The Adventurous Life of Captain Woodes Rogers
June 1, 2011
Having previously separated piratical myth from reality in Under the Black Flag (1995), Cordingly now colorfully presents renowned pirate hunter Captain Woodes Rogers and the real pirates of the Caribbean. In two stints as governor of the Bahamas, Rogers reestablished law and order, reinforced the island's defenses, and took on a range of pirates, including Charles Vane, Calico Jack, and the infamous Edward Teach (Blackbeard), effectively ending Nassau's position as a base of pirate operations during the Golden Age of Piracy. Unfortunately, much of the time Cordingly consigns Rogers to the background in favor of gripping tales of the pirates' iniquitous nautical exploits. This is especially evident in an epilogue devoted almost entirely to whether rescued castaway Alexander Selkirk was the actual inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. While Cordingly adds little to his previous work and such others as Marcus Rediker's Villains of All Nations (2004) and Colin Woodward's Republic of Pirates (2007), readers unfamiliar with those titles will find this an excellent primer in the barnacle-infested field of piratology.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)