What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd
Everybody knows the legend of Captain Kidd, America's most ruthless buccanneer. Few people realize that the facts of his life make for a much better tale. Kidd was actually a tough New York sea captain hired to chase pirates, a married war hero whose secret mission took a spectacularly bad turn.
This harrowing tale traces Kidd's voyages in the 1690s from his home near Wall Street to Whitehall Palace in London, from the ports of the Caribbean to a secret pirate paradise off Madagascar. Author Richard Zacks, during his research, also unearthed the story of a long forgotten rogue named Robert Culliford, who dogged Kidd and led Kidd's crew to mutiny not once but twice. The lives of Kidd and Culliford play out like an unscripted one man would hang in the harbor, the other would walk away with the treasure. Filled with superb writing and impeccable research, The Pirate Hunter is both a masterpiece of historical detective work and a ripping good yarn, and it delivers something an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.
This harrowing tale traces Kidd's voyages in the 1690s from his home near Wall Street to Whitehall Palace in London, from the ports of the Caribbean to a secret pirate paradise off Madagascar. Author Richard Zacks, during his research, also unearthed the story of a long forgotten rogue named Robert Culliford, who dogged Kidd and led Kidd's crew to mutiny not once but twice. The lives of Kidd and Culliford play out like an unscripted one man would hang in the harbor, the other would walk away with the treasure. Filled with superb writing and impeccable research, The Pirate Hunter is both a masterpiece of historical detective work and a ripping good yarn, and it delivers something an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.
426 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Richard Zacks
9 books75 followersRichard Zacks (1955-?) was born in Savannah, Georgia but grew up in New York City. He was a Classical Greek major at the University of Michigan and studied Arabic in Cairo, Italian in Perugia, and French in the vineyards of France.. After completing Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, he wrote a syndicated column for four years carried by the NY Daily News, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News and many others.He keeps a hole-in-the-wall office in Manhattan and lives just outside the city limits in an 1897 stucco house, once used by bootleggers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
October 15, 2008
This book is borderline between "It was okay" and "I liked it" so, 2 1/2 stars.
Basically, you should forget everything you thought you knew about Captain Kidd. Which, for me was, "He was a pirate." Turns out I was even wrong about that. Here are the main things I liked about this book:
1. The true story of what happened to Captain Kidd is quite interesting.
2. It gives you a credible look at what it was really like to be a pirate, in a very entertaining way.
3. It was cool to get a feel for what was going on during this time period (late 1600s and early 1700s), both in America and England.
4. Zacks doesn't do a HORRIBLE job of keeping the story moving.
That being said, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you 1) are in love with all things pirate, or 2) have a lot of time to kill and your only other alternative is watching the Reality TV channel. Here are some of the main things I really didn't like about this book.
1. The author had some annoying quirks. Fifty pages of this wouldn't be so bad, but after 400 pages I literally wanted to track this man down and give him a swirly. Here are the low-lights:
a. He seriously overuses italics and chooses odd words to emphasize that makes it really distracting to read.
b. He also uses ellipses inappropriately and much too frequently, as if he were heightening the suspense before the punchline of a...joke.
c. He also has a quotation mark "thing" that makes you wonder how much attention he really paid during high school grammar class.
d. He clearly has a fascination with the vulgar. It wasn't offensive or even necessarily inappropriate, just rather juvenile. If he could find any way to work in information about bodily functions, sex acts, or getting drunk, he would most definitely do it.
e. He assumed his readers had the memory recall of a fruit fly. It didn't matter that he opened the book with a story about James Gilliam, pirate, and then went on to mention Gilliam numerous times throughout the book, even more than once per page, he still felt the need to refresh our memory with each and every reference as to who this James Gilliam was. He did this with several people.
2. The book was too long for the story. I wouldn't say the author got bogged down in details, so much as he clearly couldn't stand to leave out any of the interesting tidbits he'd compiled in his three years of research. I wanted to know what happened, but it was seriously an effort to keep reading after the first 200 pages or so.
3. While I would say the evidence is on the side of Kidd being innocent, Zacks takes it as a matter of fact. Yet, a court of law did find Kidd quilty, and what it ultimately came down to was a he said/he said disagreement over the facts. Zacks doesn't even admit the possibility that Kidd could have been the one lying all along.
Okay, that's enough whining about this book. If you've stuck with me up to this point, I would like to justify my exhaustive list of complaints by pointing out that I spent so much time with this book (did I mention that it's really long?) that I had a lot of opportunity to berate the author in my mind, and it's rather cathartic for me to get it all down in an organized manner. Besides, if you're a nitpicky reader like me, then I'm totally doing you a favor by being so detailed.
Basically, you should forget everything you thought you knew about Captain Kidd. Which, for me was, "He was a pirate." Turns out I was even wrong about that. Here are the main things I liked about this book:
1. The true story of what happened to Captain Kidd is quite interesting.
2. It gives you a credible look at what it was really like to be a pirate, in a very entertaining way.
3. It was cool to get a feel for what was going on during this time period (late 1600s and early 1700s), both in America and England.
4. Zacks doesn't do a HORRIBLE job of keeping the story moving.
That being said, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you 1) are in love with all things pirate, or 2) have a lot of time to kill and your only other alternative is watching the Reality TV channel. Here are some of the main things I really didn't like about this book.
1. The author had some annoying quirks. Fifty pages of this wouldn't be so bad, but after 400 pages I literally wanted to track this man down and give him a swirly. Here are the low-lights:
a. He seriously overuses italics and chooses odd words to emphasize that makes it really distracting to read.
b. He also uses ellipses inappropriately and much too frequently, as if he were heightening the suspense before the punchline of a...joke.
c. He also has a quotation mark "thing" that makes you wonder how much attention he really paid during high school grammar class.
d. He clearly has a fascination with the vulgar. It wasn't offensive or even necessarily inappropriate, just rather juvenile. If he could find any way to work in information about bodily functions, sex acts, or getting drunk, he would most definitely do it.
e. He assumed his readers had the memory recall of a fruit fly. It didn't matter that he opened the book with a story about James Gilliam, pirate, and then went on to mention Gilliam numerous times throughout the book, even more than once per page, he still felt the need to refresh our memory with each and every reference as to who this James Gilliam was. He did this with several people.
2. The book was too long for the story. I wouldn't say the author got bogged down in details, so much as he clearly couldn't stand to leave out any of the interesting tidbits he'd compiled in his three years of research. I wanted to know what happened, but it was seriously an effort to keep reading after the first 200 pages or so.
3. While I would say the evidence is on the side of Kidd being innocent, Zacks takes it as a matter of fact. Yet, a court of law did find Kidd quilty, and what it ultimately came down to was a he said/he said disagreement over the facts. Zacks doesn't even admit the possibility that Kidd could have been the one lying all along.
Okay, that's enough whining about this book. If you've stuck with me up to this point, I would like to justify my exhaustive list of complaints by pointing out that I spent so much time with this book (did I mention that it's really long?) that I had a lot of opportunity to berate the author in my mind, and it's rather cathartic for me to get it all down in an organized manner. Besides, if you're a nitpicky reader like me, then I'm totally doing you a favor by being so detailed.
October 26, 2022
Good book, well researched. Not just a collection of facts. There were some parts that were a bit superfluous. 4.5 stars
April 22, 2017
I rate this between 2 and 3 stars. On one hand, I appreciate all the information and detail that is contained in this book. But it becomes incredibly tedious. It starts off alright, but by the time you're about halfway through, all the life/spark is just buried.
July 6, 2018
It seems that Captain Kidd was not kidding after all when he said he was not a pirate. He was a privateer, and in fact, a pirate hunter.
There is a difference between a pirate and a privateer, and an important one at that (especially in Kidd’s case). A privateer owns a warship which is commissioned by his country to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation. A privateer ship never harms the ships of its home country or even ‘friendlies’. On the other hand, a pirate is someone who downloads music and movies illegally. But in the olden days - when there was no internet and so out of sheer boredom (I guess) - countries constantly fought wars and looted distant lands in the name of civilizing them - a pirate was a pirate who pirated every ship he thought worth pirating, regardless of the ship’s nationality. And the decision whether to pirate a ship or not was taken by a vote – where every pirate on the ship voted. In fact, every major decision on a pirate ship was voted upon – and as far as the historians can tell, unlike today, rigging was a strict no-no (of the votes, the ships of course needed to be rigged). So, in a sense, the pirate ships were the first true modern democracies. And today’s modern pirates still follow these customs, they reside in the capital cities throughout the democratic world and bury their treasures in the dark secret vaults nearby the Matterhorn Mountain.
Kidd was born in Scotland (and so was naturally hated by his English counterparts, as was a sort of rule in 1600-1700’s England), but had made New York his base of work and was a reputable New York sea captain who was empowered by a secret commission to hunt pirates, confiscate their wealth, and divvy the spoils among his investors. In short, he was a licensed Pirate Hunter. Kidd’s commission specifically entitled him to attack ships of Catholic France and encouraged him to go after pirate ships. His backers included many powerful and wealthy merchants from England and America. Amongst his backers was also a Mister Ten Percent - no, not Zardari - but King William III of England, who in exchange for his signature, took a ten percent share of Kidd’s spoils.
Now, we need to look at the political situation of the times in which Kidd was sent as a Pirate Hunter towards the Indian Ocean. The Empire’s crown was still “jewel-less”, and so India was still “uncivilized” and dismally led the world economy with 24.4% share of total global GDP in the 1700’s. After “civilizing” us, when the colonial rule ended in 1947, India had a grand share of less than 4% of world’s total GDP. But that’s another - and some would even say, sweeter - story than this one.
So as soon as Kidd set out toward the tip of Africa in his private man-of-war, Adventure Galley, he was immediately distrusted by the Royal Navy and despised by the Old English East India Company, which was competing (and struggling) with other European nations to establish permanent business relationship with India.
Now, whether Kidd was innocent or not is still considered debatable by some, but that he was an arrogant prick is being agreed upon universally. Leaving Thames, he failed to salute the King’s yacht for no fathomable reason and his sailors even mooned the Royal yacht - which I think was actually hilarious. But the English were not amused. His reputation was spoiled even further when, sailing near the African coast, Kidd refused to acknowledge the seniority and rank of Commodore Warren of the Royal Navy. In retaliation – and of course without any evidence - Commodore Warren declared that Captain Kidd had turned pirate. This accusation would eventually lead to Kidd’s downfall.
While Kidd was busy “not-respecting” Warren, a pirate named Robert Culliford entered the scene. Culliford had stewed in an Indian prison for 4 years. He then escaped with some of his cronies to Bombay and joined *drumroll* a Royal Navy ship. He then promptly *drumroll again* seized the ship while at sea. After he was deserted by his own crew, Culliford was rescued by a ship named Mocha; when the captain of Mocha died, Culliford became the new captain.
Meanwhile, Kidd had caught two prizes, Rouparelle and Quedagh Merchant, both of which were carrying French passes. Kidd then shifted his base to Quedagh Merchant and renamed it Adventure Prize. He did not forget to take the French passes from the two ships to justify his actions.
Then Kidd’s ship met Culliford’s in St. Mary's Island near Madagascar. Kidd’s crew was angry with him as they wanted to take any ship for themselves regardless of its nationality – in other words – they wanted to turn to outright piracy. But Kidd was having none of it. So, 96 of Kidd’s crew deserted over to Culliford and Kidd was only left with a ragtag loyal bunch of 15.
Culliford then sailed to the Red Sea where he captured a big prize (in fact the biggest ever in the East), Great Mohammed. Great Mohammed was not just a merchant ship, but it was also a pilgrim ship, and so it unleashed religious fury on top of the usual mercantile outrage in Moghul India.
Now, the incident of Quedagh Merchant, which Kidd had looted previously, had already created problems for the East India Company, as although the ship was carrying a French pass, half of the cargo on Quedagh Merchant belonged to Muklis Khan, one of the most powerful courtiers of the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb. Now, on top of that, news of the capture of the Great Mohammed reached India which made the Grand Moghul extremely furious. Now the Old English East India Company needed to show the Grand Moghul that they could be brutally tough on pirates. So they needed to hang some pirates and rush word of their deaths to the Grand Moghul. And one of the very few European or American pirates that the Grand Moghul knew by name was *drumroll* Captain Kidd. Apparently, Kidd’s easily pronounceable name sealed his doom.
Kidd, knowing that he was declared a pirate by the English, sailed to the Caribbean and hid his ship Adventure Prize, hoping that the ship’s cargo would give him some leverage for negotiating his release with the English court. He then sailed to America in another ship.
Governor Bellomont, who was originally one of the investors of Kidd’s adventure, feared that he too would be accused of piracy. Kidd told him about the French passes. Now Bellomont had two options. He could either try to exonerate Kidd, or he could take the easy way out and help crush Kidd for the good of England. He was only human, so he chose the latter.
Kidd, in hopes of clearing his name, surrendered, but was promptly put in chains by Bellomont. Rather than help Kidd clear his name, Bellomont instead shipped Kidd to England to stand for trial.
When Kidd’s trial began, he demanded that the French passes of the two ships be presented to the court which could prove Kidd’s captures of those ships legal under his privateering commission. The Admiralty sent a request to search for them, but no one was able to find Kidd’s two French passes; although Bellomont had sent the French passes to England along with other documents after Kidd’s surrender.
Kidd now was hoping to ask the judges to postpone his trial as the recovery of those documents was crucial for his case. But then, in a theatrical turn of events, instead of piracy, the charge brought against Kidd was of *drumroll* murder.
As it happened, Kidd was accused and charged with premeditated murder of one of his crewmen, William Moore. In reality, Kidd never intended to kill Moore, but in his typical rage had hit Moore with an empty bucket. Moore had urged Kidd to attack a Dutch ship, but when Kidd refused to do so (Dutch were friendlies), Moore had insulted him in front of the crew. Kidd’s fate was sealed when two of his crew members, who have deserted him for Culliford, testified against him by saying that his killing of William Moore was outright intentional.
In a desperate final attempt, Kidd sent a letter to the House of Commons that he was willing to disclose the whereabouts of his £100,000 treasure if his life was spared (which, as the author points out in the book, he did not possess; his hidden ship, as Bellomont found out, only contained bales of clothes and other knickknack). Unfortunately for Kidd, the only thing the letter helped to achieve - that remains alive to this day - was the belief that there indeed was a secret hoard of Captain Kidd stashed away somewhere.
So, Kidd was finally hanged for the charges of murder and piracy.
The next morning after Kidd was executed; the Admiralty sent an express letter to India alerting the Grand Moghul that England had executed the pirate Captain Kidd. Then it was all hugs and kisses once again between Aurangzeb and the English. Well… apart from the tiny fact that the Aurangzeb fellow continued to ignore the English.
So, in the end… wait… what happened to Culliford?
Well, it was indeed all hugs and kisses for Culliford in the end.
While Kidd was being shipped to England for his trial, the English offered a pardon to the pirates of East Indies to further quench piracy from those waters. Robert Culliford promptly grabbed the opportunity and returned to England with a pardon and *drumroll* his treasure (Naturally, Kidd did not qualify for a pardon). Although Culliford was arrested later, he was not hanged, as he was to be presented as a witness for the trial of another pirate. Before getting arrested, Culliford had entrusted his treasure to one of his friends in London. After the trial (in which his services were required), Culliford was never heard from again. As the author Richard Zacks points out:
So, in the end… wait… what happened to the French passes which might have exonerated Kidd from the accusation of piracy?
In Richard Zacks' own words:
So kids, be prepared for your school textbooks to be revised. After all, it has only been over a hundred years since the irrefutable evidence of Kidd being not a pirate was discovered.
Yup… any day now…
Uh huh…
There is a difference between a pirate and a privateer, and an important one at that (especially in Kidd’s case). A privateer owns a warship which is commissioned by his country to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation. A privateer ship never harms the ships of its home country or even ‘friendlies’. On the other hand, a pirate is someone who downloads music and movies illegally. But in the olden days - when there was no internet and so out of sheer boredom (I guess) - countries constantly fought wars and looted distant lands in the name of civilizing them - a pirate was a pirate who pirated every ship he thought worth pirating, regardless of the ship’s nationality. And the decision whether to pirate a ship or not was taken by a vote – where every pirate on the ship voted. In fact, every major decision on a pirate ship was voted upon – and as far as the historians can tell, unlike today, rigging was a strict no-no (of the votes, the ships of course needed to be rigged). So, in a sense, the pirate ships were the first true modern democracies. And today’s modern pirates still follow these customs, they reside in the capital cities throughout the democratic world and bury their treasures in the dark secret vaults nearby the Matterhorn Mountain.
Kidd was born in Scotland (and so was naturally hated by his English counterparts, as was a sort of rule in 1600-1700’s England), but had made New York his base of work and was a reputable New York sea captain who was empowered by a secret commission to hunt pirates, confiscate their wealth, and divvy the spoils among his investors. In short, he was a licensed Pirate Hunter. Kidd’s commission specifically entitled him to attack ships of Catholic France and encouraged him to go after pirate ships. His backers included many powerful and wealthy merchants from England and America. Amongst his backers was also a Mister Ten Percent - no, not Zardari - but King William III of England, who in exchange for his signature, took a ten percent share of Kidd’s spoils.
Now, we need to look at the political situation of the times in which Kidd was sent as a Pirate Hunter towards the Indian Ocean. The Empire’s crown was still “jewel-less”, and so India was still “uncivilized” and dismally led the world economy with 24.4% share of total global GDP in the 1700’s. After “civilizing” us, when the colonial rule ended in 1947, India had a grand share of less than 4% of world’s total GDP. But that’s another - and some would even say, sweeter - story than this one.
So as soon as Kidd set out toward the tip of Africa in his private man-of-war, Adventure Galley, he was immediately distrusted by the Royal Navy and despised by the Old English East India Company, which was competing (and struggling) with other European nations to establish permanent business relationship with India.
Now, whether Kidd was innocent or not is still considered debatable by some, but that he was an arrogant prick is being agreed upon universally. Leaving Thames, he failed to salute the King’s yacht for no fathomable reason and his sailors even mooned the Royal yacht - which I think was actually hilarious. But the English were not amused. His reputation was spoiled even further when, sailing near the African coast, Kidd refused to acknowledge the seniority and rank of Commodore Warren of the Royal Navy. In retaliation – and of course without any evidence - Commodore Warren declared that Captain Kidd had turned pirate. This accusation would eventually lead to Kidd’s downfall.
While Kidd was busy “not-respecting” Warren, a pirate named Robert Culliford entered the scene. Culliford had stewed in an Indian prison for 4 years. He then escaped with some of his cronies to Bombay and joined *drumroll* a Royal Navy ship. He then promptly *drumroll again* seized the ship while at sea. After he was deserted by his own crew, Culliford was rescued by a ship named Mocha; when the captain of Mocha died, Culliford became the new captain.
Meanwhile, Kidd had caught two prizes, Rouparelle and Quedagh Merchant, both of which were carrying French passes. Kidd then shifted his base to Quedagh Merchant and renamed it Adventure Prize. He did not forget to take the French passes from the two ships to justify his actions.
Then Kidd’s ship met Culliford’s in St. Mary's Island near Madagascar. Kidd’s crew was angry with him as they wanted to take any ship for themselves regardless of its nationality – in other words – they wanted to turn to outright piracy. But Kidd was having none of it. So, 96 of Kidd’s crew deserted over to Culliford and Kidd was only left with a ragtag loyal bunch of 15.
Culliford then sailed to the Red Sea where he captured a big prize (in fact the biggest ever in the East), Great Mohammed. Great Mohammed was not just a merchant ship, but it was also a pilgrim ship, and so it unleashed religious fury on top of the usual mercantile outrage in Moghul India.
Now, the incident of Quedagh Merchant, which Kidd had looted previously, had already created problems for the East India Company, as although the ship was carrying a French pass, half of the cargo on Quedagh Merchant belonged to Muklis Khan, one of the most powerful courtiers of the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb. Now, on top of that, news of the capture of the Great Mohammed reached India which made the Grand Moghul extremely furious. Now the Old English East India Company needed to show the Grand Moghul that they could be brutally tough on pirates. So they needed to hang some pirates and rush word of their deaths to the Grand Moghul. And one of the very few European or American pirates that the Grand Moghul knew by name was *drumroll* Captain Kidd. Apparently, Kidd’s easily pronounceable name sealed his doom.
Kidd, knowing that he was declared a pirate by the English, sailed to the Caribbean and hid his ship Adventure Prize, hoping that the ship’s cargo would give him some leverage for negotiating his release with the English court. He then sailed to America in another ship.
Governor Bellomont, who was originally one of the investors of Kidd’s adventure, feared that he too would be accused of piracy. Kidd told him about the French passes. Now Bellomont had two options. He could either try to exonerate Kidd, or he could take the easy way out and help crush Kidd for the good of England. He was only human, so he chose the latter.
Kidd, in hopes of clearing his name, surrendered, but was promptly put in chains by Bellomont. Rather than help Kidd clear his name, Bellomont instead shipped Kidd to England to stand for trial.
When Kidd’s trial began, he demanded that the French passes of the two ships be presented to the court which could prove Kidd’s captures of those ships legal under his privateering commission. The Admiralty sent a request to search for them, but no one was able to find Kidd’s two French passes; although Bellomont had sent the French passes to England along with other documents after Kidd’s surrender.
Kidd now was hoping to ask the judges to postpone his trial as the recovery of those documents was crucial for his case. But then, in a theatrical turn of events, instead of piracy, the charge brought against Kidd was of *drumroll* murder.
As it happened, Kidd was accused and charged with premeditated murder of one of his crewmen, William Moore. In reality, Kidd never intended to kill Moore, but in his typical rage had hit Moore with an empty bucket. Moore had urged Kidd to attack a Dutch ship, but when Kidd refused to do so (Dutch were friendlies), Moore had insulted him in front of the crew. Kidd’s fate was sealed when two of his crew members, who have deserted him for Culliford, testified against him by saying that his killing of William Moore was outright intentional.
In a desperate final attempt, Kidd sent a letter to the House of Commons that he was willing to disclose the whereabouts of his £100,000 treasure if his life was spared (which, as the author points out in the book, he did not possess; his hidden ship, as Bellomont found out, only contained bales of clothes and other knickknack). Unfortunately for Kidd, the only thing the letter helped to achieve - that remains alive to this day - was the belief that there indeed was a secret hoard of Captain Kidd stashed away somewhere.
So, Kidd was finally hanged for the charges of murder and piracy.
The next morning after Kidd was executed; the Admiralty sent an express letter to India alerting the Grand Moghul that England had executed the pirate Captain Kidd. Then it was all hugs and kisses once again between Aurangzeb and the English. Well… apart from the tiny fact that the Aurangzeb fellow continued to ignore the English.
So, in the end… wait… what happened to Culliford?
Well, it was indeed all hugs and kisses for Culliford in the end.
While Kidd was being shipped to England for his trial, the English offered a pardon to the pirates of East Indies to further quench piracy from those waters. Robert Culliford promptly grabbed the opportunity and returned to England with a pardon and *drumroll* his treasure (Naturally, Kidd did not qualify for a pardon). Although Culliford was arrested later, he was not hanged, as he was to be presented as a witness for the trial of another pirate. Before getting arrested, Culliford had entrusted his treasure to one of his friends in London. After the trial (in which his services were required), Culliford was never heard from again. As the author Richard Zacks points out:
That summer afternoon in 1702, Robert Culliford disappeared into the streets of London, blending in among the footmen and the lords, the sailors and the fruit-sellers. He never appeared again in official records, and for three centuries he escaped the notoriety that he so richly deserved.
So, in the end… wait… what happened to the French passes which might have exonerated Kidd from the accusation of piracy?
In Richard Zacks' own words:
For two centuries, some British historians doubted the existence of Kidd’s French passes. In 1910, Ralph Paine, an American doing treasure-hunting research in London, found Captain Kidd’s two passes, misfiled at the Board of Trade.
So kids, be prepared for your school textbooks to be revised. After all, it has only been over a hundred years since the irrefutable evidence of Kidd being not a pirate was discovered.
Yup… any day now…
Uh huh…
November 14, 2012
Reviews on this book seem a bit mixed, which puzzles me a bit. I found it to be a wonderful read, bringing to life characters such as Captain Kidd and Captain Culliford. I had known little about Kidd before reading this except that he was purportedly one of the most notable pirates of the 17th century. The truth is far from this, his mistake not becoming a pirate, but trusting powerful, greedy people when his luck was down and they would be liable to face scandal. Along the way I learned a bit about what the pirate life was really like (not as romantic as the movies, which was no surprise really) and the English justice system, which makes me glad to have what we have today. As many faults as our system has, it is a vast improvement over what Kidd faced. The real irony was that Kidd, who refused to turn pirate was hanged for being a pirate, while a number of members of his crew who did turn pirate received pardons.
July 29, 2024
The study of piracy allows author Richard Zacks to satisfy his interest in the bizarre and seedy details of the past. His ten year old book, “The Pirate Hunter,” is a colorful and shocking retelling of the life and voyages of Captain William Kidd. This work often serves as a delivery device for rare and scandalous descriptions of outmoded behavior patterns from the late 17th century, including sex, classism, violence, and injustice. Zacks never fails to find an opening to drop strange details about the lives of sailors, describing with a curious enthusiasm the kinds of cruel and inhumane treatment experienced when sailing the seas or imprisoned for piratical crimes. These stories, interspersed among the well researched work, convincingly hold together the pages of somewhat drier historical facts and event timelines.
Though it is immediately revealed in the prologue, The Pirate Hunter contains a surprising agenda for a historical account about piracy. Richard Zacks sets out to demonstrate that Kidd was not a pirate but a licensed privateer, one who got crushed beneath the political and economic forces of the time. He was unable to handle these mounting pressures during his final voyage, which required walking the fine line between legitimate pirate hunting and criminality. Kidd struggled to maintain his own reputation amidst a public relations meltdown in an age when news traveled at the speed of the sea breezes. Zacks shrewdly runs two interconnecting story lines, recounting Kidd’s semi-legal movements while painting the picture of a true pirate, the lesser known rogue Robert Culliford.
Not unlike Zacks more recent work, “The Pirate Coast,” this volume feels like two distinctly separate books. There is the expected story of Kidd’s voyages. But, the final third is a much slower paced description of his imprisonment and trial. While both accounts are fascinating and lined with curious anecdotes, Kidd’s struggle with dark cells and the 300 year old British legal system may not be as riveting as tales of capturing ships and exploring the Indian Ocean. Still, in the age of the bewildering fantasy dominated Pirates of the Caribbean film genre, few modern authors, if any, have attempted to accurately retell both the excitements and tribulations of real seafarers from the Golden Age of Piracy. This is an informative book that convincingly feeds the niche pirate genre and shocks our modern sensibilities.
Though it is immediately revealed in the prologue, The Pirate Hunter contains a surprising agenda for a historical account about piracy. Richard Zacks sets out to demonstrate that Kidd was not a pirate but a licensed privateer, one who got crushed beneath the political and economic forces of the time. He was unable to handle these mounting pressures during his final voyage, which required walking the fine line between legitimate pirate hunting and criminality. Kidd struggled to maintain his own reputation amidst a public relations meltdown in an age when news traveled at the speed of the sea breezes. Zacks shrewdly runs two interconnecting story lines, recounting Kidd’s semi-legal movements while painting the picture of a true pirate, the lesser known rogue Robert Culliford.
Not unlike Zacks more recent work, “The Pirate Coast,” this volume feels like two distinctly separate books. There is the expected story of Kidd’s voyages. But, the final third is a much slower paced description of his imprisonment and trial. While both accounts are fascinating and lined with curious anecdotes, Kidd’s struggle with dark cells and the 300 year old British legal system may not be as riveting as tales of capturing ships and exploring the Indian Ocean. Still, in the age of the bewildering fantasy dominated Pirates of the Caribbean film genre, few modern authors, if any, have attempted to accurately retell both the excitements and tribulations of real seafarers from the Golden Age of Piracy. This is an informative book that convincingly feeds the niche pirate genre and shocks our modern sensibilities.
June 6, 2009
Surprisingly timely - pirates and justice.
A fascinating, and lengthy, account of the life of Captain Kidd, accused of being a pirate. The story itself is fascinating with abundant details of life in the New and Old worlds in the late 1600's. The scope of research is very impressive!
For those who think todays politics and bureaucracy are rough - read this account! The book gets better and better as we near the end. We learn of the use, and abuse, of habeus corpus (the right to a lawyer), so much in the news lately, and how vital it is to law as we know it. The 17th century is where our law and rights were worked out in detail.
A must read, particularly the last few chapters.
A fascinating, and lengthy, account of the life of Captain Kidd, accused of being a pirate. The story itself is fascinating with abundant details of life in the New and Old worlds in the late 1600's. The scope of research is very impressive!
For those who think todays politics and bureaucracy are rough - read this account! The book gets better and better as we near the end. We learn of the use, and abuse, of habeus corpus (the right to a lawyer), so much in the news lately, and how vital it is to law as we know it. The 17th century is where our law and rights were worked out in detail.
A must read, particularly the last few chapters.
February 24, 2013
Richard Zacks tells a fast paced account of two pirates in Pirate Hunter. The book focuses on Captain Kidd the respectable merchant who bet his fortune on hunting pirates and became the victim of bad misfortune and political luck. The other is of Robert Culliford the pirate who serves as Kidd’s foil throughout this tale and the target of Kidd’s hunt in the Indian Ocean. From the economic war between the great nations of the day to the spat between the old and the new East India Trading Company, Zacks weaves together a compelling account from what documentation is left available on how Captain Kidd became a notorious pirate and the real way that pirates functioned (take all the Disney visions out of your head). From the days at sea and the harrowing tales of trying to find legitimate prizes to capture on behalf of his Whig backers and the King of England; Kidd’s crew finally mutinies and leaves to become legitimate pirates with Robert Culliford. Kidd in the meantime is slandered by various governments and both trading companies until the Royal Navy is set out to find and hunt down Kidd. Kidd will escape them all and make it back to the colonies in America where he will be captured and sent back to England in chains. The story of his trial is an excellent account of justice at the time (or lack thereof) and a look a British political realities surrounding pirates. Zacks keeps the book moving and for those looking for a story of how pirates actually operated it is a fascinating account. This book does assume some knowledge of politics in the Indian Ocean but even if you don’t have that you can still enjoy the book without getting lost in the nitty-gritty details.
May 14, 2012
The Pirate Hunter, by Richard Zacks, completely turned around any notion I had about the notorious Captain Kidd. Zacks research shows that Captain Kidd's reputation as a villain and terror on the high seas was undeserved. Rather, it appears that Kidd was maligned by others for a variety of reasons, which ultimately led to his capture, trial, execution, and his historical reputation as a pirate.
Zacks narrative gives the reader an appreciation of what life in Britain and the Colonies was like at the end of the 17th Century, and what a sailors life was like in those times. Also interesting was how others in that era, including rogue pirates such as Robert Culliford, were pardoned for their crimes, while Kidd, apparently innocent of acts of piracy, ended up being condemned.
The book may have been a little longer than necessary, and some of the detail added didn't justify inclusion in terms of painting the picture of Kidd's life. But in fairness to the author, I'm sure that if I had spent as much time as he must have done in digging up all the historical facts from these times, I wouldn't have wanted them to go unrecorded either.
Zacks narrative gives the reader an appreciation of what life in Britain and the Colonies was like at the end of the 17th Century, and what a sailors life was like in those times. Also interesting was how others in that era, including rogue pirates such as Robert Culliford, were pardoned for their crimes, while Kidd, apparently innocent of acts of piracy, ended up being condemned.
The book may have been a little longer than necessary, and some of the detail added didn't justify inclusion in terms of painting the picture of Kidd's life. But in fairness to the author, I'm sure that if I had spent as much time as he must have done in digging up all the historical facts from these times, I wouldn't have wanted them to go unrecorded either.
February 9, 2019
Kiinnostava kirja. Käännös takkuaa. Erikoissanasto on käännetty hyvin, mutta paikoin yksittäisiä lauseita täytyy lukea useampaan kertaan ennen kuin saa kiinni siitä, mitä englanninkielisessä versiossa on lukenut. Kömpelöt suomenkieliset sanavalinnat vaikeuttavat lukemista ja ärsyttävät. Englanti kuuluu läpi kuin vaimennettuna ääniraitana mongertavan dubbauksen takaa.
Suomiversiolle huonosti tähtiä, alkuperäiselle sataisi ihan varmasti enemmän. Haluan lukea tämän englanniksi. Kävisi nopeammin.
Suomiversiolle huonosti tähtiä, alkuperäiselle sataisi ihan varmasti enemmän. Haluan lukea tämän englanniksi. Kävisi nopeammin.
May 23, 2023
A beautifully detailed history of the period. It's a bit dense and meanders. At several points I wished it speed along. Zacks unabashedly paints Kidd as a hero, even a man to emulate. Kidd is also portrayed as a victim. Why he is victimized is quite murky.
The book is so detailed that I suspect Zacks is filling in a lot of gaps for storytelling purposes. That bothered me at first but ultimately found it more enjoyable.
Bottom line: a great history and a dramatic, realistic pirate tale. Hard to get through though.
The book is so detailed that I suspect Zacks is filling in a lot of gaps for storytelling purposes. That bothered me at first but ultimately found it more enjoyable.
Bottom line: a great history and a dramatic, realistic pirate tale. Hard to get through though.
May 3, 2019
I had to dump it. I just can’t.
May 16, 2019
Riveting book but dragged on during the Trial
October 18, 2019
Its a History Channel special in book form.
October 15, 2022
I have always been attracted to pirates. I am fascinated by the period of time that pirates were important. This book focuses on the later part of Wm Kidd’s life. The accomplished captain sails around the globe in the 1690s and works with a group of wealthy investors to plunder ships on the high seas for the loot they could bring back. This was a time where there was full-scale plunder of colonial “property” around the globe explains the pirate era. This book went far beyond my expectations.
This fast-paced tale of Captain Kidd’s youth and path to privateering and eventual downfall is amazing.
This fast-paced tale of Captain Kidd’s youth and path to privateering and eventual downfall is amazing.
February 15, 2010
Despite the title, this book is actually a biography of two men: Kidd, a bullish New York-Scottish privateer with bad luck; and Robert Culliford, a roguish pirate with extraordinary good luck. The men sailed together more than once; Zacks weaves their stories together as a race of fate, with one headed to the gallows and one to freedom. The book is incredibly thorough, delightful during the juicier pirate-heavy sections but tiresome during the life chronology. Reading through several chapters of Kidd making preparations to attain a boat and secure financing or Kidd bobbling around the Caribbean waiting for news is like watching the scene in an Indiana Jones movie where the red arrow slides across a map. Like watching that scene for hours at a time.
The writing style isn't terrible. Zacks has a glee for his characters and world, though his voice bulges through the tale. He doesn't transfer the glee to the reader so much as make the reader aware of how interested he is in his own subject.
If you're a pirate enthusiast, this is worth the read. Culliford comes across as a real life Jack Sparrow, a hidden gem in a history of larger-than-life characters. But I wouldn't suggest this as a first book for the pirate-curious. Better to start with Under the Black Flag, or the much more compelling Magellan biography, Around the Edge of the World.
The writing style isn't terrible. Zacks has a glee for his characters and world, though his voice bulges through the tale. He doesn't transfer the glee to the reader so much as make the reader aware of how interested he is in his own subject.
If you're a pirate enthusiast, this is worth the read. Culliford comes across as a real life Jack Sparrow, a hidden gem in a history of larger-than-life characters. But I wouldn't suggest this as a first book for the pirate-curious. Better to start with Under the Black Flag, or the much more compelling Magellan biography, Around the Edge of the World.
May 17, 2008
Like any Navy kid growing up, I always dreamed of being a pirate. Having grown up, I know it will be just a dream. I get the feeling Richard Zacks had the same dreams as a kid. Thank God. Because the effort he put into The Pirate Hunter just doesn't seem possible for someone with merely a passing interest in piracy.
The tale of Captain Kidd is an incredible journey into the life of a man who was thrown so many curves, for centuries he was vilified as the very thing he was trying to hunt. With incredible insight into very early 18th century New York City (then a burgeoning pirate friendly town if ever there was one), Zacks humanizes one of histories most infamous figures, and uncovers the truth all too often overlooked in the name of convenience.
On the other side of the coin, Zacks also gives great detail to the man who would be Kidd's arch nemesis, Robert Culliford. The two men are an amazing contrast in almost every way, and you find yourself reluctant to root against either man, almost wishing for some alternate outcome which both Pirate and Pirate Hunter sail off into the sunset. Of course, if you want to know what really happened to both, you really should be reading this book.
The tale of Captain Kidd is an incredible journey into the life of a man who was thrown so many curves, for centuries he was vilified as the very thing he was trying to hunt. With incredible insight into very early 18th century New York City (then a burgeoning pirate friendly town if ever there was one), Zacks humanizes one of histories most infamous figures, and uncovers the truth all too often overlooked in the name of convenience.
On the other side of the coin, Zacks also gives great detail to the man who would be Kidd's arch nemesis, Robert Culliford. The two men are an amazing contrast in almost every way, and you find yourself reluctant to root against either man, almost wishing for some alternate outcome which both Pirate and Pirate Hunter sail off into the sunset. Of course, if you want to know what really happened to both, you really should be reading this book.
December 26, 2007
I was as captivated as a small boy might be reading nursery tales about pirates! It's so interesting and just captivating. This is one of the best pieces of history writing I've ever read. The book is well researched and written. It reads like a great fiction book and is loaded with so many details you can picture what life was like in the late 1600's on the ocean, in the colonies and the US. The tales show why young men would rebel against their naval commanders and risk everything to live a wild life on the high seas. Just the descriptions of New York as a uncontrolled colony of a few houses are enthralling. But the stories are so outrageous and engrossing you'd think they were made up! With the wild outfits and baudy behavior it's no wonder pirates have captured the imagination for so long. And like Deadwood on HBO, the book offers a realistic portrayal of the corruption and nuances of an era that's more complicated than presented when you're a kid. I'd pick the short life of a pirate over forced service in the Royal Navy (and the years without pay and abuse by aristocratic officers)any time!
January 24, 2009
It is interesting how the distinction between a pirate, a privateer, and a business entrepreneur can be as little as a piece of paper signed by a reigning authority--a governor or king. Companies such as the East India Trading Company are in many ways little more than politically sponsored pirates.
In comparison to the Admirality, pirates are perhaps more democratic and equitable, but they are no Robin Hoods.
WOOT:Spoiler Alert:WOOT
For those treasure hunters out there--this book indicates there is NO BURIED PIRATE TREASURE to find--(unless you got the extra special edition that I happened to read which included clues to the buried treasure from Dan Brown (that man cannot keep a secret)). (((Hint, it's in New York. There are illuminati near by.)))
Wandering the line between scholarly research and comments that are clearly historical fiction, Kidd gets kudos for being, maybe, possibly, a good, if absent father, and what I would call an acceptably well-argued proof he was not a pirate but a privateer whose backers (truly piratical) caused his downfall.
In comparison to the Admirality, pirates are perhaps more democratic and equitable, but they are no Robin Hoods.
WOOT:Spoiler Alert:WOOT
For those treasure hunters out there--this book indicates there is NO BURIED PIRATE TREASURE to find--(unless you got the extra special edition that I happened to read which included clues to the buried treasure from Dan Brown (that man cannot keep a secret)). (((Hint, it's in New York. There are illuminati near by.)))
Wandering the line between scholarly research and comments that are clearly historical fiction, Kidd gets kudos for being, maybe, possibly, a good, if absent father, and what I would call an acceptably well-argued proof he was not a pirate but a privateer whose backers (truly piratical) caused his downfall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 4, 2015I used to think that the golden age of piracy was a time when the true and just Royal Navy defended honest and fearful merchants from the moraly bankrupt and evil pirates. But it seems the world was much more grey than all that. The royal navy often took sailors from merchant vessels by force to fill their ranks, Buccaneers were legal mercenaries allowed to raid ships so long as they were enemies of the queen, and merchants did plenty of exploiting and shipping of contraband too. True pirates, it seems, were just the darkest shade of grey.
Pirate Hunter is the thrilling tale of Captain Kidd, one of the most notorious pirates of all, who due to some mis-filled paper work, might not have been a pirate at all. I loved the deep details of live at sea during this time period and the stories of the murky waters that it seems all sailors had to navigate when out at sea, so very far away from the eyes of civilized society and easy sources of food.
Pirate Hunter is the thrilling tale of Captain Kidd, one of the most notorious pirates of all, who due to some mis-filled paper work, might not have been a pirate at all. I loved the deep details of live at sea during this time period and the stories of the murky waters that it seems all sailors had to navigate when out at sea, so very far away from the eyes of civilized society and easy sources of food.
December 19, 2021
"The Pirate Hunter" is an impressively researched and intricately detailed account of the life and times of Scotsman and British Privateer Captain William Kidd. Kidd lived most of his life during the latter part of the 17th century.
The practices and amusements of 17th century sailors are well documented along with the customs and cultural practices of the inhabitants of the places the crews visited. The author traces the routes and raucous adventures of several captains whose paths cross that of Kidd and his crew.
Many surprising facts populate the pages of this biography and Kidd's trial and ultimate fate is a study in misfortune and irony.
Did you ever consider that pirates often squandered their fortunes or buried treasure or placed it into the hands of trustees because there were no banks at that time?
The practices and amusements of 17th century sailors are well documented along with the customs and cultural practices of the inhabitants of the places the crews visited. The author traces the routes and raucous adventures of several captains whose paths cross that of Kidd and his crew.
Many surprising facts populate the pages of this biography and Kidd's trial and ultimate fate is a study in misfortune and irony.
Did you ever consider that pirates often squandered their fortunes or buried treasure or placed it into the hands of trustees because there were no banks at that time?
October 6, 2008
If you love pirates and history (Pirate history, of course), this book is for you! Okay, so that sounded cheesy and lame. However, this book is neither.
A very thorough account of Captain Kidd's (mis?)adventures, and how he got completely double-crossed and sold out by just about everyone. Even i was surprised how bad he had it. Despite the thoroughness of Zacks' presentation, he manages never to lose the story (and it's a good one), so the book never got dry for me. You'll also learn a lot about life (particularly maritime life) in the 17th century, old-sk00l piracy, and the world dynamics of the time. Great read.
A very thorough account of Captain Kidd's (mis?)adventures, and how he got completely double-crossed and sold out by just about everyone. Even i was surprised how bad he had it. Despite the thoroughness of Zacks' presentation, he manages never to lose the story (and it's a good one), so the book never got dry for me. You'll also learn a lot about life (particularly maritime life) in the 17th century, old-sk00l piracy, and the world dynamics of the time. Great read.
February 18, 2011
Fascinating broad-ranging depiction of the late-17th century world in the American Colonies, England, the Indian Ocean & the Caribbean.
This book follows the misunderstood career of the infamous Captain Kidd. Full of vivid, memorable characters.
A world of slavery, constant war at sea among European powers, burgeoning world-girdling commerce in sailing ships, gross class inequality, brutality, piracy. Could not be better done.
But only 4 stars because, like so much of human history, the "winners" almost all the time are the immoral, the venal, the brutal, the unjust. That realistic view of history gets demoralizing.
This book follows the misunderstood career of the infamous Captain Kidd. Full of vivid, memorable characters.
A world of slavery, constant war at sea among European powers, burgeoning world-girdling commerce in sailing ships, gross class inequality, brutality, piracy. Could not be better done.
But only 4 stars because, like so much of human history, the "winners" almost all the time are the immoral, the venal, the brutal, the unjust. That realistic view of history gets demoralizing.
February 16, 2013
In my opinion, this book was fantastic. The author wove multiple narratives together rather seamlessly to compile a very convincing argument that William Kidd was no pirate. This book makes a very compelling argument that Kidd acted legally as a privateer under the direction of High nobles and the King himself.
Seeing evidence of the corruption, backstabbing, and complete disregard for human life, property, or dignity by a government system meant to protect those very virtues was on one hand fascinating and on the other chilling. This book should appeal to many readers including pirate enthusiasts, monarch enthusiasts or even true crime enthusiasts.
Seeing evidence of the corruption, backstabbing, and complete disregard for human life, property, or dignity by a government system meant to protect those very virtues was on one hand fascinating and on the other chilling. This book should appeal to many readers including pirate enthusiasts, monarch enthusiasts or even true crime enthusiasts.
August 17, 2016
So this was pretty good! Interesting to listen to as a story, not just research material. The author seems to be a bit of a Kidd fanboy and it shows, but I liked how much of historical background stuff he's included - Malagasy customs! The only point on which this loses to If A Pirate I Must Be... is it completely ignores pirates being anything but heterosexual and the existence of Robert Culliford's male lover. Pretty disappointing on that account bc no one seems to remember Culliford besides really obscure books and I want to know more.
September 8, 2011
This book brings many historical persons that you think you already know to life. It is well researched and easy to read, giving the reader a good feel for the life and times of William Kidd et al. Being a sailor myself, I found this book a compelling read and still wonder in awe at what it was like 300 years ago to ply my trade. Iron men indeed! This book was an award winner, and deservedly so.
July 27, 2021
The book alternates between being wonderfully informative (I really appreciated Zacks' refuting of popular misconceptions of pirate life), incredibly tedious (at one point, it seemed there were dozens of names to keep track of, many of whom hadn't been mentioned for 50 or 60 pages), and outright infuriating (if the book is factually accurate, Capt. Kidd was screwed over, royally). I'd still recommend it, but be prepared to slog through some awfully dry bits.
December 18, 2008
Zacks is a little rambunctious (Flippant? Speculative? Something, I don't know) in tone, but his scholarship seems to be thorough enough. He's great at sketching out the cultural details of New York, India, and the Caribbean--those are vivid and tactile--and he has a great sympathy for Kidd, the pirate hunter who was ironically (and, most likely, unjustly) hanged for a pirate.
March 22, 2022
Interesting tale highlighting some of the extreme differences between life and law hundreds of years ago and now. Sometimes more about the differences in the legal system back in the late 1600's than anything else. Exhaustively research and occasionally repetitive it was nonetheless an intricate read full of depth of subject but still accessible to the casual reader.
December 8, 2010
Mr. Zacks wrote this so well, I felt like I was there. The historical research he did on this was spot on! I could smell the smells of the wretched streets in old England. I could not put this book down and you won't be able to either!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews