50bookchallenge, 15000pages
Book #17 -- Captain Charles Johnson (Daniel Defoe?), A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, 760 pages.
Ah, what to say about this one? Generally held to be the most authoritative source for pirate biographies, it is a masterful collection drawing from all possible contemporary sources. The lives themselves are not quite that of legend -- generally they are uncomfortable, brutal, and short. Nonetheless there is an element there that fascinates me, and the author has a gift for narrative and is not without a keen sense of humour. The first half -- detailing the lives of the pirates of the Caribbean -- is my favourite. Most of the names I know well fall in that half, and the Caribbean pirates tended to strike out on their own and continue until caught or killed. The second half, detailing the lives of the Madagascar pirates, is interesting, but also endlessly frustrating. The Madagascar pirates were disorganised and incestuous, joining together and splitting apart so often it made my head spin. I ended up drawing a chart to try to keep track of who held what position on what ship when and who they were allied with. The same names would crop up over and over and it was hell trying to keep them all straight. It was still worth it. A truly excellent book, if a bit dry in places, and a must-read for anyone interested in pirates.
Progress toward goals: 55/366 = 15.0%
Books: 17/150 = 11.3%
Pages: 4945/50000 = 9.9%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to 50bookchallenge, 15000pages, and gwynraven
Ah, what to say about this one? Generally held to be the most authoritative source for pirate biographies, it is a masterful collection drawing from all possible contemporary sources. The lives themselves are not quite that of legend -- generally they are uncomfortable, brutal, and short. Nonetheless there is an element there that fascinates me, and the author has a gift for narrative and is not without a keen sense of humour. The first half -- detailing the lives of the pirates of the Caribbean -- is my favourite. Most of the names I know well fall in that half, and the Caribbean pirates tended to strike out on their own and continue until caught or killed. The second half, detailing the lives of the Madagascar pirates, is interesting, but also endlessly frustrating. The Madagascar pirates were disorganised and incestuous, joining together and splitting apart so often it made my head spin. I ended up drawing a chart to try to keep track of who held what position on what ship when and who they were allied with. The same names would crop up over and over and it was hell trying to keep them all straight. It was still worth it. A truly excellent book, if a bit dry in places, and a must-read for anyone interested in pirates.
Progress toward goals: 55/366 = 15.0%
Books: 17/150 = 11.3%
Pages: 4945/50000 = 9.9%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to 50bookchallenge, 15000pages, and gwynraven