The Buccaneers of America

This book was very interesting and did not put me to sleep. It kept the history poignant and interesting and did not slow me down at all. As a person who is very into diving and history, the book really enlightened me as to facts about Pirate history that I did not know before. Definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in maritime history or just pirates.

Originally published in Dutch, this version is translated by Alexis Brown. The author, Alexander O. Exquemelin (spelling varies widely between versions and sources), provides a first hand account of the environs, history and, to him, current accounts of several of the well known buccaneer captains. Much of the book is in travel log format and describes the various towns, flora and fauna of the Caribbean, especially locales like Tortuga, Panama and Hispaniola. The author describes various animals and often their suitability as food, such as the differing qualities of the various types of turtles and even manatees. His descriptions of the trees and animals are fairly detailed and the modern reader can often make the connection with current names. The other focus of the book is a set of narratives of two of the better known buccaneers: Francis L'Olonnais and Henry Morgan. The author provides accounts and opinions of the exploits of these two men and their crews, including the less than admirable usage of torture. This is required reading for any with more than just a passing interest in pirates (I am somewhat ashamed that it has taken me nearly 8 years to get around to this cornerstone for a true understanding of buccaneers). While the biographical content is limited to just two buccaneers, the basic understanding of the buccaneer lifestyle and environment provide a firm basis for understanding much of what transpired during the 17th century in the Caribbean as well as what was to follow in the Golden Age of Piracy. P-)

BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA was fascinating. It is an easy-to-read narrative about the real-life environment and adventures of the first pirates of the Caribbean - and it's written by a 17th-century buccaneer! The first part of the book concentrates on describing how the buccaneering lifestyle was established, as well as included an in-depth description of the flora and fauna of Tortuga and Hispaniola. Having been to the Dominican Republic on Hispaniola, I really appreciated the rich detail and history of what the island was like in the 17th century. I can't believe Hispaniola had so many animals back then - if you go there today, you'll find all the wildlife was killed for food long, long ago. The second part of the book mostly covers the exploits of Henry Morgan, probably the most famous buccaneer of them all. One of the fascinating chapters is about the sack of Panama, which includes all the hardships the buccaneers endured in order to pillage Spanish cities and fortresses. This was a neat little book that kept my attention from chapter one onward. I also stopped quite often just to read different passages aloud. If you are going to travel to the Dominican Republic or Haiti, I'd recommend reading this book or taking it along as your "beach book." It's too bad there aren't really any touring trips to Tortuga, the infamous pirate haven that is referred to quite often in BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA, as it is nowadays an uninhabited island. The only part of this book I didn't enjoy was the Introduction, which was pretty dry to read. If you bypass it completely and just start with the first chapter, you'll be fine! ***Another fascinating pirate book to read is UNDER THE BLACK FLAG by David Cordingly.****

This work by the Dutchman Alexander Exquemelin (or Esquemeling) was first published in the Netherlands in 1678 as "De Americaensche Zeerovers" and later translated into English as "The Buccaneers of America" of which this book is a reprint. Exquemelin was himself a buccaneer and claimed to have collected these tales of piracy on the high seas as an eyewitness. It has proven to be one of the only accounts of the 17th century buccaneers of the Spanish Main. Here collected for the first time were the tales of such famous (and infamous) buccanneers like Pierre LeGrand, Francis L'Ollonais, and Henry Morgan. The buccaneers started out fairly innocuously enough as hunters on the Spanish controlled island of Hispanola. But as they grew more numerous, they were ruthlessly persecuted by the Spanish authorities and driven onto the island of Tortuga. This treatment fuled an unparalled hatred for the Spanish and gave rise to some of the cruelest acts of violence in the history of piracy. Of the pirates discussed here, many, like the dread pirate L'Ollonais, were known for their almost unrivaled cruelty in the treatment of captives. L'Ollonais was said to have cut out the hearts of Spanish captives and eaten them to frighten the others into revealing information he wanted. Of all, Captain Henry Morgan is by far the most famous and remembered of the buccaneers. Morgan was known for his daring acts against the Spanish and for his capture and sack of Panama, then the rendezvous point for the Spanish gold fleet. Later, he went on to fame and fortune as the governor of Jamaica. The buccaneers passed into history with the close of the 17th century. The Golden Age of piracy was to peak in the early 18th century, by which time the older buccaneers had faded away, and with them the days when the Spanish ruled the New World. But Exquemeling's work will forever capture the spirit and adventure of these days long gone. Highly recommended.

I study pirates as a past time hobbie and almost all modern pirate histories use this as their source book. I have yet to find another book with actual accounts other then speculations.