Born to Be Hanged

February 28, 2022
Novelist Thompson (7 Grams of Lead) makes his nonfiction debut with this swashbuckling account of a 17th-century pirate raid on the Pacific coastline of Spanish South America. Drawing on contemporaneous diaries kept by several of the privateers, Thomson recounts how a group of 366 “Caribbean-based pirates” helped an Indigenous tribe rescue a chief’s daughter who was being held captive by the Spanish on the Isthmus of Panama. After completing the mission, the group made a daring attack on Spanish ships guarding Panama City and raided settlements along the western coast of South America on their way to the Chilean town of Arica, where they hoped to find fabulous wealth. Though the fleet captured several galleons and enough plunder to make them rich, they were repelled at Arica and, after rounding Cape Horn and returning to the Caribbean, three of the pirates, including Capt. Bartholomew Sharp, were captured, brought to trial in England, and acquitted. Thomson unravels the complex relationship between piracy and colonial governments in the Americas, where England and Spain struggled for primacy, and describes local tribes and flora and fauna in meticulous detail. Readers will be swept along by this brisk and entertaining adventure story. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment.

April 1, 2022
In chronicling seventeenth-century English pirate voyages, historian and novelist Thomson eloquently proves Mark Twain's oft-cited adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction." Thanks to lively writing and thorough research, Thomson's pirates burst from the pages as vividly and compellingly as those in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series rule the screen. These real-life buccaneers thrash their way through the jungles of the isthmus of Panama to rescue a Kuna princess. They attack two Spanish warships in a few frail canoes. They loot ships and settlements along the Pacific coast of South America. Their rampage finished, one band recrosses the isthmus, battling raging rivers and torrential downpours; another crew sails a fragile ship around the southern tip of South America, through the perilous Drake Passage. Thomson writes in punchy, short chapters, which often end with a cliffhanger, while black-and-white illustrations and maps help readers follow the voyages. The author also helpfully defines many arcane nautical terms, including a reveal about aargh and the origin of modern words like avocado and barbecue. The entertaining suspense and high energy continue to the very end.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from April 1, 2022

Novelist Thomson (Once a Spy) follows a motley crew of English pirates on a voyage of plunder along the Pacific coast of South America in this rollicking historical account drawing on the contemporary journals of seven participants. Accepting a legally dubious "commission" from the chief of a local tribe, the 366 buccaneers--including naturalist William Dampier--trekked through the mountainous jungles of the Isthmus of Panama to rescue the chief's captured granddaughter and raid the riches of Panama City. Spared the treacherous passage through the Straits of Magellan, the pirates proceeded to wreak havoc on Spanish ships and settlements throughout what were then known as the "South Seas," scoring one improbable victory after another until stunned Spanish authorities finally fought back. Thomson fleshes out each audacious attack and narrow escape with wit and insight, delving into seafaring terminology and the customs of piracy as he relates the buccaneers' brushes with mutinies, storms, and deadly flora and fauna. By focusing on the individuals who kept accounts of the adventure, Thomson humanizes the "Brethren of the Coast," shedding light on their motivations, histories, and relationships. VERDICT Every action-packed page is certain to thrill connoisseurs of piracy and seafaring history.--Sara Shreve

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.