Michael W. (mlwonio) - , reviewed on 5/21/2024 + 7 more book reviews

More privateers than pirates, these 20 vignettes, from a couple to a dozen pages each, all have a connection to Connecticut through the career of some person or vessel, or a specific locale or event. Popular legends about treasures are related without credulity. One of the longer pieces is a very nice summary of the complex history of Captain William Kidd. Another summarizes the log of a four-month voyage of the Stonington privateer Dolphin, 1762-63. Many of the shorter pieces are rather repetitious laundry lists of long series of brief encounters of different privateer cruises, but collectively they provide a complete overview of the privateer tradition everywhere during the Age of Sail. The author uses the jargon of that culture correctly but, except for a few photos, without explanations or definitions. You might want to consult a nautical glossary. The book is well written as a whole, despite several incorrect word choices, as âtrepidationsâ for âdepredationsâ (twice). You might want to consult a dictionary.The index will help the reader cross-reference the various articles, as the careers of both captains and ships often overlap in various ways.

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