Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Captain Henry Morgan - Paperback

by Charles River (Author)

*Includes historic illustrations depicting Morgan and important events in his life.
*Includes excerpts from an account of Morgan's piracy written by his ship's surgeon.
*Analyzes Morgan's legacy and current efforts to find some of his sunken pirate ships.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.

The people who have lived outside the boundaries of normal societies and refused to play by the rules have long fascinated the world, and nowhere is this more evident than the continuing interest in the pirates of centuries past. As the subjects of books, movies, and even theme park rides, people continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to pirates, with buried treasure, parrots, and walking the plank all ingrained in pop culture's perception of them. Charles River Editors' Legendary Pirates series covers the lives, piracy, legends, myths, and legacies of history's most famous pirates.
Although Captain Morgan has become somewhat synonymous with spiced rum in the 21st century, Henry Morgan has been one of the best known pirates and privateers for centuries, long before an alcohol was named after him. The swashbuckling captain, who fought nearly as hard as he drank, has long been a favorite among authors looking to write exciting novels about pirates, beginning with Captain Blood, written by Rafael Savtinin during the late 1800s. John Steinbeck wrote about him in Cup of Gold in 1929, and Berton Braley composed a poem about him, aptly titled This is the ballad of Henry Morgan, a few years later. James Michner devoted a chapter to Morgan in his 1989 hit Caribbean, and he inspired Michael Crichton's character in Pirate Latitudes, Charles Hunter.
Of course, few young people reach adulthood without drinking too much Captain Morgan spiced rum at least once in their lives, and most people are instantly familiar with a "Captain and Coke", but Morgan's name is all over the Western hemisphere too. Those who have partied and vacationed in the Caribbean Islands are also familiar with Morgan, and many have stayed at the Hotel Henry Morgan in Honduras or at the Port Morgan resort in Haiti. Some of the wealthiest may have stayed at Captain Morgan's Retreat and Vacation Club in Belize. Even gamers have met Morgan in Sid Meier's Pirates and the Age of Pirates 2.
In addition to being one of the most famous pirates, there is more of a historical record about Morgan than most, in no small part due to the fact that Morgan had certain advantages many subsequent pirates did not enjoy. Morgan was a Welshman born into aristocracy, subsequently served in the Royal Navy, and viewed piracy as more of a way to serve his country than it was to line his own pockets (though he did plenty of that too.) As a result, Morgan acted with the approval and support of the Crown, which was only too happy to have Morgan and others sail to the Americas and steal from archenemies like Spain. Morgan would go on to have a daring and lucrative career, engaging in adventurous attacks that were legendary in their own time for their success.
Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Captain Henry Morgan looks at the life and legacy of the famous pirate, attempting to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures depicting Captain Morgan and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about the captain like you never have before, in no time at all.