Admiral Sir Henry Morgan: King of the Buccaneers [Paperback]

Terry Breverton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2005

The swashbuckling biography of the naval officer known as the Sword of England. Welshman Henry Morgan has come to be portrayed as a black-hearted, fierce pirate. This error in terms and in the assessment of Morgan's character led to the filing of the first libel lawsuit, brought in protest to a book published in 1684 claiming he had been an indentured servant, was a pirate, and was responsible for atrocities. In fact, Morgan was commissioned to aid the British navy in fighting enemies of the throne and was a superb military tactician who led a dozen victorious campaigns against massive odds.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Henry Morgan of legend and song portrays him as a brutal and sadistic criminal, who indiscriminately pillaged and sacked ships that stood between him and greater glory. The facts are often obscured by a seventeenth-century book on buccaneers that not only served as source material for later biographies, but was also the subject of the first recorded successful libel suit--in 1684, brought by Morgan himself. Admiral Sir Henry Morgan organized and led a dozen successful campaigns against the greatest military power in the world, Spain, in service to the British Crown. This biography covers Morgan's life as a superb military tactician and strategist, debunking the myth of his overzealous cruelty. For his leadership in battle and as lieutenant governor of Jamaica, Admiral Sir Henry Morgan deserves to take his place alongside Sir Francis Drake and the Duke of Wellington in the panoply of history's greatest heroes

About the Author

Terry Breverton is an expert on pirates and Welsh history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (January 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589802772
• ISBN-13: 978-1589802773
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,267,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Witnesses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A full account of Morgan's myths and realities, May 9, 2005

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Admiral Sir Henry Morgan: King of the Buccaneers (Paperback)

Welshman Henry Morgan began as a naval officer, but made his reputation as a fierce pirate - a reputation challenged in the first libel lawsuit brought into protect a book about him published in 1684 claiming he was a terror of the high seas. In fact, he'd been commissioned to help the British navy fighting enemies of the crown and proved his worth as a military strategist on the high seas, and Welsh history expert Terry Breverton provides this full account of Morgan's myths and realities in his lively biography ADMIRAL SIR HENRY MORGAN: KING OF THE BUCCANEERS. Chapters review his leadership, his heroic struggles, and his ability to plan attacks which would ensure British supremacy abroad. An unusual, lively read.