Pirate Hunter of the Caribbean: The Adventurous Life of Captain Woodes Rogers [Paperback]

The Pirate Hunter of the Caribbean provides a useful overview of Britain's role in piracy and privateering during 1700 - 1730, the Golden Age of Piracy. However, I was surprised to discover that Woodes Rogers, the primary subject according to the title, only makes sporadic, cameo appearances throughout this work. Since Rogers is what is advertised, that makes the book a bit disappointing.

The first half of the book occurs during the War of Spanish Succession and focuses on the circumnavigation voyage Rogers executed as a privateer. There is interesting background information on the state of exploration of the Pacific Ocean, Spain's shipping between the Philippines Islands and Acapulco, Mexico and the rescue of Alexander Selkirk (of Robinson Crusoe fame) from a four year exile on the Juan Fernandez Islands off Chile's coast. But the focus here is generic to the cruise, not specific to Rogers. I found this disconcerting especially since Rogers was remarkable captain, one of only a handful of British officers of his time to circumnavigate the earth. How could the author effectively eliminate him from a 100+ page discussion of his incredible accomplishment?

The second half of the book starts with Rogers' activities as Governor of the Bahamas. After good coverage of Rogers role in eliminating pirates from Nassau, Rogers again evaporates and the focus shifts to recounting vignettes about a variety of pirates and naval operations that simply had no relationship with Rogers. To be fair, during this period of Rogers life Britain began a serious crackdown on pirates. At first the effort was led by various Colonial Governors with little or no help from the British Navy and the author recounts a variety of exciting actions in addition to Rogers' own that were fought by the Governors of Jamaica, New York and South Carolina all of whom hung groups of pirates in 10 to 20 man lots along their respective waterfronts. Who knew? Things really kicked into high gear when the Royal Navy became involved and fifty were hung along the coast of Africa. Again, however, materially more time is spent on the activities of the various Governors and the Royal Navy in the second half of this work than is spent on Rogers or the Caribbean. Most irregular, however, is the Epilog. Isn't it supposed to have something to do with the topic of the book? Maybe not. This Epilog is a thirteen page literary discussion regarding whether or not Alexander Selkirk is really the person whose experiences are portrayed in Daniel Defoe's book Robinson Crusoe.

This book is a rambling, patch work quilt. But for all its strange twists, turns and unrelated subject matter, portions of it shine and it delivers interesting information on early 18th Century piracy along the east coast of America, the west coast of Africa and Britain's efforts to curtail it. Britain was aggressive, many battles were fought and four to six hundred pirates lost their lives. This book describes Britain's evolving policy toward privateering and piracy throughout the North Atlantic, a subject that has always been of interest to general, lay readers like me.

If you would like to read a book which explodes with action and adventures on literally every page of it, please buy this book.
I admit that my area of interest is not about the history of piracy. Far from it. But I decided to read a book on a different matter, for a change. My only regret is that it is too short, but I intend to re-read it very soon.
So, what about our pirates? Names such as Ben Hornigold, Sam Bellamy and Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard populate the so-called Golden Age of Piracy. It was, in the words of Mr. Cordingly, a world whose nucleus had "loose and disorderly people" which produced a generation of pirates whose operations extended from the Caribbean to the east coast of North America and across the Atlantic to the slave ports of West Africa and beyond to the Indian Ocean.
Then there was an explosion of piracy after the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which was responsible for the reduction of the size of the main maritime navies. "This threw thousands of redundant sailors on to the streets", and, because they were unable to find work elsewhere, these men (definitely not all of them) turned to piracy.
Enter Woodes Rogers, who, in the middle of Britain's war with Spain, was hired to lead a mission against Spanish targets in the Pacific. He was married to Sarah and they had three children and he left Bristol in 1708, first to the South-Seas, "thence to the East -Indies,and homewards by the Cape of Good Hope". He returned to Britain after three years and the first half of the book describes the many adventures and ordeals Rogers went through together with his other fellows. Frosts, heavy rains, storms, hot or windy weather,the rescue of Alexander Selkirk (the man whose true story inspired Defoe to write his mega-bestseller "Robinson Crusoe"),rats,sea gulls, vultures, pelicans,raids on Spanish towns, crew quarrels, various sicknesses, brawsls and attacks on Spanish ships-all these were part of Rogers' menu in those three years on the sea.
However, after returning to England, he was appointed by King George the First to the post of governor of the Bahamas, where he and his men would play the central role in battling various privateers and pirates who spread like a plague over the many islands of that region.
It was here where another surprise was waiting for him, among other new adventurous episodes: pirate women. Among them there was Anne Bonny, who left her husband for another man, or Mary Read, who spent a number of years as a soldier in Flanders before joining the pirates. I will not reveal how the whole affair ended, although I can add that both women faced trial.
Having returned to England, Rogers battled with debts and bankruptcy, but left his country again in 1729 to take up his role as governor of the Bahamas for the second time. The many crimes, trials and executions of pirates are elaborated on in this part and they complete this splendidly written book which is a lively and entertaining history of piracy, which is superbly reconstructed by a very gifted author. Highly recommended!

Too general about the pirates of the era. Captain Woodes Rodgers Life is not really explored in depth in the book.