Customer Reviews

Pirate of Exquisite Mind

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This book was first brought to my attention when it was being discussed on NPR. Diana Preston sounded like she was actually gushing when she talked about William Dampier. After reading this book, one can certainly understand why. While there are many gaps in the historical record - we know virtually nothing about Dampier's personal life, Diana and Michael Preston weave what is known into a highly enjoyable narrative that moves at the speed of an action novel.

William Dampier, a Scot, was a fascinating person. Like so many young unattached men of his time, he naturally turned to the sea as a means of livelihood. Like most sailors, he was a keen observer of the world around him. However, unlike many of his peers, he documented those observations, kept his papers in good order, and published his observations as sort of a half scientific journal/half travel story. He became sort of a folk hero to the large portions of English population who were wealthy enough to own his books, but not to experience the larger world first hand. His keen scientific observations deeply influenced meteorology, biology, and cartography for the next two hundred years. His charts were still in use as late as WWII.

Today, it is difficult for a layperson to be taken seriously by scientific community. Thus a common sailor and buccaneer who is also at the cutting edge of scientific study seems somewhat incredulous to the modern reader. Yet, in this sense, the 16th and 17th century scientific community was a bit more egalitarian then the current one. Yet this is a world where slavery was accepted as a fact of life and basic human dignity, especially for non-whites, was a luxury vice a fundamental right.

Likewise, Dampier himself was a case study in contradictions. A keen observer and analyst of the natural world, he seems completely unable to understand human nature. A gifted planner, navigator, and tough fighter; he fails at every leadership role that life thrusts upon him. Despite the fact that he was almost a folk hero at the time of his last expedition, he is more or less forgotten to the modern world with the exception of Western Australia. He was, after all, the first Englishman to visit Australia - sorry Capt Cook.

This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in the age of exploration, the history of science, or British history in the late 17th Century. The main drawback to this book is that there is very little insight into William Dampier's personal life. For example, the authors do not know when Dampier's wife died or much about her life when he was not at home. Regardless, this is a history book that is as readable as any novel.

This account of the life and times of William Dampier is refreshingly detailed. The authors successfully described the 17th Century world in all of its gritty reality. With these hard and unforgiving times as a backdrop, the reader can realize what Dampier was up against and how only an exquisite mind could accomplish what he did, under those circumstances.

I heartily recommend this read for anyone interested in seafaring in the 1600's.

This book was first brought to my attention when it was being discussed on NPR. Diana Preston sounded like she was actually gushing when she talked about William Dampier. After reading this book, one can certainly understand why. While there are many gaps in the historical record - we know virtually nothing about Dampier's personal life, Diana and Michael Preston weave what is known into a highly enjoyable narrative that moves at the speed of an action novel.

William Dampier, a Scot, was a fascinating person. Like so many young unattached men of his time, he naturally turned to the sea as a means of livelihood. Like most sailors, he was a keen observer of the world around him. However, unlike many of his peers, he documented those observations, kept his papers in good order, and published his observations as sort of a half scientific journal/half travel story. He became sort of a folk hero to the large portions of English population who were wealthy enough to own his books, but not to experience the larger world first hand. His keen scientific observations deeply influenced meteorology, biology, and cartography for the next two hundred years. His charts were still in use as late as WWII.

Today, it is difficult for a layperson to be taken seriously by scientific community. Thus a common sailor and buccaneer who is also at the cutting edge of scientific study seems somewhat incredulous to the modern reader. Yet, in this sense, the 16th and 17th century scientific community was a bit more egalitarian then the current one. Yet this is a world where slavery was accepted as a fact of life and basic human dignity, especially for non-whites, was a luxury vice a fundamental right.

Likewise, Dampier himself was a case study in contradictions. A keen observer and analyst of the natural world, he seems completely unable to understand human nature. A gifted planner, navigator, and tough fighter; he fails at every leadership role that life thrusts upon him. Despite the fact that he was almost a folk hero at the time of his last expedition, he is more or less forgotten to the modern world with the exception of Western Australia. He was, after all, the first Englishman to visit Australia - sorry Capt Cook.

This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in the age of exploration, the history of science, or British history in the late 17th Century. The main drawback to this book is that there is very little insight into William Dampier's personal life. For example, the authors do not know when Dampier's wife died or much about her life when he was not at home. Regardless, this is a history book that is as readable as any novel.

No many people knows about William Dampier even though his life is totally impressive. As a person looking for an opportunity to make a living, Dampier took his life as a buccaneer to develop his passion as explorer and naturalist. He didn't attend Oxford, nor Cambridge, but his accounts reminds me of Joseph Banks, accounts that were of much use for navigators and naturalist in the coming years, including Cook and Darwin.

He survived three voyages around the world, but those voyages let him know fascinating places and cultures. I was especially delighted on the description of Juan Fernandez Island (In the coast of Chile), the use that pirates made of this island and the story of the Moskito indian and Alexander Selkirk, both castaways here. A book worth reading!

This book was given to me as a gift, and it is such a marvelously good read that I heartily recommend it to all those who enjoy a ripping yarn. Dampier was a man of many parts, a traveler and adventurer who played a role in the history of a number of countries, observed their cultures, and was an important cartographer whose maps were used well into the 20th century. Although Dampier is a well-known figure in Australian and British history, it is surprising that he is not remembered for the role he played in U.S. history. William Dampier went everywhere, did everything and met many fascinating characters along the way. Here's a story of a remarkable life that can only enrich your own.

This is a well written straight forward book about an extraordinary man whose deeds have been obscured by other more charismatic adventurers and explorers. It began with the tired narcissistic literary device of following in the footsteps of one's hero as have biographers of Wallace and others, most books which I could not finish. The authors thankfully get down to the facts and the facts mainly come from Dampier's own writing. Because of that questions about his failings as a captain, his marriage, his apparent lack of interest in the delights of the body offered by natives go unanswered even though the authors do their best to fill in. Dampier is unusual in that, as an untutored buccaneer, he became the model of the Philosophic Society's idea of a Baconian naturalist, explorer and what we would now call anthropologist. From his time cutting logwood in central America, to his heroic paddle to Indonesia and his chartered explorations of Australia, Dampier is a relative unknown even though the British Navy, Humboldt and Darwin all called upon his authority. To follow his adventures is to go to a time when piracy was fading, but its jetsam still abounded (which has persevered to the present, passing through a history which included Lord Jims, and An Outcast of the Islands). What impressed me is how profitless piracy was. He and various companions were able to snatch smaller prey but the Spanish towns of the Caribbean and the Pacific were too well fortified or informed in advance of the pirate's presence that they were impregnable or able to evacuate and hide their loot making a mockery of the buccaneers efforts. And the British and the Dutch in the Pacific were way to powerful to overcome. In fact the buccaneers relied on them for their survival. The late 17th Century and early 18th Century were a lousy time for piracy.

But then was exploration and natural history seemed more of Dampier's passions any way. Looking down on his comrades' violence and single-minded greed, Dampier took his time exploring, making accurate charts and observations, and getting to know peoples whom he encountered. And he went out of his way to do so. His trip up into Cochin China out of curiosity while recovering from illness is not something a stereotypical pirate would do.

Although his many accomplishments are hard to remember, I found reading the book filled in a lot of the blank spaces between Sir Francis Drake and Capt. Cook. I was turned on to the book by mention of him in Carol Ann Basset's Galapagos at the Crossroads: Pirates, Biologists, Tourists, and Creationists Battle for Darwin's Cradle of Evolution. I liked the book.

Charlie Fisher, emeritus prof. and author of Dismantling Discontent: Buddha's Way Through Darwin's World

I didn't know anything about this explorer before reading the book, but became interested in learning about him when I saw someone else reading the book while on an airplane flight. It touched my curiosity and I sent for my own copy. Have enjoyed and learned, which are objectives that I value.

This book was first brought to my attention when it was being discussed on NPR. Diana Preston sounded like she was actually gushing when she talked about William Dampier. After reading this book, one can certainly understand why. While there are many gaps in the historical record - we know virtually nothing about Dampier's personal life, Diana and Michael Preston weave what is known into a highly enjoyable narrative that moves at the speed of an action novel.

William Dampier, a Scot, was a fascinating person. Like so many young unattached men of his time, he naturally turned to the sea as a means of livelihood. Like most sailors, he was a keen observer of the world around him. However, unlike many of his peers, he documented those observations, kept his papers in good order, and published his observations as sort of a half scientific journal/half travel story. He became sort of a folk hero to the large portions of English population who were wealthy enough to own his books, but not to experience the larger world first hand. His keen scientific observations deeply influenced meteorology, biology, and cartography for the next two hundred years. His charts were still in use as late as WWII.

Today, it is difficult for a layperson to be taken seriously by scientific community. Thus a common sailor and buccaneer who is also at the cutting edge of scientific study seems somewhat incredulous to the modern reader. Yet, in this sense, the 16th and 17th century scientific community was a bit more egalitarian then the current one. Yet this is a world where slavery was accepted as a fact of life and basic human dignity, especially for non-whites, was a luxury vice a fundamental right.

Likewise, Dampier himself was a case study in contradictions. A keen observer and analyst of the natural world, he seems completely unable to understand human nature. A gifted planner, navigator, and tough fighter; he fails at every leadership role that life thrusts upon him. Despite the fact that he was almost a folk hero at the time of his last expedition, he is more or less forgotten to the modern world with the exception of Western Australia. He was, after all, the first Englishman to visit Australia - sorry Capt Cook.

This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in the age of exploration, the history of science, or British history in the late 17th Century. The main drawback to this book is that there is very little insight into William Dampier's personal life. For example, the authors do not know when Dampier's wife died or much about her life when he was not at home. Regardless, this is a history book that is as readable as any novel.

Ok, so there is no doubt that this book is a excellent read. It really is like 'The Pirates of the Carribean' but in written form and it all really happened! Swashbuckling adventures, gripping, perilous cliffhangers, monstrous storms, wild, and sometimes dangerous natives (but mostly friendly). In short, I am very glad I bought this book.

But, I don't think I completely agree with the authors portrayal of our hero, William Dampier, as a forgotten hero who deserves better than he got. Certainly, he was an extraordinary man, of immense energy, life force, talent, a pioneer in innumerable fields and respected highly by the educational elite of his, and many in our, day. But he was not a good man all the way.

He left his wife for years on end, without much of a shadow of a hint of remorse (leaving the first time very shortly after their marriage for 12 years and almost no mention of her during those 12 years till he gets back, stays a while and takes off again!). He partook in attacking and stealing treasures from merchant ships that were in no way threatening him or his crew (I understand many did this but it's no excuse). It doesn't make it excusable just because others in his day also did this and the authors lightly dismiss this under those pretences. It was still wrong. He stole and plundered, A LOT, for a living. It almost, but not quite, overshadows his achievements. And the 'not quite' is probably the reason why he is a little less dismissed as a pirate.

All in all a good read, but he's no angel.