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La República de los Piratas : la verdadera historia de los piratas del Caribe by Colin Woodard
emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition
4.0
An engaging and accessible account of the rise and fall of the pirate republic in the Bahamas. This is an area of history and a topic that has always interested me and I found Woodard's account incredibly informative and digestible. I highly recommend for pirate enthusiasts and history buffs.
raechel's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I read/listened to this for work to help edit the audio book for Talking Books, so I went through this way slower than I usually read something.
I enjoyed this look at the history of pirates, which I never think of having touched America for some reason. It was pretty cool to learn more about some of the big names and their interactions with each other, though I do wish we had learned more about the few female pirates who were in action during this time.
This is a pretty good book for learning pirate history, and if you're a fan of Our Flag Means Death you'll definitely recognize some of the names.
I enjoyed this look at the history of pirates, which I never think of having touched America for some reason. It was pretty cool to learn more about some of the big names and their interactions with each other, though I do wish we had learned more about the few female pirates who were in action during this time.
This is a pretty good book for learning pirate history, and if you're a fan of Our Flag Means Death you'll definitely recognize some of the names.
xkrow's review against another edition
4.0
Wow!
Very much the first history book I can say I've "enjoyed" reading - in the sense that, I was constantly looking forward to the next chapter of the story, trying to see where these people's decisions would lead them. This may also be because I choose a topic I am very interested in and intrigued by, but I think some measure of credit must be tossed Woodard's way as well.
He has a keen eye for "story". Big chunks of this book are dedicated to a meticulous detailing of the names, origins, and cargo of the ships that these few pirates stole from, but I suppose that has be expected from a history book. But outside of that, Woodard delves into what makes these pirates the way they are. What were there supposed backgrounds? How did they treat the people around them? How did the authorities responses shape their downfalls? The opening chapter's focus on Henry Avery greatly encapsulates the arc of this book.
After a brief introduction, Woodard picks such a perfect moment to start the story that I stayed up reading the whole chapter the night I got the book. He takes us through Avery's background, the socio-economic-political background of the time, the actions that lead to his turn, the ultimate atrocities he committed, and his not-so-dramatic conclusion. You see this pattern repeated throughout the book (with the exceptions of Bellamy [and maybe even Blackbeard] whose swift rise and fall is so dramatic I was saddened when he met his ultimate end).
For someone who knew next-to-nothing about this part of this world during this time-period, but was interested to learn, I don't know if I could've stumbled upon a better introduction. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Golden Age of Piracy, though its basic-approach may not be as interesting to someone more well-versed in the history of this era. I very much look forward to reading more books about this period (I'm eyeing "Villains of All Nations") or practically whatever else from Woodard I can get my hands on.
Very happy to make this my first 4-star read of the year.
Very much the first history book I can say I've "enjoyed" reading - in the sense that, I was constantly looking forward to the next chapter of the story, trying to see where these people's decisions would lead them. This may also be because I choose a topic I am very interested in and intrigued by, but I think some measure of credit must be tossed Woodard's way as well.
He has a keen eye for "story". Big chunks of this book are dedicated to a meticulous detailing of the names, origins, and cargo of the ships that these few pirates stole from, but I suppose that has be expected from a history book. But outside of that, Woodard delves into what makes these pirates the way they are. What were there supposed backgrounds? How did they treat the people around them? How did the authorities responses shape their downfalls? The opening chapter's focus on Henry Avery greatly encapsulates the arc of this book.
After a brief introduction, Woodard picks such a perfect moment to start the story that I stayed up reading the whole chapter the night I got the book. He takes us through Avery's background, the socio-economic-political background of the time, the actions that lead to his turn, the ultimate atrocities he committed, and his not-so-dramatic conclusion. You see this pattern repeated throughout the book (with the exceptions of Bellamy [and maybe even Blackbeard] whose swift rise and fall is so dramatic I was saddened when he met his ultimate end).
For someone who knew next-to-nothing about this part of this world during this time-period, but was interested to learn, I don't know if I could've stumbled upon a better introduction. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Golden Age of Piracy, though its basic-approach may not be as interesting to someone more well-versed in the history of this era. I very much look forward to reading more books about this period (I'm eyeing "Villains of All Nations") or practically whatever else from Woodard I can get my hands on.
Very happy to make this my first 4-star read of the year.
bristlecone's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was a little skeptical about whether the history of pirates in the Atlantic in the late 1600/early 1700s would be enough material for an engaging book.
It was.
I particularly enjoyed the backstory and the description of how international politics and individual level conditions conspired to encourage piracy, as well as the internal workings of pirate society.
I also left with a desire to read more about Mary Reed --- who is only discussed briefly at the end but I think would make a fascinating subject for further investigation.
It was.
I particularly enjoyed the backstory and the description of how international politics and individual level conditions conspired to encourage piracy, as well as the internal workings of pirate society.
I also left with a desire to read more about Mary Reed --- who is only discussed briefly at the end but I think would make a fascinating subject for further investigation.
mirrorchaser's review against another edition
3.0
This may be the longest I've ever stuck with a book that I desperately wanted to DNF lol instead of a riveting narrative constructed from found documents, I got a textbook. Maybe if you're super into pirate history, this would be a cool book. It just was so boring to me. I will say that it's well written and you can tell that the author put in a ton of effort to write it!