With surprising tales of vicious mutineers, imperial riches, and high-seas intrigue, Black Flags, Blue Waters reanimates the “Golden Age” of piracy in the Americas.
Maritime historian Dolin...revels in the marauding adventures of...high-seas brigands while explaining factors, economic and political, involved in the rise and decline of the piratical phenomenon ... Amply illustrated, Dolin’s realistic rendition of piracy, which he contrasts with its romanticized, Jolly Roger image, will enthrall readers seeking a new take on this ever-popular topic.
Pity poor, honest Robert Snead. A justice in colonial Philadelphia in 1697, he was determined to enforce the laws against piracy by arresting members of pirate Henry Avery’s crew. But the governor’s daughter was married to one of them. Snead’s fellow justice also had a relative married to a pirate. They blocked him at every turn. Ultimately, the sheriff let the criminals 'escape.' A disgusted Snead gave up. In a nutshell, that’s how the so-called 'Golden Age' of piracy from 1680-1726 became so golden ... As author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates in his gripping Black Flags, Blue Waters, colonists and pirates were 'partners in crime'—until their interests diverged.
Eric Jay Dolin adroitly addresses these themes in Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates, an entertaining romp across the oceans that shows how piracy is an inseparable element of our past. Here, as in his earlier books Leviathan (2007), about whaling, and Brilliant Beacons (2016), about lighthouse keepers, Mr. Dolin explores a dreamy occupation and then shifts our focus to the gritty, perilous realities of leading such a life ... Mr. Dolin has a keen eye for detail and the telling episode. Readers will learn fascinating tidbits of language, habits and cultural assimilation.
