Terror of the Spanish Main: Sir Henry Morgan and His Buccaneers

By Albert Marrin

Book Overview

Henry Morgan, who was born in Wales in 1635 and died in Port Royal, Jamaica, in 1688, was an unusual sort of leader. Inspiring the respect and admiration of his fellows, he led them to undertake daring raids on Spain's possessions in the New World; yet he commanded neither an army nor a navy. Nor was he a political ruler, although his exploits affected the power politics of Europe and earned him a knighthood. In plain language, Henry Morgan was a leader of thieves, a ?prince? among a group of outcasts, desperadoes, and failed gentlemen known as buccaneers.Though movies and novels have romanticized them, the buccaneers were in fact a ruthless group who got their way by brutal means. Their motives were pure self-interest, yet they operated with the permission of certain European nations in order to break the Spanish monopoly in the West Indies. Vividly outlining the political and economic circumstances that allowed the buccaneers to flourish, and freshly evoking both life at sea and life in the colonies in the seventeenth century, Albert Marrin shows how Henry Morgan was a particular response to forces that are still with us. War, poverty, greed, bigotry, and oppression play themselves out, albeit differently, in our lives today.Albert Marrin is the chairman of the history department at Yeshiva University, and he has written many award-winning nonfiction books for young adults, including Commander in Chief: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War (Dutton).

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525459421
• ISBN13: 9780525459422
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 11 years and up
• Grade Range: Grades 6 to 12

Customer Reviews

Really Very Good

I am glad I didn't realize this was written for ages 6 and up or I would have passed it by. This book is really quite awesome. I have always gotten the feeling from reading about early America that a) piracy was condoned, and b) as a condoned enterprise, it had to be a major growth industry, a major economic driver for early colonial America. But I never felt I knew enough about piracy as a business or an early profession to come to any rational conclusions. If you have felt the same as I have, then Mr. Merrin has done everyone 6 and up a wonderful service. Here, at last, is a remarkably well written primer on piracy covering where it started as a formal business in the New World, how and why it evolved, who was involved, where the markets were for its goods and services and, most importantly, why it was so successful. Freshly evoking both life at sea and life in the colonies in the 17th century, the author shoes how piracy was a response to the forces of its time: War, unemployment, racism, poverty and oppression. Not bad for the 6 and up audience!

Very Enlightening

Before reading this book, I did not know the difference between a buccaneer and a pirate. I thought they were one and the same. Thanks to Marrin, I now understand the difference. With so little known about Captain Morgan before he made a name for himself as a buccaneer, I believe Marrin does an excellent job in setting the scene by describing the world Morgan lived in. Without going over-the-top, he adequately describes the political and social scene of the day however fair or unjust it may have been. He also gives a good impression of the many injustices that were accepted as part of everyday life that are very difficult for us to comprehend today (e.g., slavery, torture, terrorism, etc.). After reading this book, I understand why Morgan was hailed as a hero in England at the time, but it is also very clear why the Spanish compared him to the Devil.

Fascinating, educating, and highly readable

I had heard of Henry Morgan and the buccaneers, but did not know much about them before I read this book. "Terror of the Spanish Main" presents a wealth of information in an entertaining and understanding way. Some of the parts that I found most interesting include the following:1. What was London really like in the 17th century? (Marrin pulls no punches in describing the sights and odors that more sterile histories omit.2. The democratic way in which the buccaneers and pirates organized their expeditions. The pirates were a "floating democracy."3. The horrific tortures...described vividly in the book...that were "acceptable" more than 300 years ago.4. How Morgan's life ended.Numerous illustrations accompany the well-documented text. The book far exceeded my expectations, and I will read other books by this author.

A Great Biography

This is a great book about one of the most famous buccaneers of all time. This is a great book, I couldn't put it down. If you like good books, buccaneers, ineresting information, or all of the above, you will love this book.

Great Pirate book, but not really a book about Henry Morgan

This book was easy to read and packed with information. If you have an interest in pirates, this book will give you a fantastic overview.If you are looking for specific, down-and-dirty details about Henry Morgan, however, this book might not be your best pick.In essence, the author does an admirable job of showing what life, and especially life as a pirate, would have been like during the 1600s. In addition, there are detailed notes and a wonderful section of additional sources at the end of the book.If you already have a good basic understanding of pirate life and want to know everything about Henry Morgan, however, consider yourself forewarned: I kept waiting for the specifics about Henry Morgan to show up. When they finally did begin to show up half-way through the book I found them to be of the "We don't really know for sure but this is a good guess of what he might have experienced" variety.To be fair, for such a prominent historical figure, Morgan left few records, especially of his early years. I did find the information about his Uncles new, interesting and thought-provoking but felt the title suggested a more thorough treatment of the man himself.Change the title and it would be a GREAT pirate book or pack it with EVERY detail you can find about Morgan and this would be the perfect pirate book. However, with Morgan figuring so prominently in the title I was a little disappointed to find the book contained so little new information about him.