Customer Reviews

Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign

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One of the thoughts I took away from this book was how sometimes in order to defeat an enemy, it is necessary to fight him at his own level. Understanding this, England's most pragmatic monarch, Charles II, took the shrewd step of not only employing the regular navy in his conflicts with Spain, but of commissioning pirates to act as privateers, which he then sent out to take the fight directly into the nerve-center of Spain's lucrative Caribbean territories.

Empire of Blue Water---which has a beautiful cover, I might add---is primarily the story of Captain Henry Morgan, 1635-1688, the ultimate embodiment of buccaneer and raider in the great age of sail. Living a life that lends credence to the old maxim about truth being stranger than fiction, the flamboyant, fearless Morgan, son of minor Welsh gentry, proceeded to attack his nation's foes from Cuba to the coasts of South America and back again across a string of islands in a series of audacious flanking strikes that not only rattled the Spanish from the New World to Madrid, but lead to Spain's making a peace treaty with England that was highly beneficial to England's interests.

Stephan Talty also dishes up the de rigueur gossip and dirt on other pirates who sailed the Caribbean waters, sometimes acting in one nation's interest, sometimes that of another, most often simply dwelling as seaborne opportunists who sought profit and adventure wherever it was to be found. Fans of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean series will probably enjoy reading about the exploits of real life counterparts to the fictional characters in the film, who were every bit as conniving, lawless and savage as might be expected. (Or hoped.)

At the center of this book is Captain Morgan's January 1671 raid into Panama, which demonstrated the vulnerability of even the most boastfully protected strongholds to the fast-moving, ruthless new breed of warrior he and his men represented. Ironically, Morgan's brilliantly executed raid, complete with a Robert E. Lee-like division of his forces during the assault, was carried out after the signing of the British-Spanish treaty, and was therefore an act of piracy. Arrested and jailed for his aggression, Morgan, then a national hero, escaped punishment by pleading ignorance in London of the existence of the treaty, and returned to the Caribbean a figure of almost cult-like renown.

A necessary part of this book which I did not greatly enjoy was that which dealt with the declining years of Morgan, when he became a figure very unlike his younger self on whom his legend is based. Morgan, who began life flirting with roguedom and ended it a deposed, drunken governor of the British colony of Jamaica, knighted and almost respectable, was forced to hang in the name of the Crown pirates he surely once knew as fellow "highwaymen of the open water." Eventually removed from office and spurned by those he'd once served, Morgan became a pitiable figure whose life perhaps lasted a decade longer than his fame. The fact that a heroic adventurer could find his end at the bottom of a bottle, a discarded pawn and tool of the establishment, was depressing and unworthy of what Henry Morgan deserved. Still, it's the legend that is remembered today, and Talty does a good job of buoying the myth, even as he never loses sight of the truth.

Good historical writing, and well-chosen subject matter.

This book is basically a rehash of material that was covered by Peter Earle's THE SACK OF PANAMA. But instead of digging into new primary sources as Earle did in the unexplored Spanish records, Mr. Talty quotes familiar sources like Alexander Exquemeling and other secondary works, including Earle's. One sees the phrase "As quoted in" repeated all to often in his endnotes. He even includes sources on pirates who flourished sixty years after the events in his book, and he creates a fictional composite of a buccaneer named Roderick to perform actions that aren't backed up by facts. Mr. Talty also annoyingly peppers his prose with inappropriate modern analogies. For instance, Thomas Gage, former missionary to the Spanish Main, and propagandist for colonization of the Indies is described as the Neil Armstrong of his day.

Nevertheless, Talty's style can be engaging when he refrains from modernisms, and the book did provide some historical context for Henry Morgan's exploits. The introductory chapters on Gage and the settlement of Jamaica, as well as closing chapters concerning the years when Henry Morgan was deputy Governor of Jamaica were worth reading. But there is too much in between that has been refuted by the historical record, such as Exquemeling's lurid descriptions of torture which, if they were true, would have found their way into Spanish reports.

I've never been much interested in pirates, but I found myself enthralled with Stephan Talty's Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign.

Empire of Blue Water begins with the British trying to muscle in on Spain's hold in the New World by conquering Jamaica. At the time, Welshman Henry Morgan was a young sailor. But by the end of his life, he proved to be one of the most influential men in the Caribbean and helped to change the course of world history.

There was a thin line between being a private or a privateer, with Morgan being in the latter group. Privateering was actually invented by Henry VIII. This cash-strapped king offered commissions to sea captains to harass the French, attacking and capturing enemy ships. But unlike regular pirates, privateers gave a percentage of their "profits" to the crown. A romantic imagine exists today about pirates, but pirating was a very hard and dangerous life. But unlike most jobs, pirating was a "democratic institution." "The most important decisions were made from the bottom up." As for leadership, "the captain was only in charge when the crew was fighting, chasing a ship, or being chased."

Henry Morgan made a name (and a fortune) for himself by amassing large groups of pirates and staging four of the most daring raids of that period. They were against Granada, Portobello, Maracaibo and Panama. The Caribbean was akin to the Wild West in these days and Morgan proved to be a bold and brilliant leader. His cunning strategies allowed him to assess the weaknesses of the Spanish and to beat them at almost every turn. When England and Spain finally signed a peace treaty, pirating was outlawed. Morgan was one of the few who made a successful transition to private life, running his Jamaican plantation and becoming deputy governor.

There are fascinating tidbits of information in Blue Waters and I enjoyed how Henry Morgan and his exploits affected the world stage. Morgan had much to do with breaking the back of the Spanish Empire. "Without him, who knows what the map of the Caribbean and even the United States might look like." After 1713, Spain ceased to be a world power. Also, an earthquake in Port Royal four years after Morgan's death destroyed this Jamaican trade capital. Trade with Port Royal was then diverted through the American Colonies, never to return.

So, was Captain Morgan a bold, brilliant privateer or a "rampaging, torturing, thieving pirate?" Read Stephan Talty and decide for yourself!

After reading such thoroughly researched "pirate" books about William Dampier and Captain Kidd it is quite easy to see how this fable of Captain Morgan pales in this regard. The author primarily relies upon a single source and has almost no direct sources or information from Morgan (because few or none exist). The author cites several Spanish accounts of Morgan's raids and attacks, but the reader is told to take them with a grain of salt, or to disregard them in general because... because the author wants to mold Morgan (and the English expansionary tactic of piracy, or privateering) into something more respectable and noble?
I found the lack of sources and lack of reasons for the author's firmly contrived opinion to be troubling.
However, despite the obvious contempt for the Spanish, the author is able to give a nice history and general account of what was transpiring in Spain and her realm. This is because the Spanish, who the author even admits, have maintained a thorough and exacting history that the author was able to use as source material.

There also exists an embarrassing chapter about the earthquake that leveled Jamaica's Port Royal. This chapter doesn't meld well with the already weak narrative and seems to be filler material and an excuse to add information to give the book sheen of scholarly research. Why the author adds the clumsy list of reasons for earthquakes reported in 17th century texts is beyond me. It just doesn't fit.

This book is fine if you want a rather lackadaisical overview of the famed Captain Morgan and the pirate island of Jamaica. It's OK for a day at the beach, by the pool, or if on a cruise of the Caribbean. Personally, I think it's merely cashing in on the pirate book zeitgeist and the pirate summertime movie craze.

There have been several new pirate-themed book releases just in time for summer vacations. Of course, the release of Pirates of the Caribbean III might also have something to do with the sudden prominence of pirate-themed literature. Regardless of the reason, Empire of Blue Water is a worthy addition to the canon of pirate and buccaneer histories. More of a narrative account than a dry recitation of historical documentation, it maintains it's momentum all the way to the end. It's not a large tome, but it packs a wealth of fun information inside it's covers.

The book covers the period from the mid-to-late 1600's, opening with Britain's capture of Jamaica from it's Spanish settlers. The taking of Jamaica was a serious blow to the Spanish Empire, rocking it to it's very core, especially in light of Jamaica's advantageous geographical position in the middle of the Caribbean shipping lanes. Talty follows the rise of Henry Morgan, perhaps the most famous privateer of his generation. The tension rises as Morgan begins a systematic campaign of (mostly) state-sponsored pillaging and looting of the Spanish Empire in the New World.

The book does a good job of relating what it must have been like to be a privateer in that time. The author creates a "composite character" named Roderick, with the intention of giving the reader a window into the life of one such adventurer. This literary trick works most of time, as Talty follows Roderick through many a tight spot. Roderick's life was hard one, no doubt, but the reader also gets the impression that men like Roderick wouldn't have had it any other way.

The book is full of the political intrigue of the time, and it does a good job of covering the basic historical drivers in play during the period. Talty's impression of the Spanish Empire is not particularly favorable, as he continually drives home the point that the Spanish political system itself was often it's own worst enemy. Caught in overbearing tradition and bureaucracy, the Spanish are often cast as bumblers and malcontents.

It should also be noted that Morgan was a privateer, rather than a pirate. His raids were done under the cover of state-sponsored commissions, a detail that Morgan took very seriously, as he was at heart a man of the Crown.

The book is a bit weak on source material, using John Esquemeling's "Buccaneers of America" as it's primary source. Esquemeling was a member of Morgan's crew, and his somehat sensationalist account of what happened on those fateful voyages should be taken with a grain of salt. Talty himself admits as much at various times in the book, but he liberally quotes from Esquemeling anyway.

Small gripes to be sure, as the book is ultimately satisfying and entertaining. The true adventures of the buccaneers easily surpass anything that Hollywood can conjure. I give this book a hearty recommendation, mates.

The author is at his best in describing Morgan's battle tactics against the Spanish. He's a resourceful,bold leader whose men were better armed and much more disciplined than their adversaries. As a consequence, Morgan was uniformly successful even when facing long odds.

Also well done is the description of the pirate code -- the democratic nature of the pirates and the difficulty the captain had in leading his men as a result. The pirates value treasure above all and the Morgan must adopt the ruthless attitudes of his competitors if he is to maintain his standing in the community. Yet, Morgan viewed himself as a soldier with a commission, not a pirate. By the end of his life, he was rounding up renegade pirates who did not accept the peace treaty with the Spanish and the need to give up the pirate life.

The Jamaican base of Morgan and its end in the great earthquake of 1690 are also well portrayed.

On the other hand, the book is overwritten -- heavy on adjectives and overblown descriptions that attempt to heighten the drama. The author would do well to just tell the story.

EMPIRE OF BLUE WATER: CAPTAIN MORGAN'S GREAT PIRATE ARMY, THE EPIC BATTLE FOR THE AMERICAS, AND THE CATASTROPHE THAT ENDED THE OUTLAWS' BLOODY REIGN BY STEPHEN TALTY: Take a journey back to the dawn of the age of piracy in the Caribbean, in the mid-seventeenth century. England, having just overcome years of civil war after Charles I was executed and Oliver Cromwell has finally died, Charles II becoming king, is at war with Spain. On the other side of the Atlantic, in the Caribbean controlled by Spain, England has begun taking settlements: first Barbados and now Jamaica. Captain Morgan arrives with men and ships and as a privateer has carte blanche to seize Spanish ships in the name of the English crown, and so begins Empire of Blue Water.

It is during this time that the term privateer and the term pirate become blurred together. The clear difference is that a privateer must donate a portion of all that he seizes to the crown of his nation, while a pirate keeps it all for himself and his crew. Naturally, when you're many thousands of miles away from the country you are privateering for, it is easier to just keep it all for yourself and not have anyone know about it.

Captain Morgan takes this dangerous road, living on the island of Jamaica in the pirate capital of Port Royal. The pirate's life can be a treacherous one, but it can also be a lucrative one - whether you're a captain or a lowly seaman. With a fully-crewed ship, the pirate captain can spend as long as he wants cruising the Caribbean waters, taking ships, keeping them and making them part of the fleet, or taking all of worth from them and then abandoning them. Some of the crew may be forced to become pirates, especially when they have valuable skills on a ship: surgeons or doctors of any kind, cooks and sail makers, for example. A pirate ship is a very democratic place: during battle the captain has final say and commands everyone, but otherwise all decisions are made by the crew as a whole. The amount of pay they receive depends on their services, starting with the captain getting the highest, and then going down to officers and the ranks below; again skilled seaman will receive a better share, especially surgeons who are invaluable on a pirate ship. Pirates also received excellent compensation if they suffered an accident during battle or their voyage: a loss of a limb warranted a specific stipend which would increase depending on how important that limb was, such as an arm or leg; if more than one limb was lost, the reward would be even greater.

From this viewpoint, a life of piracy seems almost acceptable as a position at that time, of course there were many pirates in the seventeenth about which little is known or remembered, simply because they lost the battle, lost the ship, and died. Many lives were lost during this time as ships filled the Caribbean waters looking for plunder, while dead bodies filled the seas.

The pirates would decide when they had enough plunder, constantly working out their share, and would return to Port Royal, where they would proceed to spend everything they had earned as fast as possible on drink and women, spending anywhere from six months to over a year doing this, depending how long they could make their money last. Captain Morgan was a little more careful with his earnings, buying a piece of land on Jamaica and then living there with his family until the money ran low, and then he would take to the seas again with a new crew, a new ship, and plenty of Spanish ships to be taken.

Stephan Talty does an excellent job of revealing the life of Captain Henry Morgan, going into detail on his major raids on Granada, Portobelo, Maracaibo, and finally Panama. This last battle saw the pirates taking to the land in an unusual attack that nearly resulted in them dying of thirst and starvation. Naturally, as all good things must come to pass, this is true even more so for a pirate whose life can end at any moment on the high seas. For Captain Morgan, it was the arm of the British crown knowing of his piratical efforts, stretching across the Atlantic and bringing him to trial. But when everything was revealed, Morgan was knighted and eventually returned to Jamaica as governor, yet was never the same man again and in 1688 died of dropsy. In 1692, a devastating earthquake and then a succession of tidal waves struck Port Royal, essentially obliterating the pirate capital. Port Royal was eventually rebuilt, but never became as great a pirate town as it once was.

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A very enjoyable, informative read. As someone who enjoys reading about this time period, I found this book to be extremely well researched and well written. The author captures the complexity of the time period and conveys it in a very engaging manner! I highly recommend "Empire of Blue Water"

Narrative history, for better or worse, has become quite popular over the past several years. Unlike typical history tomes which are extensively referenced, narrative history reads more like fiction. This isn't necessarily bad if the history is accurate and if it presents some new interpretations of known fact.

Unfortunately, Empire of Blue Water is perhaps the most poorly researched "history" to date even by narrative history genre standards. No substantiating data is provided for Talty's contentions, many of his conjectures seem implausible and, halfway through the book, I've already found two gross inaccuracies. I've found little new information above and beyond what a couple of hours watching the History Channel on the same subject wouldn't provide. To make matters worse, Talty's writing style makes for a difficult read at best.

My impression is that this book is solely a marketing gimmick designed to take advantage of the current interest in Caribbean piracy as a result of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

"Empire of Blue Water" is a well written account of the life of Henry Morgan by Stephan Talty. It does a good job of gathering information to set Captain Morgan in context of the era. He lived in a strange time when there was a fine line between privateer and pirate. He actually straddled the transition. Many of Morgan's actions were legitimate military actions against an enemy of his country. He just held out too long until it was no longer acceptable. The descriptions of Port Royal in its heyday are fascinating.

Talty is a skilled writer. His narrative flows well. The book includes adequate maps to follow the story. I think Talty did a good job of fitting Morgan into the larger picture and the context of the time. I enjoyed this book thoroughly.