I Want to Read It (50): The Republic of Pirates
I Want to Read It, a hybrid between WLW (or WOW) and what's on my to-be read pile. Well, instead of focusing just on books I would like to acquire, I will be using it to feature books that I just want to read. From the one's I want to buy to the one's sitting on my TBR at home.
The inspiration for the NBC series Crossbones. In the early eighteenth century a number of the great pirate captains, including Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and "Black Sam" Bellamy, joined forces. This infamous "Flying Gang" was more than simply a thieving band of brothers. Many of its members had come to piracy as a revolt against conditions in the merchant fleet and in the cities and plantations in the Old and New Worlds. Inspired by notions of self-government, they established a crude but distinctive form of democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which indentured servants were released and leaders chosen or deposed by a vote. They were ultimately overcome by their archnemesis, Captain Woodes Rogers—a merchant fleet owner and former privateer—and the brief though glorious moment of the Republic of Pirates came to an end. In this unique and fascinating book, Colin Woodard brings to life this virtually unexplored chapter in the Golden Age of Piracy.
Why
I have actually had this book in my possession for, well, almost as long as it has been available. I may have "adopted" it from my dad when it looked like it was going to be let go during one of the spring cleanings. What can I say, it looked interesting and I was curious as to how pirates were actually in comparison to what you see portrayed in film and books (looks at beloved favorite of Treasure Island)
Also, I really like history, so, maybe this will be the year that I actually read and make use of my efforts to keep it around.
Have you read it, if so what were your thoughts on it? Is it something you would read (given the chance)?
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