Cup of gold: A life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with occasional reference to history [Hardcover]

John Steinbeck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1938

This lush, lyrical fantasy is Steinbeck's sole work of historical fiction. Henry Morgan ruled the Spanish Main in the 1670s, ravaging the coasts of Cuba and America and striking terror wherever he went. His lust and greed knew no bounds, and he was utterly consumed by two passions; to possess the mysterious woman known as La Santa Roja, the Red Saint, and to conquer Panama and wrest 'the cup of gold' from Spanish hands. This work is a fantastic, swashbuckling stuff!

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

7 1-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. His key novels have been huge best-sellers in the UK for many years. His complete works will be available in Penguin Modern Classics. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 269 pages
• Publisher: Sun Dial Press (1938)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00086ZTM0
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

More About the Author

John Steinbeck (1902-1968), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, achieved popular success in 1935 when he published Tortilla Flat. He went on to write more than twenty-five novels, including The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Importance of Writing The First One, February 3, 2003

By 

Stacey Cochran (Raleigh, NC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

Cup of Gold is important in that it was Steinbeck's first novel. If you look closely you can see the kind of *heart* that would characterize Steinbeck's humanity in later works. His sensitivity, if you will. But that kind of sensitivity is at its best when balanced with Steinbeck's wit and satirical edge. Here, though, in Cup of Gold was a young Steinbeck without the momentum -- nor the boldness -- to balance a sense of humanity with cutting satire, and the novel ultimately sounds too sentimental and limp. In my opinion, Steinbeck really came into his own with Tortilla Flat (1935). Pastures of Gold (1932) and To a God Unknown (1933) were both closer to Cup of Gold in their romantic tendancies. But Tortilla Flat is the first novel where Steinbeck really enjoyed writing a novel, and the result was a comedy. Cup of Gold provides a window into a young writer's mind (Steinbeck published it at 27) -- a writer trying to find his calling -- and ultimately, a writer who would go on the write better novels with maturity and the development of his craft.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Steinbeck and his Boyhood Dreams, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

Like most first time authors, Steinbeck looked for inspiration in his imagination. Fascinated with the swashbuckling pirates, he tests the literary waters with his first work. While it is lengthy and overly flowering in parts, it is a wonderful starting point to tracing his lengthy career. Strangely enough, in his later years, he once again turned to childhood inspiration when he penned his "King Arthur" stories. A study of the two also provides an intriguing subject.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An early glimpse of a dedicated writer., October 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

Steinbeck did not wish to be referred to as an "author." He has shown from this work through to the last (Winter of Our Discontent) what it takes to answer the demand of a talented and dedicated"writer." Here, an exciting tale carries the reader off on high sea adventures. One is catapulted into circumstances of an historical era which take on the aura of reality. Giving , in the bargin, a new value system for the" trade" of piracy. Read this and then read on through this author's multi-faceted offerings!