Captain Woodes Rogers was an adventurer in the Golden Age of Piracy, a name of some familiarity but where few really know much about this real-life seaman and colonial Governor. This book looks closely at the swashbuckling career of a colourful character and the wild times in which he lived – Very Highly Recommended.
NAME: Pirate Hunter, The Life of Captain Woodes Rogers FILE: R2970 AUTHOR: Graham A Thomas PUBLISHER: Pen and Sword BINDING: soft back PRICE: £12.99 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: Golden Age of Piracy, privateers, pirates, seaman, circumnavigation, naval warfare, rewards, wooden warships, age of sail, Spain, France, Netherlands, corsairs, Captain Woodes Rogers, Caribbean, merchant ships, naval vessels, colonies, colonial Governors
ISBN: 1-52676-077-0
IMAGE: B2970.jpg BUYNOW: tinyurl.com/y5q7y7cv LINKS: DESCRIPTION: Captain Woodes Rogers was an adventurer in the Golden Age of Piracy, a name of some familiarity but where few really know much about this real- life seaman and colonial Governor. This book looks closely at the swashbuckling career of a colourful character and the wild times in which he lived – Very Highly Recommended. The description of the period of naval history as the Golden Age of Piracy has captured the imagination of generations and some of the bloodiest seamen ever to set sail have become folk heroes. Their trade was cruel and bloody, the casualty rate was very high, and the suppression of piracy as bloody as the act. Captain Woodes Rogers lived in these times, his name appears and many readers will recognize it even if they know very little about the man and his deeds and achievements. The author has provided an exciting expose of a larger than life character. Piracy has always been a confusing subject. Before the 15th Century, many nations had only very small standing navies. When war threatened, merchant ships were taken from trade and armed to become warships. As long as the sword, bow and spear were the primary weapons, it took little effort to convert a merchant vessel into a warship. Cannon changed all that and raised the cost. It also meant that more planning was needed to prepare for future conflicts. The result was that nations depended still on auxiliary warships, where the crews were seamen outside any formal military organization. They were funded by merchants and speculators and they often had a peacetime role as protectors of merchant ships from criminals. The basis of the auxiliary was the Letters of Mark or Authorities of Compensation and Retribution which authorized a ship and crew to take and sell any ships of a particular type, nation or activity, and sell the ship and contents in compensation of the auxiliary crew. Captains like Francis Drake sailed under such authorities often issued by the French Huguenots in La Rochelle, usually against the Spanish shipping. That led to fleets of corsairs, French, English and Scottish, sailing together to attack the Spanish gold and silver ships that brought riches from the Americas to the Spanish Exchequer. The only thing to distinguish between a Privateer sailing under Letters of Mark and a pirate very little. A ship could sail under an authority that was based on a state of war that might have ceased to exist by the time the privateers reached their hunting grounds. Many privateers operated under rules of war but deliberately continued in periods of peace because they needed or wanted the money. Others were criminals who might from time to time serve a particular country's interests legitimately. By the 16th Century, the Americas were seeing new countries breaking the Spanish/ Portuguese monopoly of the Americas, Merchant shipping was increasing between the new colonies and their home countries and piracy in the Caribbean and along the North American East Coast had become endemic. This continued through the 18th Century and into the 19th Century, but as the 19th Century unfolded countries began to concentrate on standing fleets managed by Admiralties and regarded any other type of warship as a pirate. Woodes Roger was an adventurer and explorer, circumnavigating the world and with a mission to attack the Spanish in American and Caribbean waters. This provides a tense and exciting narrative for the author to recount. Exactly where Woodes Rogers was along a line of naval hero, privateer, pirate and pirate catcher at any point in his career is open to interpretation. He was one of many British seamen engaged in this range of endeavours and what marks him out was his appointment as governor of the Bahamas by George I. He was as ruthless as a privateer as he was as a pirate-hunter and his history makes entertaining reading. The author has also included an interesting photo-plate section in illustration.