). And it’s certainly a *different* take on pirates than I’m used to. Maybe it’ll work better for someone else than it did for me. I don’t regret reading it, but I think it could have been much better in execution.
August 2, 2023
At least some of my disappointment with this book probably stems from my misunderstanding of the genre into which this book fell. I thought I was purchasing a biography rather than a piece of historical fiction. As a result, I struggled at times to slog my way through the book. But there were other features and elements that also contributed to my ambivalence toward the book.
Marquis displays a strong understanding of his subject matter. He clearly did extensive research. The dates and most of the characters are true to the historical narrative. He provides vivid depictions of action sequences. These strengths should have made this book easy for me to read, captivating my attention and drawing me in. Unfortunately, they failed to do so.
A couple issues combined to steal my enthusiasm. First, the romance aspect of the story was sappy and awkward. While Marquis was adept at describing naval battles, he foundered in the bedroom sequences. The scenes would have fit better in a bodice-ripping Harlequin romance than a piece of historical fiction recounting the exploits of Blackbeard.
Likewise, the dialogue among the characters was stilted and stodgy and did not flow smoothly. At times, Marquis tried to advance the narrative by communicating important details through conversation - a useful strategy when done well. Alas, it was not done well. It became wordy, with unrealistic monologues that would not have fit the context of such a conversation. Further, Marquis oscillated between refined, proper English of the time and trite stereotypes of piratical jargon, jumping between Downton Abbey and Pirates of the Caribbean. He also utilized a number of idioms that were not historically accurate. For example, he used “propaganda” in a way that was not utilized until about one hundred years after the events of this book. He used “muckraker” in a context 200 years before Teddy Roosevelt coined it. His quote that “three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead” is actually attributed to Abraham Lincoln - some 150 years after this story takes place. Other issues included grammatical errors that were distinctly from the 20th and 21st century (e.g., …”we need to try and …” instead of “try to …”).
Another weakness was his overly detailed and redundant rehearsal of Spotswood’s plots and schemes, along with the potential pitfalls and obstacles. Marquis goes into finite detail again and again, saying the same thing, adding nothing new.
Marquis also hammers home his theory that Blackbeard was a “Robin Hood” leading his “merry men” against the establishment and fighting for social justice, redistribution of the wealth, etc. I am not sold on this perspective. It strikes me as revisionist history, but it is an intriguing idea to consider. Nonetheless, after the first several times the concept is laid out, it becomes just a tiresome, annoying din. I get your point; move on.
I should have been able to shrug off these issues, but for some reason I couldn’t. As mentioned, Marquis’ research is thorough. The action moves along at a good pace. The characters are fairly well developed. But for some reason, I found the book a tiresome, tedious slog. In the final assessment, his writing style just did not resonate with me.
Marquis displays a strong understanding of his subject matter. He clearly did extensive research. The dates and most of the characters are true to the historical narrative. He provides vivid depictions of action sequences. These strengths should have made this book easy for me to read, captivating my attention and drawing me in. Unfortunately, they failed to do so.
A couple issues combined to steal my enthusiasm. First, the romance aspect of the story was sappy and awkward. While Marquis was adept at describing naval battles, he foundered in the bedroom sequences. The scenes would have fit better in a bodice-ripping Harlequin romance than a piece of historical fiction recounting the exploits of Blackbeard.
Likewise, the dialogue among the characters was stilted and stodgy and did not flow smoothly. At times, Marquis tried to advance the narrative by communicating important details through conversation - a useful strategy when done well. Alas, it was not done well. It became wordy, with unrealistic monologues that would not have fit the context of such a conversation. Further, Marquis oscillated between refined, proper English of the time and trite stereotypes of piratical jargon, jumping between Downton Abbey and Pirates of the Caribbean. He also utilized a number of idioms that were not historically accurate. For example, he used “propaganda” in a way that was not utilized until about one hundred years after the events of this book. He used “muckraker” in a context 200 years before Teddy Roosevelt coined it. His quote that “three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead” is actually attributed to Abraham Lincoln - some 150 years after this story takes place. Other issues included grammatical errors that were distinctly from the 20th and 21st century (e.g., …”we need to try and …” instead of “try to …”).
Another weakness was his overly detailed and redundant rehearsal of Spotswood’s plots and schemes, along with the potential pitfalls and obstacles. Marquis goes into finite detail again and again, saying the same thing, adding nothing new.
Marquis also hammers home his theory that Blackbeard was a “Robin Hood” leading his “merry men” against the establishment and fighting for social justice, redistribution of the wealth, etc. I am not sold on this perspective. It strikes me as revisionist history, but it is an intriguing idea to consider. Nonetheless, after the first several times the concept is laid out, it becomes just a tiresome, annoying din. I get your point; move on.
I should have been able to shrug off these issues, but for some reason I couldn’t. As mentioned, Marquis’ research is thorough. The action moves along at a good pace. The characters are fairly well developed. But for some reason, I found the book a tiresome, tedious slog. In the final assessment, his writing style just did not resonate with me.
October 18, 2018
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Summary:
Revisiting the legend that is Edward Thache, better known as Blackbeard, [elsewhere known as “Edward Teach”, but not referred to as such in this novel], the book seeks to clarify the myths and “fake news” that the powers of the time propagated about him. The novel takes the viewpoint that Blackbeard was in fact the original American patriot, a worthy forerunner of Franklin, Revere and Washington.
Main Characters:
Blackbeard: Son of a wealthy Jamaican planter, possessed of magnetic leadership qualities, charismatic and intelligent, he is the larger than life figure we have all read about in every schoolboy pirate novel. As described in the novel, he is more than the bloodthirsty murderer of legend.
Alexander Spotswood: Blackbeard’s eventual nemesis, he is the arrogant, grasping and greedy governor of Virginia, almost universally disliked, yet extremely astute politically.
Stede Bonnet: A landowner sent into despair by grief following the death of his first-born son, he turns pirate, but whose career runs almost totally the reverse when compared to Blackbeard’s. Hugely unpopular with his crew, no natural sea-faring abilities, and completely unfit for the life of a sea-rover.
Caesar: A black slave whom Blackbeard liberates, and who becomes one of the most trusted of Blackbeard’s comrades. He is not the “Black Caesar” of legend, but is unquestionably loyal to Thache, and seeks to learn as much as possible about the sea and life from his idol.
Minor Characters:
Margaret of Marcus Hook: The Swedish love of Blackbeard’s life. Her character is a bit of a mystery historically, but she is described as loving and loyal, and fearful of the fate that awaits her lover.
Lieutenant Maynard: The Royal Navy officer who eventually runs Blackbeard to ground.
Black Sam Bellamy: Young, charismatic, the “Robin Hood of the Sea”, his seditious speeches and thoughts turn Blackbeard’s head, and into an American patriot.
There are so many others who could be listed here, who all had a role to play in building the legend, then destroying the man, ranging from Hornigold (Blackbeard’s first partner in crime), to governor Eden who pardoned him, to the over-arching (though absent) presence of King George I.
Plot:
We follow Thache as he begins sea-life, first as a Royal Navy officer, who witnesses first-hand the privations and punishments notorious in the royal fleet, which disgusts this privileged son of a wealthy Jamaican planter.
In 1715, he gets a loose commission from Governor Eden of North Carolina to salvage coin from wrecked Spanish ships, and sets off. The ships had gone down in a giant storm, and valuable treasure has been littered all over the shallow seafloor around Florida. By taking things a little too far, and raiding the camp of the Spanish soldiers, he crosses the line, and “goes on the account” i.e. becomes a pirate.
Spotswood, the governor, becomes increasingly embroiled in the local political in-fighting in Virginia, and has either alienated or increased tensions with most of his peers. He relies on his authority as the King’s representative to get a lot of things done, but there is an undercurrent of self-enrichment to his activities. While excoriating men such as Blackbeard for their crimes, he is not above bending the law to his own ends, or smashing it to pieces.
After capturing the slave Caesar, then recognising the quality of the man and turning him into a trusted crew-member, Blackbeard dives into the pirate life. He has no choice, as he is a wanted man. He has a natural capacity for leadership, and indeed the piratical society is much more egalitarian for its time (and even for today) than any other governing system. As time passes however, he realises there is less to the life than the dash and danger, and increasingly misses his lady-love, and his family. However, since he has chosen this life, he then aims to excel at it.
Blackbeard eventually comes across Stede Bonnet, who has just been soundly beaten in a fight he was advised against, and contrary to all belief takes him on as an apprentice. Bonnet is very depressed, filled with romantic notions of the sea that bear no semblance to reality, and his hired crew openly disrespect him. Bonnet sails with Thache for a year or so, but ultimately learns nothing. His career and failings serve only to highlight how successful Blackbeard was.
As the novel unfolds, we get an insight into the human Blackbeard, who loved his Margaret (family name lost to history), how he really treated his captives, his friends, alliances and enemies. We watch as he grows his pirate fleet from one small ship, to a flotilla with over 600 men serving under him. We see him at times wracked with indecision over which path to take, but steadfast when he chooses it.
As the novel draws to a close, we look on at the political machinations of Spotswood, and his determination to destroy Blackbeard to further (illegally) his own ends. We see the lengths to which Spotswood is prepared to go, even to invading his fellow colony North Carolina (an illegal move). Blackbeard’s final battle is thrilling – you can smell the gunsmoke from the pistols, and hear the ringing of steel against steel, as the pirate and the lieutenant fight for their very lives.
What I Liked:
- The depth of research is impressive. Throwing up a new picture of the dread pirate, and backing it up with a heady mixture of facts and strong narrative, makes this a great read.
- I loved the final battle scene.
- The recreation of the world of the pirates was excellent, with the right level of detail to give a clear insight, and providing a great background for how they interacted amongst themselves.
- The writing is clear, descriptive and engaging. It made the book very easy to read.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The author was firmly of the belief that Blackbeard was the first of the American patriots, and does seem to justify the numerous crimes in this light. However, he was a pirate, and received a dubious pardon for his deeds (which he subsequently broke). I’m no Blackbeard scholar, so I can only believe he was motivated as much by personal gain as throwing off the yoke.
- There was overkill on various points. We read about Spotswood’s political intentions too many times, we go back and forth in conversations, leading to a little disjointedness in the story flow. It is good for context, but the subject matter does not need the details of 18th century political life in Virginia spelled out more than once.
Overall:
I would definitely recommend this book. Superb subject matter (appeals to the 8-year old pirate king inside of me :D), well-written though a little over-patriotic, and thoroughly researched, it would be an excellent holiday read, or a base for further and deeper studies into the Golden Age of Piracy.
Acknowledgements:
My thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me a free pdf of the book, in return for an honest and objective review.
Summary:
Revisiting the legend that is Edward Thache, better known as Blackbeard, [elsewhere known as “Edward Teach”, but not referred to as such in this novel], the book seeks to clarify the myths and “fake news” that the powers of the time propagated about him. The novel takes the viewpoint that Blackbeard was in fact the original American patriot, a worthy forerunner of Franklin, Revere and Washington.
Main Characters:
Blackbeard: Son of a wealthy Jamaican planter, possessed of magnetic leadership qualities, charismatic and intelligent, he is the larger than life figure we have all read about in every schoolboy pirate novel. As described in the novel, he is more than the bloodthirsty murderer of legend.
Alexander Spotswood: Blackbeard’s eventual nemesis, he is the arrogant, grasping and greedy governor of Virginia, almost universally disliked, yet extremely astute politically.
Stede Bonnet: A landowner sent into despair by grief following the death of his first-born son, he turns pirate, but whose career runs almost totally the reverse when compared to Blackbeard’s. Hugely unpopular with his crew, no natural sea-faring abilities, and completely unfit for the life of a sea-rover.
Caesar: A black slave whom Blackbeard liberates, and who becomes one of the most trusted of Blackbeard’s comrades. He is not the “Black Caesar” of legend, but is unquestionably loyal to Thache, and seeks to learn as much as possible about the sea and life from his idol.
Minor Characters:
Margaret of Marcus Hook: The Swedish love of Blackbeard’s life. Her character is a bit of a mystery historically, but she is described as loving and loyal, and fearful of the fate that awaits her lover.
Lieutenant Maynard: The Royal Navy officer who eventually runs Blackbeard to ground.
Black Sam Bellamy: Young, charismatic, the “Robin Hood of the Sea”, his seditious speeches and thoughts turn Blackbeard’s head, and into an American patriot.
There are so many others who could be listed here, who all had a role to play in building the legend, then destroying the man, ranging from Hornigold (Blackbeard’s first partner in crime), to governor Eden who pardoned him, to the over-arching (though absent) presence of King George I.
Plot:
We follow Thache as he begins sea-life, first as a Royal Navy officer, who witnesses first-hand the privations and punishments notorious in the royal fleet, which disgusts this privileged son of a wealthy Jamaican planter.
In 1715, he gets a loose commission from Governor Eden of North Carolina to salvage coin from wrecked Spanish ships, and sets off. The ships had gone down in a giant storm, and valuable treasure has been littered all over the shallow seafloor around Florida. By taking things a little too far, and raiding the camp of the Spanish soldiers, he crosses the line, and “goes on the account” i.e. becomes a pirate.
Spotswood, the governor, becomes increasingly embroiled in the local political in-fighting in Virginia, and has either alienated or increased tensions with most of his peers. He relies on his authority as the King’s representative to get a lot of things done, but there is an undercurrent of self-enrichment to his activities. While excoriating men such as Blackbeard for their crimes, he is not above bending the law to his own ends, or smashing it to pieces.
After capturing the slave Caesar, then recognising the quality of the man and turning him into a trusted crew-member, Blackbeard dives into the pirate life. He has no choice, as he is a wanted man. He has a natural capacity for leadership, and indeed the piratical society is much more egalitarian for its time (and even for today) than any other governing system. As time passes however, he realises there is less to the life than the dash and danger, and increasingly misses his lady-love, and his family. However, since he has chosen this life, he then aims to excel at it.
Blackbeard eventually comes across Stede Bonnet, who has just been soundly beaten in a fight he was advised against, and contrary to all belief takes him on as an apprentice. Bonnet is very depressed, filled with romantic notions of the sea that bear no semblance to reality, and his hired crew openly disrespect him. Bonnet sails with Thache for a year or so, but ultimately learns nothing. His career and failings serve only to highlight how successful Blackbeard was.
As the novel unfolds, we get an insight into the human Blackbeard, who loved his Margaret (family name lost to history), how he really treated his captives, his friends, alliances and enemies. We watch as he grows his pirate fleet from one small ship, to a flotilla with over 600 men serving under him. We see him at times wracked with indecision over which path to take, but steadfast when he chooses it.
As the novel draws to a close, we look on at the political machinations of Spotswood, and his determination to destroy Blackbeard to further (illegally) his own ends. We see the lengths to which Spotswood is prepared to go, even to invading his fellow colony North Carolina (an illegal move). Blackbeard’s final battle is thrilling – you can smell the gunsmoke from the pistols, and hear the ringing of steel against steel, as the pirate and the lieutenant fight for their very lives.
What I Liked:
- The depth of research is impressive. Throwing up a new picture of the dread pirate, and backing it up with a heady mixture of facts and strong narrative, makes this a great read.
- I loved the final battle scene.
- The recreation of the world of the pirates was excellent, with the right level of detail to give a clear insight, and providing a great background for how they interacted amongst themselves.
- The writing is clear, descriptive and engaging. It made the book very easy to read.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The author was firmly of the belief that Blackbeard was the first of the American patriots, and does seem to justify the numerous crimes in this light. However, he was a pirate, and received a dubious pardon for his deeds (which he subsequently broke). I’m no Blackbeard scholar, so I can only believe he was motivated as much by personal gain as throwing off the yoke.
- There was overkill on various points. We read about Spotswood’s political intentions too many times, we go back and forth in conversations, leading to a little disjointedness in the story flow. It is good for context, but the subject matter does not need the details of 18th century political life in Virginia spelled out more than once.
Overall:
I would definitely recommend this book. Superb subject matter (appeals to the 8-year old pirate king inside of me :D), well-written though a little over-patriotic, and thoroughly researched, it would be an excellent holiday read, or a base for further and deeper studies into the Golden Age of Piracy.
Acknowledgements:
My thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me a free pdf of the book, in return for an honest and objective review.
March 13, 2022
I gave this book two stars. One star for the author's effort in researching information about Blackbeard. The second star is really not a positive. I gave one star for the ability to publicize and garner awards for what is poorly written and constructed rough draft. I now am very suspicious of any author who claims accolades from a Kirkus Review. The book is not really in a shape to be properly reviewed. I did read every word in the book. I don't believe it has been properly edited. The sentences are awkward, poorly constructed, and grammatical errors abound. The style problems make the book harder and more tortuous to read than necessary because the mistakes distract the reader. Some of the writing is so bad, I was laughing out loud; even though there was nothing humorous about this book. The organization is poor and there are times when the author is repetitive for no discernable reason. There are some interesting anachronisms that distracted me from the reading. One example, of the many I noticed, is the use of the word mesquite. I'm still pondering how pirates on the east coast of the America could have been burning wood from the western United States, when the Texas hadn't been discovered at the time. Maybe it is because I was reading historical fantasy and not fiction? Sometimes specialized words are used without explanation. I was able to tell what a banyan was out of context, but could not figure out what it really meant until well into the next chapter. Because I didn't know what was coming up, I wasted my time trying to look up the use and context of banyan. When the author got around explaining it, I was really annoyed.
I can't recommend this book. I think I'll stick to historical fiction that was written before the internet, like James Michener. An excellent example of historical fiction that I would recommend would be Graham of Claverhouse by Ian Maclaren.
I can't recommend this book. I think I'll stick to historical fiction that was written before the internet, like James Michener. An excellent example of historical fiction that I would recommend would be Graham of Claverhouse by Ian Maclaren.
January 13, 2020
The introduction to this got me excited because a lot of historical information was consulted by the author that shows Blackbeard very differently than pop culture has painted him and among the sources was David Cordingly, who wrote one of the best non-fiction books about pirates I've ever read.
Having established that the author did his research, this is presented as Historical Fiction so I was prepared to settle back and enjoy a good pirate story, but secure in the knowledge that it was based on facts as far as they are known. The one problem was that a lot of those facts were shoehorned in and made the flow of the story a little awkward.
Still, Blackbeard comes over as a mostly sympathetic character. The early chapters read more like a history book than historical fiction, but I did get caught up in the story a few chapters in. The events and chance meetings that led Edward Thache to turn from honest naval service to piracy are put into context in a way that demonstrates that he had little choice, as so many characters from history have found themselves on the wrong side of the law through circumstances of their times.
I enjoyed getting a look inside the sequence of events that actually happened and how Thache morphed into the pirate Blackbeard and obtained the Queen Anne's Revenge. With historical fiction about real people, you already know how it ends. It's reading about the sequence of events that lead up to what history tells us that makes it interesting and I came out of this feeling real sympathy for Blackbeard and his reasons for turning pirate, not least of all because he preferred taking his prizes without hurting anyone when he could.
Having established that the author did his research, this is presented as Historical Fiction so I was prepared to settle back and enjoy a good pirate story, but secure in the knowledge that it was based on facts as far as they are known. The one problem was that a lot of those facts were shoehorned in and made the flow of the story a little awkward.
Still, Blackbeard comes over as a mostly sympathetic character. The early chapters read more like a history book than historical fiction, but I did get caught up in the story a few chapters in. The events and chance meetings that led Edward Thache to turn from honest naval service to piracy are put into context in a way that demonstrates that he had little choice, as so many characters from history have found themselves on the wrong side of the law through circumstances of their times.
I enjoyed getting a look inside the sequence of events that actually happened and how Thache morphed into the pirate Blackbeard and obtained the Queen Anne's Revenge. With historical fiction about real people, you already know how it ends. It's reading about the sequence of events that lead up to what history tells us that makes it interesting and I came out of this feeling real sympathy for Blackbeard and his reasons for turning pirate, not least of all because he preferred taking his prizes without hurting anyone when he could.
December 27, 2018
I chose this book after reading Michener's Chesapeake. That book touched on pirates and their horrible actions in the bay. To say the Two books viewed piracy and pirates differently is quite an understatement. This book romanticizes Blackbeard to an absurd degree and justifies piracy and pirates with a ridiculous comparison to Robin Hood. The contradictions within individual chapters made me smh. Probably the most frustrating thing about the book was the repetition. I understood that Blackbeard loved Margaret and wanted to marry her, but I didn't need to read it a dozen or more times. Worse than that, Blackbeard never did anything to get back to her, but instead kept breaking the law, sailing and finally settling on a beach for months for no apparent reason. I've hit this book pretty hard, but I can't say it wasn't worth the time. I learned quite a bit about this specific time and the major players involved.
January 28, 2024
I thought this was a history book but found it was fiction. Despite this, the author openly has an agenda present Blackbeard, and pirates in general, in a much better light than history shows them. While, I do think many were better people than they are credited for being, this book wasn't successful is showing this. The many problems with the story included too much narrative related to what the characters were thinking, actions and judgements made by the characters that were based on 20th century morals, and glaring historical inaccuracies. One example of an historical inaccuracy is having Blackbeard consider whether he would make it home in time for Thanksgiving in November. Since the book takes place before 1720 and Thanksgiving didn't take place every year or in November until after 1940, this was too much for me.
January 27, 2018
As the ninth great-grandson of illustrious privateer Captain William Kidd, Samuel Marquis has a unique interest and insight into the world of pirates. Marquis's investigation into the death--or murder--of Blackbeard turns the tables on traditional narratives regarding Blackbeard's demise. Told from the perspectives of both the pursued--Blackbeard--and the pursuer--Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood and the British Royal Navy--this truly unique novel sheds new light on the infamous story of Blackbeard and the Golden age of Piracy in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Coast.
March 25, 2019
This book was amazing! Blackbeard has given a romanticized view of pirates for many generations. But now, get to know him on a deeper level. From the start of his career to the sad ending of a fascinating life, this book will capture your interest from the start and keep you entranced throughout!
The life of Edward Teach (otherwise written as Thatch, or in the book, Thache) does not disappoint. Grab the book today!
The life of Edward Teach (otherwise written as Thatch, or in the book, Thache) does not disappoint. Grab the book today!
February 5, 2019
Great tale of Blackbeard and pirating in early America.
Although this is a fictional historical novel, it was well researched and sheds a completely different light on the infamous pirate Blackbeard. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this era!
Although this is a fictional historical novel, it was well researched and sheds a completely different light on the infamous pirate Blackbeard. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this era!
April 1, 2022
Well Researched
This book isn't all that well written, but it's very well researched, and for that reason I'm giving it 4 stars. I learned a lot about the history of piracy in general and Blackbeard in specific, and while annoyed by the bad writing (cloudiness, grammar, and diction) I really enjoyed learning so much.
This book isn't all that well written, but it's very well researched, and for that reason I'm giving it 4 stars. I learned a lot about the history of piracy in general and Blackbeard in specific, and while annoyed by the bad writing (cloudiness, grammar, and diction) I really enjoyed learning so much.
August 16, 2018
Fantastic!
Compelling story with well developed characters woven into historical accurate information about one of history’s most notorious pirates. While not excusing the piracy of Edward Thache, the author at least partially vindicates his motivation for it. I really enjoyed it
Compelling story with well developed characters woven into historical accurate information about one of history’s most notorious pirates. While not excusing the piracy of Edward Thache, the author at least partially vindicates his motivation for it. I really enjoyed it
August 21, 2019
A very good read based on facts, but written as a fictional account!
Now I desire to read the factual tidbits that were pieced together. Staying that the newspapers were not factual accounts but propaganda is interesting and does happen.
Now I desire to read the factual tidbits that were pieced together. Staying that the newspapers were not factual accounts but propaganda is interesting and does happen.
March 20, 2018
Over the years, I’ve read a number of Samuel Marquis’s historical thrillers. I’ve become a fan who’s happy with pretty much every volume, many of which are set during World War II. Among the many surprises of his new Blackbeard is the time period the story is set in. I’ve never associated Marquis with the early decades of the 18th century or the seas of the Caribbean and the pirates that sailed on them circa 1716-1718.
Another major surprise is Marquis’s portrayal of Blackbeard, the privateer turned pirate. I was surprised to see the pirate always referred to as Edward Thatch and not Edward Teach, the surname I always associated with Blackbeard. Well, Google for both names and both names will come up in multiple entries. Whatever handle Marquis gives his character, few readers are likely to anticipate seeing Blackbeard painted in the most heroic portrait possible, at least for the first two/thirds of the book.
Marquis’s Blackbeard tries to avoid violence by only attacking ships that offer little resistance to minimize the carnage his crew might endure. He’s a giant figure, a charismatic leader able to use eloquence to sway his extremely democratic sea-farers to his point of view. The pirates operate within the rules of the “articles” that give every man an equal vote in important decisions and an equal share in any booty. There is no racism. We see this most evident in the character of Cesar, a former black slave now devoted to Blackbeard.
The pirates’ motives are in part economic, part political, and part a lust for the free life. At first, pirate captains have charters given to them by royal governors based in the New World to attack Spanish and French ships. But many dislike British King George from the House of Hanover and would prefer the crowning of James III from the House of Stuart. For such reasons, Blackbeard’s small but powerful flotilla start attacking British ships in part to rebel against those who are rich and abusive to the common man. The pirates start describing themselves as “Robin Hoods,” distributing wealth much more fairly than royal charters.
Another major character is Steede Bonnet, a Barbados plantation owner who throws it all away to become a pirate for the freedom of a life at sea despite his less than adequate knowledge of sea-going ways. Woven throughout the scenes set in the Caribbean and up the Atlantic coast, we also spend time on land with Alexander Spotswood, the despotic, vindictive and tyrannical lieutenant governor of Virginia. For Spotswood, capturing Blackbeard is a political move calculated to curry favor in England. Very unpopular with his colony’s citizens, he suppresses any desires brought to him from the Virginia House of Burgesses that might erode his powers. He despises the new term of “Americans” and, in many ways, embodies the complaints the founders of the United States
would fight against in just over fifty years.
So the “Golden Age of Piracy” is portrayed as the precursor for the American Revolution with Blackbeard and his cohorts the real patriots, at least in their own opinion. In Marquis’s realm, these salty dogs never lacked for self-righteous self-justification. I suspect it’s my own preconceived notions, but I frequently found it difficult to accept the verisimilitude of these noble scalawags. I am perhaps a modern victim of the propaganda that cast Blackbeard as a vicious criminal in Boston newspapers of the time. I was also put off a bit by Marquis frequently repeating his points over and over which seemed like rather overdoing it. Padding?
The book doesn't really build up a head of steam, at least until the final third where Blackbeard realizes his flotilla has grown too large, that the British admiralty is about to end the age of freebooting piracy, and he makes some turning-point choices very different from what we’ve come to expect from him. Lots of surprises in this fast-moving section of the book.
Throughout, Marquis’s gifts for description and character development are on full display to take his readers to times and places that, in this case, are captured in ways few of us would expect. His closing end notes make it clear he sketched out most of this novel drawing from a wide spectrum of resources, many of them of rather recent vintage.
So, from page one to his appendices, unless you too are a Blackbeard scholar, Blackbeard: The Birth of America will be a constantly eye-opening series of surprises. You’ll feel certain you’re learning something as the story progresses. Pirates as the original American revolutionaries? Marquis builds a vivid and convincing case that is so.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on March 20, 2018:
http://1clickurls.com/IALg5lv
April 7, 2019
A brilliantly novel that raised the bar on pirate fiction to new heights for all the right reasons. This novel will make its way to the Top 10 of many pirate-novel fans!
Edward Thatcher, also known as Blackbeard, British Navy privateer turned pirate, controlled the Atlantic and the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. Both a hero and a villain of his time, Blackbeard became one of the first American revolutionaries in the War of Independence against the British. But who was he before Blackbeard, the most known pirate of the seas? This is the true story of the honourable man that masterfully dodged his obsessed pursuer, Alexander Spotswood, Virginia’s governor, became the most feared pirate to conquer both Atlantic and Pacific.
I can’t even put into words how much I enjoyed this novel. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.
As the reader follows both the perspectives of Blackbeard and Alexander, the reader is taken deep into the adventure marked by both determination and obsession in this cat-and-mouse game across the seas. The pace starts slow but picks up the pace, especially in the third part of the novel. I couldn’t put it down.
The novel starts with a detailed presentation of Edward Thatch, his life and values, portraying him as a hero before he became the evil pirate that he’s still known for nowadays. Pirates were paid by the British settlers in the New World to attack French and Spanish ships, something that Blackbeard was accustomed to doing. Only later, alliances shifted. The common dislike for the rule of King George of the House of Hanover the growing desire to see James III from the House of Stuart in his place fuelled a revolution that turned the ties in favour of the New World. As the rich became richer and the common folk paid the price, Blackbeard turned against the British taking the fortune of the rich and distributing it fairly amongst the people. Since the beginning, however, the man was known for his charisma, leadership and the way he swiftly attacked ships avoiding deadly confrontations for both his crew and the adversary. He treated everyone equally, no matter the colour of their skin or background. His men were proud to work with and for him. Surprisingly, by the end, he made choices that I definitely wasn’t expecting from him.
The way Samuel Marquis describes the life of Blackbeard and his crew, I could almost smell the salty waters and feel the fresh breeze. At the same time, he smoothly makes clear that those who became pirates had political, economic motivations and a deep love of freedom. He jumps from scene to scene connecting you to the story and its numerous characters with perfect ease, giving you just enough time to process all the details and information and fully visualise the settings.
The style of writing is incredible, Marquis found the perfect balance between historical facts, and fiction, bringing it together with a solid historical base and a beautiful, melodically and addictive style that makes you want to stay and sail the seas in it. I was amazed at the number of true facts the author embedded and I must admit I questioned myself which ones were true and which ones were fiction. Marquis mixed everything so perfectly, that it’s hard to distinguish what’s real and what’s not.
As you might have figured out, Blackbeard isn’t the villain of this story. Alexander Spotswood, Virginia’s lieutenant is the opposite of Blackbeard. A vindictive and tyrannical man, disliked by the members of his colony, obsessed in capturing the notorious privateer-turned-pirate to gain the favour of England, Alexander his known for his thirst for power and dominance. Marquis did an incredible job with this character and his build-up; he’s the perfect villain of this Golden Age of Piracy and the representation of the beliefs that the founders of the future United States would go against. Other characters like Steede Bonnet, a man that gave up his plantations in Barbados to make a life at sea (despite knowing next-to-nothing about it), give an extra touch of “human” to the story, making the story jump out of its pages. Marquis is a master of character building!
Buying a paper version of this novel is on my priority books-to-buy list! My recommendation? Read it, read it, read it! It’s a brilliant novel that will freshen up the lives of all pirate fans!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Mount Sopris Publishing and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.
Edward Thatcher, also known as Blackbeard, British Navy privateer turned pirate, controlled the Atlantic and the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. Both a hero and a villain of his time, Blackbeard became one of the first American revolutionaries in the War of Independence against the British. But who was he before Blackbeard, the most known pirate of the seas? This is the true story of the honourable man that masterfully dodged his obsessed pursuer, Alexander Spotswood, Virginia’s governor, became the most feared pirate to conquer both Atlantic and Pacific.
I can’t even put into words how much I enjoyed this novel. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.
As the reader follows both the perspectives of Blackbeard and Alexander, the reader is taken deep into the adventure marked by both determination and obsession in this cat-and-mouse game across the seas. The pace starts slow but picks up the pace, especially in the third part of the novel. I couldn’t put it down.
The novel starts with a detailed presentation of Edward Thatch, his life and values, portraying him as a hero before he became the evil pirate that he’s still known for nowadays. Pirates were paid by the British settlers in the New World to attack French and Spanish ships, something that Blackbeard was accustomed to doing. Only later, alliances shifted. The common dislike for the rule of King George of the House of Hanover the growing desire to see James III from the House of Stuart in his place fuelled a revolution that turned the ties in favour of the New World. As the rich became richer and the common folk paid the price, Blackbeard turned against the British taking the fortune of the rich and distributing it fairly amongst the people. Since the beginning, however, the man was known for his charisma, leadership and the way he swiftly attacked ships avoiding deadly confrontations for both his crew and the adversary. He treated everyone equally, no matter the colour of their skin or background. His men were proud to work with and for him. Surprisingly, by the end, he made choices that I definitely wasn’t expecting from him.
The way Samuel Marquis describes the life of Blackbeard and his crew, I could almost smell the salty waters and feel the fresh breeze. At the same time, he smoothly makes clear that those who became pirates had political, economic motivations and a deep love of freedom. He jumps from scene to scene connecting you to the story and its numerous characters with perfect ease, giving you just enough time to process all the details and information and fully visualise the settings.
The style of writing is incredible, Marquis found the perfect balance between historical facts, and fiction, bringing it together with a solid historical base and a beautiful, melodically and addictive style that makes you want to stay and sail the seas in it. I was amazed at the number of true facts the author embedded and I must admit I questioned myself which ones were true and which ones were fiction. Marquis mixed everything so perfectly, that it’s hard to distinguish what’s real and what’s not.
As you might have figured out, Blackbeard isn’t the villain of this story. Alexander Spotswood, Virginia’s lieutenant is the opposite of Blackbeard. A vindictive and tyrannical man, disliked by the members of his colony, obsessed in capturing the notorious privateer-turned-pirate to gain the favour of England, Alexander his known for his thirst for power and dominance. Marquis did an incredible job with this character and his build-up; he’s the perfect villain of this Golden Age of Piracy and the representation of the beliefs that the founders of the future United States would go against. Other characters like Steede Bonnet, a man that gave up his plantations in Barbados to make a life at sea (despite knowing next-to-nothing about it), give an extra touch of “human” to the story, making the story jump out of its pages. Marquis is a master of character building!
Buying a paper version of this novel is on my priority books-to-buy list! My recommendation? Read it, read it, read it! It’s a brilliant novel that will freshen up the lives of all pirate fans!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Mount Sopris Publishing and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.
March 8, 2018
Samuel Marquis’s historically sound, but fictionally enhanced, account of the swashbuckling Edward Thache’s exploits on the high seas, primarily centered on the years 1715 to 1718, is all the more intriguing in the light of the author’s own familial connections to such a piratical heritage, with the award-winning suspense writer being the ninth great-grandson of Captain William Kidd, one of the most famous pirates in history, remembered for his plundering of the treasure troves of the Indian Ocean. But don’t be afeared, me hearties, Blackbeard: The Birth of America is bound to reward its readers with a much greater wealth of sumptuous detail in terms of its strong storyline, engaging characters and rambunctious spirit than it will ever take in terms of purchase costs.
That Marquis thrives upon his imaginings being steeped in a past of skullduggery and mayhem (at least as far as his detailed research goes) can be seen by the way in which he carefully pinpoints where each and every part of his enthralling narrative takes place. Most markedly, his seventy-two chapter headings for Blackbeard identify both the place and the date of the occurrence of the action that takes place therein. The overall structure of the book is also divided into six main parts, stretching from “The Spanish Main” to “A Conspiracy of Murder”. The linear narrative makes for an ease of pace and a fluency that enraptures and enthralls the reader in the fast-paced action that takes place throughout. In no way does Marquis reveal what lies in store for his characters, so that, even if one knows something of the history of Edward Thache, Jr., one becomes so immersed in the action that the fiction suspends the reality and one is swept up in the exploits of heroes (and brigands) of old, without anticipating the ultimate outcome, despite it being well-known by many.
Marquis is so thorough in the contextualization of his account that he provides both an extensive cast of historical figures, in terms of Captain Edward Thache and his crew, Thache’s piratical consorts and acquaintances, royal and proprietary colony government officials and citizens, British Royal Navy officers, and Thache’s love interest and family members, and a comprehensive Afterword, explaining the position that he, as narrator, took in revising the history of a man whom he sees as having been maligned, both in the pages of history and in public recall. By providing such a backdrop to his work, and by being so methodical in his approach, Marquis is able to capture both the attention of the adventure-loving public and the appreciation of the cognoscenti for his fine work of literature that is so much more than being a mere boyish account of a romp on the high seas, which is all that many other pirate stories amount to.
Marquis very humbly summates the approach that he envisages as being taken towards Blackbeard: The Birth of America as being “a work of the imagination and entertainment … [which] … should be read as nothing more.” I truly wish to dispute this statement, as I, indeed, do see it as far more. Marquis’s earnest efforts to explain how Edward Thache’s exploits can be seen against the spirit of his times, as being not those of “a cruel and ruthless villain,” but those of a person with extensive wisdom and insight into the ethos of his age, who had great personal integrity and a deep-seated sense of fealty to friends and family, are admirable. In the richness of the texture of his material, which at all times he treats with the greatest of respect and with the added depth of hindsight, Marquis far exceeds the stance of a mere raconteur and entertainer of the masses—he, in fact, becomes a public historian, with a common touch that does nothing to detract from the inherent underlying gravity of his subject matter. The subtitle of his fine work reveals it all: “The Birth of America”. In short, this multi-layered work is an outstanding example of the narration of how an individual can both transform, and inform, his place in time, both in the past and in the present, and as directed towards the future.
That Marquis thrives upon his imaginings being steeped in a past of skullduggery and mayhem (at least as far as his detailed research goes) can be seen by the way in which he carefully pinpoints where each and every part of his enthralling narrative takes place. Most markedly, his seventy-two chapter headings for Blackbeard identify both the place and the date of the occurrence of the action that takes place therein. The overall structure of the book is also divided into six main parts, stretching from “The Spanish Main” to “A Conspiracy of Murder”. The linear narrative makes for an ease of pace and a fluency that enraptures and enthralls the reader in the fast-paced action that takes place throughout. In no way does Marquis reveal what lies in store for his characters, so that, even if one knows something of the history of Edward Thache, Jr., one becomes so immersed in the action that the fiction suspends the reality and one is swept up in the exploits of heroes (and brigands) of old, without anticipating the ultimate outcome, despite it being well-known by many.
Marquis is so thorough in the contextualization of his account that he provides both an extensive cast of historical figures, in terms of Captain Edward Thache and his crew, Thache’s piratical consorts and acquaintances, royal and proprietary colony government officials and citizens, British Royal Navy officers, and Thache’s love interest and family members, and a comprehensive Afterword, explaining the position that he, as narrator, took in revising the history of a man whom he sees as having been maligned, both in the pages of history and in public recall. By providing such a backdrop to his work, and by being so methodical in his approach, Marquis is able to capture both the attention of the adventure-loving public and the appreciation of the cognoscenti for his fine work of literature that is so much more than being a mere boyish account of a romp on the high seas, which is all that many other pirate stories amount to.
Marquis very humbly summates the approach that he envisages as being taken towards Blackbeard: The Birth of America as being “a work of the imagination and entertainment … [which] … should be read as nothing more.” I truly wish to dispute this statement, as I, indeed, do see it as far more. Marquis’s earnest efforts to explain how Edward Thache’s exploits can be seen against the spirit of his times, as being not those of “a cruel and ruthless villain,” but those of a person with extensive wisdom and insight into the ethos of his age, who had great personal integrity and a deep-seated sense of fealty to friends and family, are admirable. In the richness of the texture of his material, which at all times he treats with the greatest of respect and with the added depth of hindsight, Marquis far exceeds the stance of a mere raconteur and entertainer of the masses—he, in fact, becomes a public historian, with a common touch that does nothing to detract from the inherent underlying gravity of his subject matter. The subtitle of his fine work reveals it all: “The Birth of America”. In short, this multi-layered work is an outstanding example of the narration of how an individual can both transform, and inform, his place in time, both in the past and in the present, and as directed towards the future.
April 11, 2018
I have been a follower of Sam Marquis’ thrillers for the last few years, delighted to learn that he ventured into writing novels. We both had the privilege of graduating from Denison University, a small liberal arts college in Ohio as fellow Geology majors. I didn’t fully appreciate the fact that we were learning from some of the world’s best contributors to the field at the time of course, but should have gotten a hint when the first book assigned in Paleo class was Strunk & White’s Elements of Style. Why? Because we soon were immersed in the value of writing, conducting, analyzing and communicating results of research- often on paradigm shifts in theory. I find this relevant in a book review, because as students, we weren’t lectured at,-we engaged and were expected to question and challenge, and proof of mastering the curriculum required meticulous research and writing skills. In small classes of 10-15 students, it wasn’t hard to recognize emerging scientists who had extraordinary communication and writing skills, here Sam Marquis was in his element, So a little background material doesn’t hurt.
When Blackbeard was released, I knew i’d love it because pirate stories captivated me since my family’s second homes were along the infamous Treasure Coast in Vero Beach, FL and we still vacation in the Caribbean islands.I come from a family of historians and teachers and politicians, however for me to retain it, I needed to explore and read about it to make an impact.
Marquis’s Blackbeard exhibits what this author does best- digging deep into historical, more often little known facts and educates his readers with his quirky, witty writing style portraying complex characters that shaped history and legends, never boring, always surprising. My family always knows I’m reading one of Marquis’ works, because I’m often beginning random conversations with “Did you know....???!!!! Did I know he was a patriot? Not that I remembered from tours of Savannah, St. Augustine, Williamsburg, but I do now, and there I go, on a mini history lesson,....
I don’t just recommend his books because I have something common with the author, but because very few are able to capture our history while incorporating fictional characters as well as he does- and i dare anyone to find fault with the extensive research he puts it to it.
When Blackbeard was released, I knew i’d love it because pirate stories captivated me since my family’s second homes were along the infamous Treasure Coast in Vero Beach, FL and we still vacation in the Caribbean islands.I come from a family of historians and teachers and politicians, however for me to retain it, I needed to explore and read about it to make an impact.
Marquis’s Blackbeard exhibits what this author does best- digging deep into historical, more often little known facts and educates his readers with his quirky, witty writing style portraying complex characters that shaped history and legends, never boring, always surprising. My family always knows I’m reading one of Marquis’ works, because I’m often beginning random conversations with “Did you know....???!!!! Did I know he was a patriot? Not that I remembered from tours of Savannah, St. Augustine, Williamsburg, but I do now, and there I go, on a mini history lesson,....
I don’t just recommend his books because I have something common with the author, but because very few are able to capture our history while incorporating fictional characters as well as he does- and i dare anyone to find fault with the extensive research he puts it to it.
December 31, 2024
4 Stars
“…This is the story of Edward Thache—former British Navy officer and notorious Jamaican privateer-turned-pirate, who lorded over the Atlantic seaboard and Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy and has captivated the minds of children and adults alike for three centuries now. This story of Blackbeard is told through the eyes of not only the Robin-Hood-like American patriot and master of the sweet trade himself, but his primary nemesis Alexander Spotswood, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and British Crown’s man in Williamsburg who illegally hunted him down; the African slave Caesar who sailed with Thache as a free man during his short three-year stint as a sea rover; and Stede Bonnet, the wealthy “Gentleman Pirate” from Barbados who also sailed with the capable Blackbeard. The history you will find in these pages is most likely not one you have heard before… ”
Blackbeard: The Birth of America by Samuel Marquis is an epic historical account of the life and times of Edward Thache aka Blackbeard (the pirate). The author’s passion for history shines through in his writing and storytelling- making for an engrossing read.
To be honest, he already had me at pirates.
This is an adventure story, based on facts- with plenty of action to keep the reader hooked. The story is ‘told’ from several perspectives- which adds an extra element of interest to the whole account.
If you love history, pirates, or want to know more about Blackbeard then this is definitely the book for you.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Samuel Marquis!
“…This is the story of Edward Thache—former British Navy officer and notorious Jamaican privateer-turned-pirate, who lorded over the Atlantic seaboard and Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy and has captivated the minds of children and adults alike for three centuries now. This story of Blackbeard is told through the eyes of not only the Robin-Hood-like American patriot and master of the sweet trade himself, but his primary nemesis Alexander Spotswood, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and British Crown’s man in Williamsburg who illegally hunted him down; the African slave Caesar who sailed with Thache as a free man during his short three-year stint as a sea rover; and Stede Bonnet, the wealthy “Gentleman Pirate” from Barbados who also sailed with the capable Blackbeard. The history you will find in these pages is most likely not one you have heard before… ”
Blackbeard: The Birth of America by Samuel Marquis is an epic historical account of the life and times of Edward Thache aka Blackbeard (the pirate). The author’s passion for history shines through in his writing and storytelling- making for an engrossing read.
To be honest, he already had me at pirates.
This is an adventure story, based on facts- with plenty of action to keep the reader hooked. The story is ‘told’ from several perspectives- which adds an extra element of interest to the whole account.
If you love history, pirates, or want to know more about Blackbeard then this is definitely the book for you.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Samuel Marquis!
May 18, 2020
You ever watch a historical movie and wonder about those conversations between historical figures? We’ve heard of the events but there really isn’t much about what people say to each other, but without those creative licenses the screenwriters take it would be a lot like being back in high school history class. Blackbeard: The Birth of America by Samuel Marquis is one of those historical adventures that teaches us by linking events with realistic dialogue and everyday events in between.
Ever since Blackbeard became a “pirate” there have been stories about him and most of them quite gruesome but in Marquis’ latest novel we get the truth. Being the direct descendent of a pirate, Marquis has the interest in the history and research savvy to get to the core of the real story.
I’ve done my own research into Blackbeard, having used him as a minor character in a pirate novel myself and Marquis goes way beyond anything I ever ventured into. Each chapter tells you when and where events are taking place all the way up to the murder of Edward Thache, or Blackbeard as we know him. Thache was an American hero in comparison to the men who went after his head at the end. Thache cared about America and the future of the Western Hemisphere while his adversary only cared about himself and England.
Engrossing, eye opening, and engaging, Blackbeard: The Birth of America is a must for adventure lovers, history lovers, and um lovers of tall dark haired men?
Ever since Blackbeard became a “pirate” there have been stories about him and most of them quite gruesome but in Marquis’ latest novel we get the truth. Being the direct descendent of a pirate, Marquis has the interest in the history and research savvy to get to the core of the real story.
I’ve done my own research into Blackbeard, having used him as a minor character in a pirate novel myself and Marquis goes way beyond anything I ever ventured into. Each chapter tells you when and where events are taking place all the way up to the murder of Edward Thache, or Blackbeard as we know him. Thache was an American hero in comparison to the men who went after his head at the end. Thache cared about America and the future of the Western Hemisphere while his adversary only cared about himself and England.
Engrossing, eye opening, and engaging, Blackbeard: The Birth of America is a must for adventure lovers, history lovers, and um lovers of tall dark haired men?
February 16, 2018
Who doesn’t love a good pirate novel?
From Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island to Mutiny on the Bounty, swashbuckling pirates are some of the most entertaining characters in literature. They can also be some of the most complex and elusive, mixing elements of high-minded, seafaring adventure with social misfortune and criminality. Sam Marquis tells the story of the best known and most feared pirate of them all: Blackbeard.
But rather than the Johnny Depp, cliché-ridden, depiction of pirates, Marquis writes with the sensibilities of an historian who provides rich detail about the social and economic context of the times, and the influence it had on the business of piracy. Pirates and privateers, after all, weren’t just rogues and bandits, but important players in the diplomatic relations of the US and the European powers, and influential in the development of modern naval warfare and the law of the seas. Marquis tells the story of two of the most interesting characters of the early 18th-century – Blackbeard and his pursuer Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood – and how their ambitions, and personal flaws, led to a dramatic confrontation on the high seas. Historical fiction that reads like a spy novel.
A must-read for history buffs, and for all those who can’t resist a good pirate adventure!
From Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island to Mutiny on the Bounty, swashbuckling pirates are some of the most entertaining characters in literature. They can also be some of the most complex and elusive, mixing elements of high-minded, seafaring adventure with social misfortune and criminality. Sam Marquis tells the story of the best known and most feared pirate of them all: Blackbeard.
But rather than the Johnny Depp, cliché-ridden, depiction of pirates, Marquis writes with the sensibilities of an historian who provides rich detail about the social and economic context of the times, and the influence it had on the business of piracy. Pirates and privateers, after all, weren’t just rogues and bandits, but important players in the diplomatic relations of the US and the European powers, and influential in the development of modern naval warfare and the law of the seas. Marquis tells the story of two of the most interesting characters of the early 18th-century – Blackbeard and his pursuer Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood – and how their ambitions, and personal flaws, led to a dramatic confrontation on the high seas. Historical fiction that reads like a spy novel.
A must-read for history buffs, and for all those who can’t resist a good pirate adventure!
February 20, 2018
In 1715, Edward Thache sets sail on a course that will lead him to become one of the most maligned pirates of all time. Discover what a glimpse of the truth in this fictional retelling of the Golden Age of Piracy.
This detail heavy novel left me conflicted. On the one hand, it is an amazing tale of history’s greatest pirate. The author draws on historical evidence to bring Edward Thache, AKA Blackbeard, to life. Instead of a cruel villain of the ocean, here we are presented with a man who was fair in his dealings (well, most of his dealings), loved a beautiful woman, and was a Robin Hood of his time.
On the other hand, however, there were multiple instances of the “F” word. True to the time? Perhaps, but not what I want to read. There was also a couple sex scenes. Did it happen? No doubt, but again, not the kind of detail I want.
It was difficult to cheer on either side. There was a lousy politician who sought to hide the poor handling of his position by illegally going after the pirates. On the other side, though, we have pirates who are clearing bending the rules to fit them. Neither earned my sympathy or support through the narrative.
This was an interesting novel, one I would recommend to readers who enjoy a pirate’s tale.
I received a free copy through NetGalley for reviewing purposes.
This detail heavy novel left me conflicted. On the one hand, it is an amazing tale of history’s greatest pirate. The author draws on historical evidence to bring Edward Thache, AKA Blackbeard, to life. Instead of a cruel villain of the ocean, here we are presented with a man who was fair in his dealings (well, most of his dealings), loved a beautiful woman, and was a Robin Hood of his time.
On the other hand, however, there were multiple instances of the “F” word. True to the time? Perhaps, but not what I want to read. There was also a couple sex scenes. Did it happen? No doubt, but again, not the kind of detail I want.
It was difficult to cheer on either side. There was a lousy politician who sought to hide the poor handling of his position by illegally going after the pirates. On the other side, though, we have pirates who are clearing bending the rules to fit them. Neither earned my sympathy or support through the narrative.
This was an interesting novel, one I would recommend to readers who enjoy a pirate’s tale.
I received a free copy through NetGalley for reviewing purposes.
August 8, 2018
Everything I knew about pirates was from watching Captain Blood and other Erroll Flynn movies as well as The Pirates of the Caribbean series of movies. I'm so glad that this book was brought to my attention from Book Bud. I had no idea that there was much more to being a pirate then just hunting for plunder.
I liked this book for giving us a look at the person who was Blackbeard. Yes, he was a pirate with a political vision. He felt that in the future, Americans would forget they were ever ruled by a king. Prophetic words. Pirates were similar to Robin Hood, take from the rich and give to the poor. Forget about all those awful stories you may have heard about the many that Blackbeard killed and tortured. (Seems like fake news was already alive and well in the 1700s.)
And when he had days off from pirating, Blackbeard had a love interest in Philadelphia. Reading about his Margaret may you see how human Blackbeard was.
It's too bad that the history taught in school only highlights what has happened. The historic people we meet in textbooks are merely names and what they did or were known for. I like this type of book that gives me a picture of the person who existed 300 years ago. Thank you, Samuel Marquis, for introducing me to this unique man and his life.
I liked this book for giving us a look at the person who was Blackbeard. Yes, he was a pirate with a political vision. He felt that in the future, Americans would forget they were ever ruled by a king. Prophetic words. Pirates were similar to Robin Hood, take from the rich and give to the poor. Forget about all those awful stories you may have heard about the many that Blackbeard killed and tortured. (Seems like fake news was already alive and well in the 1700s.)
And when he had days off from pirating, Blackbeard had a love interest in Philadelphia. Reading about his Margaret may you see how human Blackbeard was.
It's too bad that the history taught in school only highlights what has happened. The historic people we meet in textbooks are merely names and what they did or were known for. I like this type of book that gives me a picture of the person who existed 300 years ago. Thank you, Samuel Marquis, for introducing me to this unique man and his life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews