Why We Love Pirates
The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever
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Why We Love Pirates
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Narrated by:
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Kate Mulligan
About this listen
During his life and even after his death, Captain William Kidd’s name was known around England and the American colonies. He was infamous for the very crime for which he was hanged, piracy. This book by Rebecca Simon dives into the details of the two-year manhunt for Captain Kidd and the events that ensued afterward. Captain Kidd was hanged in 1701, and from that sprung a massive hunt for all pirates led by the British during a period known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Ironically, public executions only led to pirates’ growth in popularity and interest. In addition, because the American colonies relied on pirates for smuggled goods such as spices, wines, and silks, they sought to protect pirates from being captured.
The more pirates were hunted and executed, the more people became supportive of them. They felt for the “Robin Hoods of the Sea” - both because they saw the British’s treatment of them as an injustice and because they treasured the goods that pirates brought to them. These historical events were pivotal in creating the portrayal of pirates as we know them today. They grew into romantic antiheroes - which ultimately led to characters like the mischievous but lovable Captain Jack Sparrow. Simon has presented her research on the history of pirates around the world, and now she’s bringing the spectacular story of Captain Kidd to her listeners.
Learn more about:
- One of the most famous pirates in history
- Real life pirates and the brutal executions they faced
- The origin of our romanticized view of pirates
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In the first-ever history of the world's female buccaneers, Pirate Women: the Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas tells the story of women, both real and legendary, who through the ages sailed alongside - and sometimes in command of - their male counterparts. These women came from all walks of life but had one thing in common: a desire for freedom.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Don’t waste your time or credit
- By CJ on 08-06-18
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Enemy of All Mankind
- A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History's First Global Manhunt
- By: Steven Johnson
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 374
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 311
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 313
Henry Every was the 17th century’s most notorious pirate. The press published wildly popular - and wildly inaccurate - reports of his nefarious adventures. The British government offered enormous bounties for his capture, alive or (preferably) dead. But Steven Johnson argues that Every’s most lasting legacy was his inadvertent triggering of a major shift in the global economy. Enemy of All Mankind focuses on one key event - the attack on an Indian treasure ship by Every and his crew - and its surprising repercussions across time and space.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Slow
- By Gary V Howell on 06-07-20
By: Steven Johnson
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Black Flags, Blue Waters
- The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates
- By: Eric Jay Dolin
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,257
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,110
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,100
Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the dramatic and surprising history of American piracy's "Golden Age" when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond. Best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates how American colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes, Dolin provides this wholly original account of these seafaring outlaws.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Solid read, BUT...
- By K ODell on 07-17-19
By: Eric Jay Dolin
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The Whydah
- A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found
- By: Martin W. Sandler
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story5 out of 5 stars 36
For more than 200 years, the wreck of the Whydah (and the riches that went down with it) eluded treasure seekers, until the ship was finally found in 1984 by marine archaeologists. The artifacts brought up from the ocean floor are priceless, both in value and in the picture they reveal of life in that much-mythologized era, changing much of what we know about pirates.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A must for any authentic pirate enthusiast!
- By The Wizzzard on 01-17-23
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In Search of a Kingdom
- Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire
- By: Laurence Bergreen
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 748
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 632
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 627
In this grand and thrilling narrative, the acclaimed biographer of Magellan, Columbus, and Marco Polo brings alive the singular life and adventures of Sir Francis Drake, the pirate/explorer/admiral whose mastery of the seas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I changed the course of history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Better than the text
- By Bramante on 04-07-21
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Batavia's Graveyard
- The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny
- By: Mike Dash
- Narrated by: Guy Bethell
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 103
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
It was the autumn of 1628, and the Batavia, the Dutch East India Company's flagship, was loaded with a king's ransom in gold, silver, and gems for her maiden voyage to Java. The Batavia was the pride of the company's fleet, a tangible symbol of the world's richest and most powerful commercial monopoly. She set sail with great fanfare, but the Batavia and her gold would never reach Java.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Perhaps the best book ever
- By Ray928 on 03-12-19
By: Mike Dash
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The Empire of Necessity
- Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World
- By: Greg Grandin
- Narrated by: Luis Moreno
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 63
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 65
One morning in 1805, off a remote island in the South Pacific, Captain Amasa Delano, a New England seal hunter, climbed aboard a distressed Spanish ship carrying scores of West Africans he thought were slaves. They weren' t. Having earlier seized control of the vessel and slaughtered most of the crew, they were staging an elaborate ruse, acting as if they were humble servants. When Delano, an idealistic, anti-slavery republican, finally realized the deception, he responded with explosive violence. Drawing on research on four continents, The Empire of Necessity explores the multiple forces that culminated in this extraordinary event.
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4 out of 5 stars
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What is the "right thing to do"?
- By Lake on 03-08-14
By: Greg Grandin
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The Amistad Rebellion
- An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom
- By: Marcus Rediker
- Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
The slave ship Amistad set sail from Havana on July 2, 1839, on a routine delivery of human cargo. A few days into its voyage, the 53 African captives aboard would seize control and steer a new course - one that took them to freedom and ultimately into history. Though the Amistad rebellion has been celebrated in films and books, its story has largely been told through the eyes of white abolitionists, with the Supreme Court victory by the Africans as the ultimate triumph. Now, Marcus Rediker’s captivating new history turns the lens on the Africans themselves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This is a must read for anyone.
- By Laura on 07-24-21
By: Marcus Rediker
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Under the Black Flag
- The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates
- By: David Cordingly
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 357
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 316
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Story4 out of 5 stars 318
For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at England's National Maritime Museum has combed original documents and records to produce a most authoritative and definitive account of piracy's "Golden Age." As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. "walking the plank" is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex and often bloodier.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Lacks Nuance
- By Joel Langenfeld on 07-02-15
By: David Cordingly
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The Slave Ship
- A Human History
- By: Marcus Rediker
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 300
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 212
For more than three centuries, slave ships carried millions of people from the coasts of Africa across the Atlantic to the New World. Much is known of the slave trade and the American plantation complex, but little of the ships that made it all possible. In The Slave Ship, award-winning historian Marcus Rediker draws on 30 years of research in maritime archives to create an unprecedented history of these vessels and the human drama acted out on their rolling decks.
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4 out of 5 stars
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So much misery
- By Michael on 11-07-07
By: Marcus Rediker
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Sons of the Waves
- The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail
- By: Stephen Taylor
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
British maritime history in the age of sail is full of the deeds of officers like Nelson but has given little voice to plain, "illiterate" seamen. Now, Stephen Taylor draws on published and unpublished memoirs, letters, and naval records, including court-martials and petitions, to present these men in their own words. In this exhilarating account, ordinary seamen are far from the hapless sufferers of the press gangs.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Navy Guy Recommends this Title
- By Lexcast on 06-17-20
By: Stephen Taylor
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New England Bound
- Slavery and Colonization in Early America
- By: Wendy Warren
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
In a work that fundamentally recasts the history of colonial America, Wendy Warren shows how the institution of slavery was inexorably linked with the first century of English colonization of New England. While most histories of slavery in early America confine themselves to the Southern colonies and the Caribbean, New England Bound forcefully widens the historical aperture to include the entirety of English North America.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Don't waste your time or money
- By Dis Carded on 09-03-17
By: Wendy Warren
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Blackbeard
- America's Most Notorious Pirate
- By: Angus Konstam
- Narrated by: Eric G. Dove
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 160
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
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Story4 out of 5 stars 136
Of all the colorful cutthroats who scoured the seas in search of plunder during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 18th century, none was more ferocious or notorious than Blackbeard. As unforgettable as his savage career was, much of Blackbeard's life has been shrouded in mystery - until now. Drawing on vivid descriptions of Blackbeard's attacks from his rare surviving victims, pirate expert Angus Konstam traces Blackbeard's career from its beginnings to his final defeat in a tremendous sea battle near his base at Ocracoke Island
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4 out of 5 stars
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It’s alright
- By B. Williams on 02-26-21
By: Angus Konstam
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Away Off Shore
- Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890
- By: Nathaniel Philbrick
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 117
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 101
In his first book of history, Away Off Shore, New York Times best-selling author Nathaniel Philbrick reveals the people and the stories behind what was once the whaling capital of the world. Beyond its charm, quaint local traditions, and whaling yarns, Philbrick explores the origins of Nantucket in this comprehensive history. From the English settlers who thought they were purchasing a "Native American ghost town" but actually found a fully realized society, the story of Nantucket is a truly unique chapter of American history.
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3 out of 5 stars
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There once were some (wo)men in Nantucket...
- By Darwin8u on 02-03-19
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Marooned
- Jamestown, Shipwreck, and a New History of America's Origin
- By: Joseph Kelly
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story5 out of 5 stars 23
We all know the great American origin story: It begins with an exodus. Fleeing religious persecution, the hardworking, pious Pilgrims thrived in the wilds of New England, where they built their fabled "shining city on a hill". Legend goes that the colony in Jamestown was a false start, offering a cautionary tale of lazy louts who hunted gold till they starved and shiftless settlers who had to be rescued by English food and the hard discipline of martial law.
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4 out of 5 stars
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“Breath-y” narration bit great book
- By NBerg on 02-15-20
By: Joseph Kelly
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Black Tudors
- The Untold Story
- By: Miranda Kaufmann
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
A Black porter publicly whips a White English gentleman in a Gloucestershire manor house. A heavily pregnant African woman is abandoned on an Indonesian island by Sir Francis Drake. A Mauritanian diver is dispatched to salvage lost treasures from the Mary Rose.... Miranda Kaufmann reveals the absorbing stories of some of the Africans who lived free in Tudor England.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I thought I knew it all...
- By Sylvia Schmidt on 08-01-19
By: Miranda Kaufmann
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Mayflower Lives
- Pilgrims in a New World and the Early American Experience
- By: Martyn Whittock
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
Leading into the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower, Martyn Whittock examines the lives of the "saints" (members of the Separatist Puritan congregations) and "strangers" (economic migrants) on the original ship. Collectively, these people would become known to history as "the Pilgrims". The story of the Pilgrims has taken on a life of its own as one of our founding national myths - their escape from religious persecution, the dangerous transatlantic journey, that brutal first winter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful!
- By Dennis Coello on 11-25-20
By: Martyn Whittock
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The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown
- The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America
- By: Lorri Glover, Daniel Smith
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 97
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4 out of 5 stars 60
The English had long dreamed of colonizing America, especially after Sir Francis Drake brought home Spanish treasure and dramatic tales from his raids in the Caribbean. Ambitions of finding gold and planting a New World colony seemed within reach when, in 1606, Thomas Smythe extended overseas trade with the launch of the Virginia Company. But from the beginning the American enterprise was a disaster.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great !
- By Cheryl on 05-02-10
By: Lorri Glover, and others
What listeners say about Why We Love Pirates
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- BrokenOne
- 06-24-22
Just what you might expect
I enjoyed this book. After having read a few other books on pirates, this one pulls a lot of it together!
It is so presently read that it is a pleasure to listen to throughout!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- The Wizzzard
- 12-19-22
Great Book!!! LOVED IT!!!
I have read and listened to many, many, pirate books and this book is by far the best. Factual, funny, great story teller, and compelling. I have listened to this book about 5 times and it never gets boring or old! I recommend this book to any pirate affectionate. You will not be disappointed... LOVED IT!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-21-24
I loved it!
After reading ''Pirate Queens'' by Rebecca Simon I knew that I would love this book too.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- David
- 03-29-21
Repetitive
Gracious, I think the author describes how pirates are hung in detail at least three times. There is interesting information but the repetitiveness of the material is overwhelming. The author is obviously trying to reach a word count. This is the type book that could be reduced to a few chapters and you wouldn’t miss a thing.
Gracious, this book is very repetitive...
Gracious, the author is so repetitive I thought the recording was repeating the same chapter over and over...
Gracious...
Sorry, am I repeating myself? I wanted to make a lengthy comment.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-20-24
History of Pirates.
As one who loves the history of pirates this is a great book. Informative and educational. Great narration.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- The ghost of Mark Twain Jr. Jr. Jr.
- 03-29-22
She has has written a relevant Pirate book!
For me this is so exciting to explore those socioanthropological and sociopolitical ideas and concepts of what was the truth about these 'hybrid society' outliers.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Raymond Bing
- 12-06-21
NOT - Another Pirate Book.
I do love a good pirate story but many books on the topic have fallen short lately. This one DID NOT DISAPOINT. The fine explainations of pirate tales from the 'till now made it even better. As a product of the '80s - I related greatly. Performance was amazing as well. Thanks for the book Doc; looking forward to the next one.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christian
- 02-20-23
good book
Captain Kidd had an interesting life. The book is a little long winded and tedious at times but interesting if you want to learn more about pirates.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-03-23
Okay but not what I expected
This book was performed well but the story is not what I was expecting from the description. While there are several mentions of Captain Kidd and a short section dedicated to him I would not describe the book as having a focus on his manhunt. Several stories/biographies were referenced several times and sometimes seemed repetitive. While an okay listen I did consider stopping before the end and moving on to something more interesting.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christian A Schwerd
- 07-07-23
Pirates
Great book
Excellent narration
Learned a lot about famous pirates
Pirate Movies are very entertaining
“Why we love Pirates’ tells us the truth story.
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