Eric Jay Dolin is the author of Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution.
Recently I asked the author about what he was reading. Dolan's reply:
Since my books are on topics I know little about before writing them, most of my reading consists of old books, articles, letters, and newspaper accounts on the topic at hand. As a result, I read a relatively small number of new books. However, I am often asked to contribute blurbs, and that allows me to read some great soon-to-be-published books. Two are of particular note, especially because they are closely related to my book, Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates. Indeed it is because I wrote that book that I was asked to blurb these two.Visit Eric Jay Dolin's website.
The first is The Pirate's Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd, by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos, which willpublish on November 8, 2022. Here is the blurb I provided: "A fascinating and intriguing story about the woman behind one of the most iconic pirates of all. Geanacopoulos's compelling portrait of Sarah Kidd's turbulent and often tragic life, and her indomitable spirit, is full of dramatic twists and turns that will leave you wondering if there is any truth to the legend of Captain Kidd's hidden treasure." Almost all books on pirates focus on male pirates--and virtually all of them from the Golden Age were men -- and not on the women that were in their orbit. That is what makes The Pirate's Wife so refreshing.
The second pirate book I recently blurbed is Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune, by Keith Thomson,which published on May 10, 2022. Here is what I what I wrote: “Born to Be Hanged is a thrilling tale of piracy in the South Seas, replete with pitched and bloody battles, treasure hoards, a daring rescue, violent storms, shifting allegiances, mutiny, and a dubious trial. It is full of so many fascinating details and surprising twists and turns that you will not want to put it down until the very end. A wonderful contribution to the history of piracy, and a welcome addition to every pirate lover's library.” It reads like dramatic fiction, although it has the added benefit of being true.
Having these two blurbs back to back made me suddenly realize that I really like the phrase "twists and turns!" Well, it's true!!!
The Page 99 Test: Fur, Fortune, and Empire.
The Page 99 Test: When America First Met China.
The Page 69 Test: Brilliant Beacons.
The Page 99 Test: Brilliant Beacons.
The Page 99 Test: Black Flags, Blue Waters.
The Page 99 Test: A Furious Sky.
--Marshal Zeringue
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