Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune
- Downloads：5288
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-05-29 17:21:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Keith Thomson
- ISBN：B09CPN3WM5
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
John Poth
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Excellent true story about an amazing journey taking over two years。 Most enlightening we're all the pirate assumptions that we have that were completely overturned。 Excellent true story about an amazing journey taking over two years。 Most enlightening we're all the pirate assumptions that we have that were completely overturned。 。。。more
Kevin
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This was a fun read。 These men decided to go and be pirates in the south seas。 They stole millions from the Spanish that was busy raping the new world。 The book lays out the diarists that were among the pirates。 I am amazed that these account survived for more than 300 years。
Ben
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Highly entertaining nonfiction， and a good fit for the heat of summer。
Emma Ann
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A guy gets marooned on an island for three years and somehow that’s the least bonkers thing that happens in this book。 The titular pirates attack Spanish naval ships in canoes。 At one point they end up close to the Arctic Peninsula completely by accident。 It’s not very often I find a nonfiction book that’s entertaining， well-researched， and well-written。 I only wish there weren’t quite so many names to keep track of。 Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy！
Tori
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I received my copy through the GoodReads Givaways。 This is an interesting look into what piracy looked like， following one group over their rise and fall in the South Seas。 It has a tendency to meander a bit with no solid endgame in sight （the Princess is rescued quite early on and after that it's just random raid after raid）， and I felt like it might be missing some overarching mission statement。 Why were these pirates the focus of the story， instead of others？ What was this book trying to teac I received my copy through the GoodReads Givaways。 This is an interesting look into what piracy looked like， following one group over their rise and fall in the South Seas。 It has a tendency to meander a bit with no solid endgame in sight （the Princess is rescued quite early on and after that it's just random raid after raid）， and I felt like it might be missing some overarching mission statement。 Why were these pirates the focus of the story， instead of others？ What was this book trying to teach？ Is it even a show of what pirates looked like in general， or were these different？I enjoyed it， but I wish there was more of a main concept to hold onto throughout the narrative。 。。。more
Arthur Bradford Morrill III
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“Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas， Rescued a Princess， and Stole a Fortune，” by Keith Thomson （ISBN: 9780316703611， publication date 10 May 2022）， earns five stars。Author Keith Thomson weaves an absolutely fascinating and factual tale of English privateers， plunder， a princess， and perseverance despite the worst odds of success and dangers of the greatest sort。 Thompson’s lively prose transports us to the 17th Century。 There we sail with them a “Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas， Rescued a Princess， and Stole a Fortune，” by Keith Thomson （ISBN: 9780316703611， publication date 10 May 2022）， earns five stars。Author Keith Thomson weaves an absolutely fascinating and factual tale of English privateers， plunder， a princess， and perseverance despite the worst odds of success and dangers of the greatest sort。 Thompson’s lively prose transports us to the 17th Century。 There we sail with them along the Pacific coast of South America， which was Spain’s “possession，” Great Britain’s enemy。 The author’s impressive research is evident， making amazing use of the privateers’ contemporaneous diaries and testimony。 This gives the reader extraordinary personal insights into these adventuring pirates sailing out of the Caribbean as they capture opposing vessels， pursue great wealth， and protect their nation’s interests。 Their words treat us to their view of their world as they sail the seas， engage in combat， make daunting treks， and receive justice from the highest maritime court。 It is an epic journey and a momentous book。 Definitely a five-star adventure。Thanks to the publisher， Little， Brown and Company， for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy （ARC）， and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible。 。。。more
Angel White （Bookn。All。Night）
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Who loves Non-Fiction that doesn't read like it？ Me， this girl， right here！🤣🤣I've been on a roll lately with books landing in my lap that are full of facts， adventure， fast-paced reading and interesting stories。 Born to Be Hanged is another one to add to that list！I have always been fascinated by pirates and the era surrounding them。 Out on the open seas， causing trouble and stirring up a racous wherever they go。。。yup definitely my style。 I definitely got that， and much more with this one。 There Who loves Non-Fiction that doesn't read like it？ Me， this girl， right here！🤣🤣I've been on a roll lately with books landing in my lap that are full of facts， adventure， fast-paced reading and interesting stories。 Born to Be Hanged is another one to add to that list！I have always been fascinated by pirates and the era surrounding them。 Out on the open seas， causing trouble and stirring up a racous wherever they go。。。yup definitely my style。 I definitely got that， and much more with this one。 There was a lot more to being a "privateer" than I thought， including how the English pirates fought with the Spaniards。 Tre cool 😎This is definitely for those who enjoy books like this， but I would recommend for anyone who wants to delve into this time in history。 I mean treasure， bloody battles， kidnapped princess， and adventure after adventure。 It makes for a fun read。I sincerely appreciate Little Brown & Co。 for providing me with a review copy。 All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone。 。。。more
Rob Smith， Jr。
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This book is fantastic！ The history is well written， researched， explained with gold nuggets spread throughout inserted brilliantly。First， if you'll note my reviews， I do not get a NetGalley offer and praise it up and down hoping for print recognition。 I've skewed most because most newly written books have proven to me to be demonstrably worthless。 I find the usual issue are political views being lodged into the narrative and then flogging the reader with the views over and over again。 I get it This book is fantastic！ The history is well written， researched， explained with gold nuggets spread throughout inserted brilliantly。First， if you'll note my reviews， I do not get a NetGalley offer and praise it up and down hoping for print recognition。 I've skewed most because most newly written books have proven to me to be demonstrably worthless。 I find the usual issue are political views being lodged into the narrative and then flogging the reader with the views over and over again。 I get it if the book is prefaced upon political ideas。 Even found one writer expounding political gunk throughout a horrid history of Looney Tunes cartoons！Writer Thomson writes history as history should be written， as it happened with supporting documentation。 Thomson also does what is rare to find in most histories ever written， dates and years of happenings。 This so much aids the reader as to context and connecting ongoing events。 This last is the spine that all else emanates as the narrative pours out extensive details and stories of the travels of the pirating privateers and those they encounter。 Additional background is sprinkled that adds to the shine of the history with， no doubt， exclamations of， "Oh！ I didn't know that！" I love the way he connects various everyday items of today to the goings-on in the late 1600s。The writing is also crisp and vibrant。 There's more than the occasional writer who makes history as a fictional novel。 This is far better than that。 The writing excels between what could be dry history and fictional dialogue to support the narrative。 Thomson skillfully maneuvers the documented historical perspectives into a solid presentation that compels reading more and more。 In this case it's the wonder of who survives and how。 Well worth reading and likely to lead in those that don't even like history or pirates。 For those of us who has history as part of our profession， this is a must-read。Bottom line: I recommend this book。 Ten out of ten points。 。。。more
Deena B
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What a fun and informative read！ Thank you！
Victoria
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This was an intriguing read！ I really enjoyed the subject and learned a lot of information I didn't know before reading this book。 I have been looking for an interesting read on pirates as I haven't read any nonfiction books on pirates as of yet。 Born to be Hanged definitely satisfied that need。 I saw this title and cover and was drawn in。This was thoroughly researched and detailed。 The author， Keith Thomson， even uses the words from the mouths of these pirates and those accompanying them， and w This was an intriguing read！ I really enjoyed the subject and learned a lot of information I didn't know before reading this book。 I have been looking for an interesting read on pirates as I haven't read any nonfiction books on pirates as of yet。 Born to be Hanged definitely satisfied that need。 I saw this title and cover and was drawn in。This was thoroughly researched and detailed。 The author， Keith Thomson， even uses the words from the mouths of these pirates and those accompanying them， and written accounts from that time in history。 If you love anything Nautical， and especially pirates。。。 I reccomend this one！Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown for the eARC in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Little Brown & Company for an advanced copy of this new nautical history of pirates。Being a pirate back in the Golden Age of Piracy， looks like great fun， at least in the movies by Errol Flynn or Disney studios。 Call yourself and your companions buccaneers， receive letters of marque to attack ships that were considered enemies， steal their gold， sail away and spend the night drinking with your mates。 The reality was a lot different， as shown in Keith My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Little Brown & Company for an advanced copy of this new nautical history of pirates。Being a pirate back in the Golden Age of Piracy， looks like great fun， at least in the movies by Errol Flynn or Disney studios。 Call yourself and your companions buccaneers， receive letters of marque to attack ships that were considered enemies， steal their gold， sail away and spend the night drinking with your mates。 The reality was a lot different， as shown in Keith Thomson's Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas， Rescued a Princess， and Stole a Fortune。 A pirate really had to hustle to hassle the enemy， travelling long distances， with poor food， leaky ships and companions who might not be the most trustworthy。 The book begins with a quick history of the times and the powers in the area， Spanish， English， and French。 A group of disparate men from every where in Europe， and from every social circle gather in the Caribbean with dreams of plunder。 Joining together in the interest of freeing a native princess from the Spanish， and liberating their treasury， the men travel overland to a small settlement， are successful at the assault， but learn that the treasure has been taken to safety。 Not liking this the men set off again across Panama， through jungle and raging rivers until reaching the South Sea， where they begin an assault on towns up and down the Pacific。 Fortunes are made， property is destroyed and lives are lost。 Some tire of the life， and return to England， where they are held for trial for their depravations。 Some retire and are lost to history。 And some go back to the only life they know。 The books is very good read， that flows like a novel， but tells a very interesting and very comprehensive history of the era。 The book is well sourced with much coming from the pirates own words， journals， court transcripts and even a book or two from a pirate turned author。 There is a certain understanding that maybe some of the stories are downplayed， especially during a trial， or full of brags and lies when talking to the boys， but a good solid story can be told from this。 My favorite part is just when everything might have gone easier， the pirates always picked the harder way to do something。 The book is full of seiges， sea battles， life on board and lots of walking and sailing。 Lots of sailing。 My only realy problem was that there was quite a few different pirates telling their tales， and sometimes it was hard to follow who was who。 However that was a minor quibble。 A book full of the swash and the buckle。 Highly recommended for a Father's Day gift or a great book to read on the beach。 For fans of history， Patrick O'Brien readers， or readers of Pyrates books。 Also for people who have watched the HBO/MAX show on real pirates。 And for fans like me who used to play Syd Meier's Pirates！ game for hours upon hours。 Four fun salute。 。。。more
Brendan Dowd
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Full review coming soon
Gail
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