Pirate Laureate The Life Legends Of Captain Kidd

Combining the disciplines of folklore and literary criticism in his perceptive readings of works by Irving, Hawthorne, Melville, and Mark Twain, Daniel Hoffman demonstrates how these authors transformed materials from both high and popular culture, from their European past and their American present, in works that helped to form our national consciousness. In his new preface, Hoffman describes the evolution of his critical method and suggests the book's value for contemporary readers.

The execution of Captain William Kidd on 23 May 1701 is one of the most controversial and revealing episodes in the long history of piracy. The legend that has grown up around Kidds final voyage, his concealed treasure and the dubious conduct of his trial, has made him into one of the most intriguing and misunderstood figures from the golden age of piracy. For either Kidd was a legal privateer or he was a wicked pirate indeed he has been described as one of the most feared pirates to sail the high seas. But his story is complex and ambiguous. This timely new account of Kidds life and seafaring career reassesses the man and his legend it makes compelling reading.

*Includes historic illustrations of Kidd and important people and events in his life. *Includes a profile of Kidd from Captain Charles Johnson's pirate history. *Includes Kidd's own account of the controversial expedition that resulted in his trial. *Discusses the legends and controversies surrounding Kidd and his trial. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "My name is Captain Kidd, who has sailed, who has sailed,My name is Captain Kidd, who has sailed.My name is Captain Kidd;What the laws did still forbidUnluckily I did while I sailed, while I sailed." - A verse from Captain Kidd's Farewell to the Seas 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. There are a number of famous pirates in history, but one of them may not have been a pirate at all. Captain William Kidd has been remembered for over 300 years as a pirate and his name is synonymous with piracy today, but he was far from the most bloodthirsty or most prosperous because he insisted he wasn't one at all. In fact, Kidd's entire reputation is based on the most notorious trial in the history of piracy. Like many pirates, Kidd got his start by being an English privateer assigned to fight the French, and later he was ironically asked to attack pirates around the English colonies of New Hampshire and New York. Kidd established some connections with powerful people in the New World, affording him the luxury of a large ship with which to capture pirates, but he would become notorious and controversial for killing one of his own crew members in 1697. When Kidd found himself at odds with the Royal Navy over the impressment of his crew, charges of piracy were lobbed at him, and by 1698 he was a wanted man. Aware of what would happen if he was caught, Kidd was tricked into coming to Boston by an investor in his expedition who betrayed him and had him arrested. In addition to being personally questioned by Parliament, Kidd's trial became a political football between the Whigs and Tories, and ultimately it produced a controversial conviction and execution of the notorious captain in 1701. Historians and scholars have been debating whether Kidd was a pirate or murderer ever since. Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Captain William Kidd looks at the controversial life and career of the infamous captain, attempting to separate fact from fiction while analyzing his lasting legacy. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about Kidd like you never have before, in no time at all.

Legendary figures of the Golden Age of Piracy. Stories of great battles. Contains a Glossary of pirate ships and nautical items.