What do you think?
Rate this book
Jean Lafitte Revealed: Unraveling One of America’s Longest-Running Mysteries
Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America’s Longest-Running Mysteries takes a fresh look at the various myths and legends surrounding one of the last great pirates. Beginning in 1805, the book traces Laffite through his rise to power as a privateer and smuggler in the Gulf, his involvement in the Battle of New Orleans, his flight to Texas, and his eventual disappearance in the waters of the Caribbean. With stunning revelations, this book picks up the trail from there— a trail that no one knew existed until now. This carefully researched work is a bona fide wild ride that will silence long-held speculation about Laffite’s ultimate fate.
311 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
4 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 8, 2024
5 stars for being a deep-dive into the most persistent mystery of my youth. This is a book about pirates, conspiracies, and a cast of characters that conservatively, influenced the fate of three separate nations.
June 26, 2021
Got this bc of my fascination with pirate history (and bc my college was emailing about it!) And was pleasantly surprised. I'm not generally one to pick up this type of book, but I've grabbed one or two and this is one of the best I've read!! It was just the right amount of scholarly without feeling like a class you'd fall asleep in. Loved it and it's been passed around my family since i got it
February 2, 2024
There are too many examples to list of nonprofessional country person jargon used throughout this text. I don't know if the inclusion of "plain speak" was an attempt at humanizing the authors as "good old people" but, it definitely detracts from the impression of professional researchers.
The voice throughout the text sounds more like a conversation over a checkerboard at a Cracker Barrel.
The voice throughout the text sounds more like a conversation over a checkerboard at a Cracker Barrel.
June 9, 2022
Good read but thin basis.
May 4, 2024
After reading William C. Davis's authoritative The Pirates Laffite, this book popped up on my radar. It is published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL) Press, so I figured that there was some "vetting" of its content. Well, apparently not enough. The mother-daughter duo authors tout themselves as "Jean Laffite scholars," but they seem to lack the critical and analytical skills of true historians, even amateur ones.
The narrative is quite well-written, if a little too conversational and brassy. But its conclusions are obviously predetermined and totally "out there." The authors start with the idea that a "Frenchman" named Lorenzo Ferrer/Lorendzo Ferrier (and other variants) was in fact Jean Laffite, who faked his death in a naval battle off in the Gulf of Honduras off Central America, and settled in North Carolina. Lots of speculation, supposition, useless references thrown in as "padding," and wishful thinking! The authors obviously began with the supposed rumors of Ferrer being Laffite and then tried to find (or fabricate) "evidence" that supported their premise, including wild theories about Laffite being a documented Freemason (Where's the proof?) to connect him with Ferrer, who joined a lodge in North Carolina. Hey, Lorenzo Ferrer spoke French and was "mysterious" to those old Tarheel stumpjumpers who settled Lincolnton. Maybe he was really Jean Laffite! Other "connections" and "clues" are vague, broad, and "forced." They even offer their own forensic psychological profiles of Laffite and Lorenzo Ferrer. (Of course, they match!) They claim that Lorenzo Ferrer was independently wealthy, but make no mention of a 1915 newspaper article stating that earlier research depicted Lorenzo Ferrer as a "ne'er do well squatter" who lived in shacks built on others' land and didn't own most of the property described in his will. The book has footnotes and appendices, but no index. Go figure.
My reading of this book convinces me that it is a thinly-disguised tourism promotion "puff piece" for Lincolnton, North Carolina. The authors congratulate themselves on their "exhaustive" research, but 80% of the book consists of boring historical tangents of peripheral characters in their "drama" that prove absolutely nothing regarding Jean Laffite. And their credulous claims regarding the Freemasons (I am a Freemason myself) are right out of the fiction of "National Treasure." The authors conclude that the purported Journal of Jean Laffite is a forgery -- hardly a revelation, since most competent historians demonstrated that long ago. (It is likewise hardly surprising that they disagree with the Journal claim that Laffite died in Missouri under the name "John Lafflin"; otherwise there would be no point to their book and they could have saved themselves a lot of work.)
They claim a letter written by Arsene LaCarriere Latour, a Frenchman who certainly knew Laffite, is "pivotal" in proving he was alive after his reported death in a naval battle off the coast of Central America. The letter mentions someone named "Maison Rouge," so they immediately connect that name to Jean Laffite's legendary house in Galveston called the "Maison Rouge." Obviously, according to the "Two Blondes," "Maison Rouge" is a code word for Jean Laffite! The problem with that hypothesis is that there was in fact a French nobleman named Joseph de Maison Rouge who fled France during the French Revolution and came to New Orleans. He left two illegitimate sons bearing his family name who were alive when Latour wrote the letter. The simple and most logical solution is that Latour was referring to one of the brothers, who wanted help recovering some of their ancestral property in France. All of this is documented in historical archives but the authors simply hide those inconvenient facts in a footnote and say, in effect, "Our theory is better!" And an old sword they find in a Lincolnton, NC, Freemasons' lodge with a crude scratched inscription that seems to read "Jn Laffite?" Oh, it can't POSSIBLY be faked!
I live in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish on Bayou Lafourche, where most of my ancestors lived and died after 1785 (and even before). Bayou Lafourche was frequently traveled by the Laffites and their Baratarians. (It is even proposed by the "Two Blondes" as the route he used to secretly re-enter the United States after faking his death.) The authors invite their readers to draw their own conclusions about the validity of various claims they make. I have, and this book simply doesn't prove what they claim it does. And I don't appreciate the authors' contrived attempt to appropriate the Louisiana legacy of the Laffites to their "neck of the woods."
The narrative is quite well-written, if a little too conversational and brassy. But its conclusions are obviously predetermined and totally "out there." The authors start with the idea that a "Frenchman" named Lorenzo Ferrer/Lorendzo Ferrier (and other variants) was in fact Jean Laffite, who faked his death in a naval battle off in the Gulf of Honduras off Central America, and settled in North Carolina. Lots of speculation, supposition, useless references thrown in as "padding," and wishful thinking! The authors obviously began with the supposed rumors of Ferrer being Laffite and then tried to find (or fabricate) "evidence" that supported their premise, including wild theories about Laffite being a documented Freemason (Where's the proof?) to connect him with Ferrer, who joined a lodge in North Carolina. Hey, Lorenzo Ferrer spoke French and was "mysterious" to those old Tarheel stumpjumpers who settled Lincolnton. Maybe he was really Jean Laffite! Other "connections" and "clues" are vague, broad, and "forced." They even offer their own forensic psychological profiles of Laffite and Lorenzo Ferrer. (Of course, they match!) They claim that Lorenzo Ferrer was independently wealthy, but make no mention of a 1915 newspaper article stating that earlier research depicted Lorenzo Ferrer as a "ne'er do well squatter" who lived in shacks built on others' land and didn't own most of the property described in his will. The book has footnotes and appendices, but no index. Go figure.
My reading of this book convinces me that it is a thinly-disguised tourism promotion "puff piece" for Lincolnton, North Carolina. The authors congratulate themselves on their "exhaustive" research, but 80% of the book consists of boring historical tangents of peripheral characters in their "drama" that prove absolutely nothing regarding Jean Laffite. And their credulous claims regarding the Freemasons (I am a Freemason myself) are right out of the fiction of "National Treasure." The authors conclude that the purported Journal of Jean Laffite is a forgery -- hardly a revelation, since most competent historians demonstrated that long ago. (It is likewise hardly surprising that they disagree with the Journal claim that Laffite died in Missouri under the name "John Lafflin"; otherwise there would be no point to their book and they could have saved themselves a lot of work.)
They claim a letter written by Arsene LaCarriere Latour, a Frenchman who certainly knew Laffite, is "pivotal" in proving he was alive after his reported death in a naval battle off the coast of Central America. The letter mentions someone named "Maison Rouge," so they immediately connect that name to Jean Laffite's legendary house in Galveston called the "Maison Rouge." Obviously, according to the "Two Blondes," "Maison Rouge" is a code word for Jean Laffite! The problem with that hypothesis is that there was in fact a French nobleman named Joseph de Maison Rouge who fled France during the French Revolution and came to New Orleans. He left two illegitimate sons bearing his family name who were alive when Latour wrote the letter. The simple and most logical solution is that Latour was referring to one of the brothers, who wanted help recovering some of their ancestral property in France. All of this is documented in historical archives but the authors simply hide those inconvenient facts in a footnote and say, in effect, "Our theory is better!" And an old sword they find in a Lincolnton, NC, Freemasons' lodge with a crude scratched inscription that seems to read "Jn Laffite?" Oh, it can't POSSIBLY be faked!
I live in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish on Bayou Lafourche, where most of my ancestors lived and died after 1785 (and even before). Bayou Lafourche was frequently traveled by the Laffites and their Baratarians. (It is even proposed by the "Two Blondes" as the route he used to secretly re-enter the United States after faking his death.) The authors invite their readers to draw their own conclusions about the validity of various claims they make. I have, and this book simply doesn't prove what they claim it does. And I don't appreciate the authors' contrived attempt to appropriate the Louisiana legacy of the Laffites to their "neck of the woods."
June 19, 2021
Jean Laffite was a master of deception. He muddied the water to such an extent that separating truth from fiction is a monumental undertaking – one that often leads to disagreement among historians as to which “truth” is real. His time in New Orleans and Galveston is well documented, but even 200 years later some mysteries remain, especially as regards his life once he departed Texas. The authors of Jean Laffite Revealed believe that they have unearthed the truth about this period and it is up to readers to read and weigh the evidence in order to determine whether their hypothesis is correct.
Their search for Jean Laffite actually sprang not from an interest in this “gentleman pirate,” but from tales of another man, Lorenzo Ferrer, who lived in Lincolnton, North Carolina, from 1839 until his death in 1875 at the age of 96. Supposedly, this man was really Laffite. This book is a culmination of their research, detailing how they backtracked his true identity and what documentary evidence they uncovered to support their suppositions.
To conduct their research, they followed the protocol of any scholarly research, but they chose to write in the vernacular of a wider audience. As they pen in their preface, “Prepare yourself for one of the most unbelievable yet verifiably true stories you can imagine, a tale complete with international Freemason plots, double agents, explorers charging into open frontier, jail breaks, miraculous rescues, faked deaths, shady financial scams, and murder – all of it hinging upon control of the Gulf of Mexico and the sustainability of one of the most effective black market operations the United States has ever known. Parts of our hypothesis contradict commonly accepted Laffite historical chronology and challenge long-held beliefs about what ultimately happened to him. . . . Hang on to your hat because this is not our mama’s sleepy history book.” (xii)
Their investigation is divided into three parts. Part I summarizes the known facts about Laffite during his years as a pirate/privateer. They sift through two centuries of the best published resources to recount his life in Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Part II concerns when Ferrer first appears in Mississippi, since before then they find no documentary evidence to prove his existence. This section also discusses connections he made that eventually bring him to North Carolina, which is the subject of Part III. Here is where they delve into their theory and demonstrate that contemporaries of Ferrer’s began speculating about his true identity in the nineteenth century.
In addition to the narrative, the authors include a sampling of the documents they collected during their search. Unfortunately, the poor quality of some of these copies makes it difficult to see what they saw. Several appendices and endnotes are included, as is a list of the works they cite. The preface does include a cast of characters. What is missing is an index, which would make it easier for other researchers to find information.
This book requires readers to make a leap of faith, yet there is one segment for which there is no documentation in support of their hypothesis. It is this gap that is the most telling. Whether Laffite died at sea following a battle or he survived and lived a long life remains a matter of debate and conjecture. Since they have been unable to find any proof of Ferrer’s existence prior to his arrival in Mississippi, they believe he is Laffite. Yet there is no definitive evidence to prove this. They do point out similarities between these two men, who may well have known some of the same people. They did turn up an interesting clue in one letter that could be a code name for Laffite.
Jean Laffite Revealed is an interesting addition to Laffite history. Each reader must decide the veracity of what is proposed. The strengths of this book are the depth of research that the authors conducted and that they recognize this as a starting point for other seekers who wish to prove their hypothesis. This is also a great resource for those seeking information on North Carolina history and genealogy.
Their search for Jean Laffite actually sprang not from an interest in this “gentleman pirate,” but from tales of another man, Lorenzo Ferrer, who lived in Lincolnton, North Carolina, from 1839 until his death in 1875 at the age of 96. Supposedly, this man was really Laffite. This book is a culmination of their research, detailing how they backtracked his true identity and what documentary evidence they uncovered to support their suppositions.
To conduct their research, they followed the protocol of any scholarly research, but they chose to write in the vernacular of a wider audience. As they pen in their preface, “Prepare yourself for one of the most unbelievable yet verifiably true stories you can imagine, a tale complete with international Freemason plots, double agents, explorers charging into open frontier, jail breaks, miraculous rescues, faked deaths, shady financial scams, and murder – all of it hinging upon control of the Gulf of Mexico and the sustainability of one of the most effective black market operations the United States has ever known. Parts of our hypothesis contradict commonly accepted Laffite historical chronology and challenge long-held beliefs about what ultimately happened to him. . . . Hang on to your hat because this is not our mama’s sleepy history book.” (xii)
Their investigation is divided into three parts. Part I summarizes the known facts about Laffite during his years as a pirate/privateer. They sift through two centuries of the best published resources to recount his life in Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Part II concerns when Ferrer first appears in Mississippi, since before then they find no documentary evidence to prove his existence. This section also discusses connections he made that eventually bring him to North Carolina, which is the subject of Part III. Here is where they delve into their theory and demonstrate that contemporaries of Ferrer’s began speculating about his true identity in the nineteenth century.
In addition to the narrative, the authors include a sampling of the documents they collected during their search. Unfortunately, the poor quality of some of these copies makes it difficult to see what they saw. Several appendices and endnotes are included, as is a list of the works they cite. The preface does include a cast of characters. What is missing is an index, which would make it easier for other researchers to find information.
This book requires readers to make a leap of faith, yet there is one segment for which there is no documentation in support of their hypothesis. It is this gap that is the most telling. Whether Laffite died at sea following a battle or he survived and lived a long life remains a matter of debate and conjecture. Since they have been unable to find any proof of Ferrer’s existence prior to his arrival in Mississippi, they believe he is Laffite. Yet there is no definitive evidence to prove this. They do point out similarities between these two men, who may well have known some of the same people. They did turn up an interesting clue in one letter that could be a code name for Laffite.
Jean Laffite Revealed is an interesting addition to Laffite history. Each reader must decide the veracity of what is proposed. The strengths of this book are the depth of research that the authors conducted and that they recognize this as a starting point for other seekers who wish to prove their hypothesis. This is also a great resource for those seeking information on North Carolina history and genealogy.
August 20, 2021
Excellent investigative book. I was somewhat interested in the story being a former resident of Lincolnton, NC. I had always heard of a pirate grave, and seen it bit never heard the whole story. This book was given to me as a gift for upcoming travels; not having the required patience to wait I started reading whole at home still. Once I started I simply couldn’t get enough! I sincerely appreciate history and mystery but do not consider myself a “buff” of either. Regardless, this book had me hooked cover to cover. Completely and competently researched and written in a way that is easy to follow but intriguing. Anyone from a student in grade school to an established intellectual can read this, keep up, and take something away. The ability to pack so much history and evidenced theory into a book less than 300 pages without leaving me lost or wondering is impressive. Highly recommend for anyone remotely interested in Lafitte, Lincolnton, pirates, general history or history-mystery! My compliments to the authors!
December 20, 2024
A bit slow and choppy at first with confusing takes on the historical debate of Lafitte’s life and death with the historical names and dates swirling around him, accumulating to it being a difficult digestion at first, yet eventually pans out well and narrates similarly to the documentary series “The Fall of the Cabal” by Jane Ossebaard. What the authors eventually expose here beginning with Lafitte’s fake death, for obvious reasons creates a domino effect of no-brainers considering all of his upcoming moves following Pierre’s death.
Good read, slow and choppy and it’s not until after Jean’s fake death where the narration becomes a much smoother surface. However this analysis could also be a direct result of reading Lyle Saxon’s “Lafitte” right before diving into this book. So listen, it’s a very detailed read and majority of the events after his brother’s death immediately make sense to the reader. (In my case).
Good read, slow and choppy and it’s not until after Jean’s fake death where the narration becomes a much smoother surface. However this analysis could also be a direct result of reading Lyle Saxon’s “Lafitte” right before diving into this book. So listen, it’s a very detailed read and majority of the events after his brother’s death immediately make sense to the reader. (In my case).
August 8, 2021
This book was meticulously researched. Bought in a bookstore on the Mississippi coast by me, a New Orleans area resident, this book would never have found its way to me otherwise. I would like a follow up book by the authors on Vatinius Sextius, the rumored son of Jean Laffite, and his life course. Does anyone find it ironic that the name of Jean Laffite is misspelled here on Goodreads?! I appreciated the authors’ sense of humor and fine intellect throughout. As for the bombshell contents of the book…wow, just wow.
May 22, 2021
I LOVE THIS BOOK! WENT ON WALKING TOUR OF LINCOLNTON BY THE AUTHORS - SO COOL TO STAND IN THE PLACES WHERE THESE EVENTS HAPPENED LONG AGO. THE MOTHER/DAUGHTER DUO PRESENTED THEIR CASE WELL AND I BELIEVE THEY TOTALLY UNRAVELED THE MYSTERY OF JEAN LAFITTE'S DISAPPEARANCE. MUCH RESEARCH WAS DONE ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. SO WORTH YOUR TIME IF YOU LOVE A REAL LIFE MYSTERY. THANK YOU LADIES FOR THIS WONDERFUL JOURNEY!
May 2, 2021
While the authors researched the beginnings of Lorenzo Ferrer, the reader still has to accept that he began his young adulthood as Jean Laffite. Period documents are scarce so definitive proof may never come to light. However, artifacts are convincing. A sword marked with the pirate’s name is probably the most significant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2023
Found it extremely interesting and very well researched, Definitely would recommend to readers of well/researched historical publications.
August 4, 2023
good book read it for research for my novel and it did not disappoint
July 8, 2024
authors did great research. i believe they are right.
Read
March 17, 2022A book club selection that I would not have read otherwise. I enjoyed learning about Lafitte beyond his time in New Orleans and Barataria, that mixture of myth and fact that most Louisiana kids learn in Louisiana history. His time in Galveston and the “neutral strip” along the Texas-Louisiana border was very intriguing.
My gripe with this book is its focus. Their theory that Lafitte assumed another name and moved, first to Mississippi then to North Carolina, seems possible, but the tale is confused and authors are unable or unwilling to eliminate superfluous information. Is it a serious historical and genealogical work or a more general history for public consumption? Also, their emphasis on Lafitte’s membership in the Masons and the powerful connections he forged through that organization waxes and wanes throughout the story.
My gripe with this book is its focus. Their theory that Lafitte assumed another name and moved, first to Mississippi then to North Carolina, seems possible, but the tale is confused and authors are unable or unwilling to eliminate superfluous information. Is it a serious historical and genealogical work or a more general history for public consumption? Also, their emphasis on Lafitte’s membership in the Masons and the powerful connections he forged through that organization waxes and wanes throughout the story.
November 16, 2021
An engaging read, though I'm still not sold on their thesis that Jean Lafitte moved to North Carolina to live under the name Lorenzo Ferrer. The legend in our family is that Laffite did indeed fake his death, but that he moved to the New Iberia area and adopted the surname Boutte. However, I certainly enjoyed Jean Laffite Revealed, particularly the detective work the authors put in.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews