The Only Life That Mattered: The Short and Merry Lives of Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Calico Jack

by James L. Nelson

Book Overview

Fed up with an outlaw existence, Calico Jack Rackam swears off the pirate life, until he meets Anne Bonny, a woman who would as soon stab a man as give him a good tumble--that is, unless he's a pirate. Soon Jack finds himself out on the high seas, with Anne by his side and his men spoiling for action.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159013060X
• ISBN13: 9781590130605
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: McBooks Press
• Length: 414 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Review of The Sweet Trade, and a sweet read it was

While the Sweet Trade was a joking misnomer for the pirate life, the book was a sweet read, in that you truly feel the emotions of the free and wild Anne Bonney, who ran off from her father’s oversight to marry a teenage husband, and immediately dump him for Jack Rackham, second in command to the notorious Charles Vane, as well as Mary Read, who fought with the English Army, sailed with the Navy, and still ended up a pirate. While they are very different women with different life experiences up to the point they meet, their shared pirating leads them to jail and threat of hanging with the men of the ship and Jack Rackham himself. Along the way, the reader meets almost every person of any note in the English Caribbean in the early 1700s. Exciting and yet sad, interesting and sometimes fun, I enjoyed this book fully.

An enthralling high-seas adventure of the outlaw life

The Only Life That Mattered is a riveting novel that tells the fictionalized story behind real-life pirate legends Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Calico Jack Rackam. Written by a former professional square-rig sailor, The Only Life That Matters is an enthralling high-seas adventure of the outlaw life, pirate society, and two woman who achieved the impossible - they succeeded in making fellow pirates accept them as equals. Based heavily upon primary sources, this account blends both history and exciting storytelling to paint an unforgettable picture of ruthless yet free life upon the high seas.

The Only Life That Mattered

Great fun -- a real ripping yarn! This novel combines the best features of a gripping page-turner with solid historical research and imaginative yet realistic characterizations. It conveys both the romance of 18th C. piracy and its harshness. I hadn't imagined that women could have led such astonishingly colorful lives in those days! I recommend this book unreservedly.

Anne, Mary, and Jack - pirates together

This is an awesome story! James Nelson has made minor historical characters come alive in masterful style! The main characters are Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Captain John "Calico Jack" Rackam. Anne and Mary had very different backgrounds but circumstances in their early lives drove them to participation in the male-dominated "sweet trade" - piracy. Calico Jack was a pirate early on in his life, choosing to present a dandified appearance due to the colorful clothes he wore, yet commanding respect and fear because he was a very effective captain, keeping his crew happy and drunk with a succession of profitable captures of various ships. Anne was looking for a change in her life when Calico Jack strode into the Nassau tavern where she was sitting. The two connected at once and within a few weeks were together at sea on the pirate ship, Anne as an able crew member to disguise her gender and attachment to Jack. One of their prizes was a Dutch ship, on which Mary Read was now an accomplished sailor. As usual, Captain Jack offered the captured crew members the chance to join his pirate crew. Mary considered this proposal and decided to adopt the "short and merry life" of a pirate. Thus began a three-way friendship that provides the essence of this novel. Nelson's knowledge of his characters, sailing and the sea, and the pirate era is very impressive. The description, dialogue, and detail are so vivid I felt like I was beside Mary, Anne, and Jack all the way - on sea, on land; on top of the world, and in trouble. I highly recommend this book - it's a unique story, full of adventure, romance, and history.

Best book I've read this year

Just got finished reading The Sweet Trade. Was a little apprehensive about reading the book since I was never interested in pirates, but what a book. You heard Mary's story, Anne's and Black Jack's all at once. I'd highly recommend it. It's full of action, fun, love, humer, adventure, romance and shows that you must follow your heart. It also shows that even though we desire certain things we don't always get them and sometimes have to make the best of what we have and that women' lib is not a new idea.

good book

An excellent read, thought provoking and intense in part,humorous and incisive in other. I would reccomend this book unreservedly to one and all.