This one tells the story of the Golden Age of Piracy through the lives of Henry Avery, Samuel Bellamy, Edward Thatch (Teach), Charles Vane, Benjamin Hornigold, Henry Jennings and - infamous pirate hunter - Woodes Rogers. Rogers came from a prominent slave-trading family, but was intimately familiar with the dangers of seafaring. What makes this microcosm of history so interesting is that all their lives overlapped. Woodes and Thatch may have been acquainted as kids, Vane briefly joined Bellamy, Hornigold was Thatch's mentor, and Bellamy swindled Jennings to join Hornigold. Ultimately it was the unstoppable trio of Bellamy, Hornigold and Thatch who created the perfect base in the Bahamas, calling themselves The Flying Gang. It became a haven not just for pirates, but also for runaway slaves, free mulattos, poor farmers and sailors, and those just looking to escape. Even John and Anne Bonny made their way to this unlawful island paradise!

Action packed but the only reason it got 4/5⭐ is because the "Republic" itself arrived so late in the book - the end of Ch. 5. It opens with Henry Avery, who I understand was an important part of the history of Nassau, but he died long before these events. I wanted more of William Dampier, a cohort of Avery, who had a much bigger role in Roger's early privateering schemes and rise to prominence. Thatch, starting to go by Blackbeard, takes a backseat to Bellamy's stardom, despite being a co-founder. Be prepared for a lot of backstory before all the pirates begin to gather and set up for the great showdown. But Woodard successfully explains why the Golden Age emerged when it did, describes life aboard a naval vs pirate vessel, and the politics of pirate hunting through Rogers. Overall, this one succeeded where Under the Black Flag did not and was thoroughly enjoyable! ( )

A book of surprising detail which sometimes belies the author's newspaper background. The coverage is a bit disjointed as in not chronological and therefore a bit repetitive at times. The chapter on 'Blackbeard' was especially useful to me as it gives me accurate background on his relationship with the 'Outer Banks'. For instance, 'Blackbeard's' real name was Thatch, but somehow in the 'Outer Banks' it was 'Teach'! My usual complaint about the lack of detailed maps was really important when the seemingly random cruises of these men were hard to follow from descriptions and the very general map given. I learned several things, the Royal amnesty, the importance of Nassau, the many types of vessels available, used and preferred. The career of Rogers was also a personal discovery. ( )

No notes recorded ( )

I believe this author had as his mission to write the best researched, most thorough account of the Republic of Pirates, founded by pirate Benjamin Hornigold, in the Caribbean. The escapades of many a pirate (so many I forget who’s who), and every ship won or lost, are detailed in this book. Which, unfortunately, makes for a boring pirate book. This book is a well-written assembly of facts and for that reason it’s a pick for me. It’d be an excellent textbook—original sources are cited. Where facts are unknown, he informs us. And I learned an enormous amount of history of the Caribbean and proved how little did I know how the early American east coast was so ravaged by pirates. Just beware, it’s a long slog. ( )

I seem to know a lot of people who have strong feelings about how a history of pirates should be written. I'd love to know what they think of this one. I thought it was well done, not too dry or too sensationalistic, and I appreciated the information on source materials. My only complaints are the overselling of the cover, perhaps, and the font, which tries to look piratey but was very distracting, leading me to read the first third in 3-4 page sessions. ( )