Jeremy R Moss

In "Colonial Virginia's War Against Piracy" we learn of Governor Francis Nicholson's hell-bent pursuit of pirates, highlighted by his capture of French buccaneer Louis Guittar. Unlike other, more laissez-faire, colonial governors, Nicholson was no slouch. He had served in The Tangier Regiment and Lieut. Gov. of New England beforehand, and he knew the seas were rife with French pirates. Indeed, before the Golden Age of Piracy, the French were the biggest threat to British and Spanish trade. What's worse, everywhere Nicholson turned, colonial merchants were welcoming these buccaneers with open arms. The most notorious were Rhode Island, New York and Pennsylvania! Unsuccessful at defending Virginian waters at first, Nicholson refused to cave, and commissioned the HMS Shoreham under Capt Passenger. Riding high from a successful spree through the West Indies, and with a crew of 125 men, Louis Guittar, in his flagship La Paix, approached the Virginia Capes, not knowing that Nicholson - pistols loaded -was ready for him on the foredeck!

I truly enjoy these kernels of history, these exciting little episodes. The first couple of chapters were a little bumpy as I tried to follow the timeline. But once the scene is set, you will be glued to the page. The excitement of the final battle reminded me of that scene against the Acheron in Master and Commander, complete with explosive broadsides! Nicholson and Guittar are portrayed according to their contemporaries, and again, I appreciate Moss' efforts to avoid overwhelming the reader with political machinations. Moss also peppers this tale with interesting details, like the founding of the College of William & Mary being partially funded by pirates! French pirates - though just as threatening as their English counterparts and often forgotten - finally get their due in this one!… (altro)

Major Stede Bonnet was born in Barbados in 1688 to a family of prominent sugar planters. His title of "Major" had nothing to do with military service, but was bestowed as a member of land-owning aristocracy. He married Mary Allamby, had four children and in 1716...bought a sloop and became a pirate?! Bonnet was not the first gentleman to do so, William Dampier came of a similar background, but then again Dampier spent years as a crewman and battled through the jungle of Panama. Bonnet did not. Moss ascribes this rash decision to a form of dementia, and I have to agree. The life of a pirate is not one of carefree adventure and fun on the high seas. It takes true grit to stay alive, and Stede was out of his element. After successfully plundering four ships along VA thru NC, Stede challenges a Spanish man-o-war, which ends exactly as you can imagine. Escaping to Nassau, Stede teams up with one of the most infamous pirates of the Golden Age, Blackbeard. Walking "about in his Morning Gown," Stede took a backseat to Blackbeard's command, but at least proves useful during their raid of Charleston. Losing his crew to Blackbeard, Stede realizes too late that there is no going back.

This one is very good! I flew through it on my ride to Virginia and finished it this morning. Moss elaborates here and there as needed, without straying too far from Bonnet's story. He does not dance around the impact of slavery in Bonnet's Barbados nor the treatment of captured prisoners. I also appreciated Moss' effort to create a clear timeline between prizes and encounters, and consistently reminding the reader of the date. Moss also makes no assumptions about Bonnet's concern for his family, although Bonnet considered going to Portugal, to start over. So you can draw your own conclusions there. A short but excellent read!… (altro)