The Hunt for Robert Culliford: Nemesis of Captain Kidd, Pirate, Royalist or Spy?

By Mitch Mitchell

The Hunt for Robert Culliford is a gripping historical fiction series that traces the turbulent life of one of history's most cunning pirates - the real-life nemesis of Captain William Kidd. From the war-torn waters of the Caribbean to the distant coasts of India and beyond, this sweeping saga charts Culliford's rise from rebellious youth to outlaw legend, navigating betrayal, survival, buried treasure, and the shifting loyalties of empire.

With richly detailed storytelling grounded in fact, the series blends maritime adventure, political intrigue, and human drama into a compelling voyage across the 17th-century world - a world shared by explorers like William Dampier and pirates like Henry Every, where courage and cunning meant survival. Each installment deepens the legacy - and mystery - of a man who outwitted kings, captains, and fate itself.

Perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwell, and HBO's Rome, this is not just a pirate tale - it's a reckoning.

--- Excerpt from Chapter Two: Speedwell to the Windward ---

The Speedwell carried the wind like a rumor, her sails full and her timbers singing. By midmorning the Channel was behind them, and the open Atlantic rolled ahead, long and blue as eternity. Robert Culliford stood at the rail, watching England fade - a gray line dissolving into mist - and wondered whether it was the country or his conscience that disappeared first.

Below, the men sang as they worked the sheets, their voices rough and bright against the wind. There were Cornishmen and Scots, Dutch runaways, a French gunner who claimed to have sailed with Dampier, and a boy too young to shave who cursed like an old tar. Every one of them chasing the same dream: fortune, freedom, or forgiveness.

Edgecombe, their captain, strode the quarterdeck with a chart tucked under his arm. "If the trades hold," he said, "we'll make the Azores in a fortnight."

Culliford nodded but said nothing. He had the sea in his blood but suspicion in his heart. The Speedwell was fast - too fast, perhaps - and the men too easily led by a promise of gold. There was mutiny in the air, faint as the smell of tar, and Culliford could already feel the course of his life beginning to veer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FRMNPCCH
• ISBN13: 9798308461401
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"