Blackbeard: The Hunt for the World's Most Notorious Pirate

by Craig Cabell, Allan Richards, Graham A. Thomas

Overview

Edward Teach Blackbeard is one of the legends of the so-called golden age of piracy. There have been so many accounts of his short, bloody career that it is hard to see him and his times in a clear historical light. This new study looks for the man behind the legend, and it gives a vivid insight into the nature of piracy and the naval operations that were launched against it.

The narrative focuses on the roles played by the Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood who masterminded the pursuit of Blackbeard, and Lieutenant Robert Maynard of HMS Pearl who led the pursuit and finally cornered Teach and his crew and, after a vicious fight, saw him killed.

In vivid detail it reveals how the hunt for Blackbeard was orchestrated, how he was tracked down, and the parts played in the drama by the larger-than-life leading characters in this extraordinary story.

This freshly researched study of the pursuit of the notorious pirate and his crew - and of the final fight in which Blackbeard lost his life - makes compelling reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399013802
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	01/05/2022
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x (d)

About the Author

Craig Cabell is a journalist and author. His works include, in addition to Frederick Forsyth - A Matter of Protocol, The Kray Brothers, Dennis Wheatley - Churchill's Storyteller and VE Day - A Day to Remember (published by Pen and Sword Books).

Graham A Thomas is an author and a historian.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements viii

Foreword ix

Introduction xi

1 The Players 1

2 The Man and the Myth 6

3 Nemesis - Alexander Spotswood 14

4 Contemporaries and the Times 23

5 The New Pirate Captain 29

6 Flagship 35

7 Blackboard's Victims 45

8 The Adventure Continues 56

9 Charles Town 61

10 Death of the Queen 74

11 Pardon 83

12 The Beginning of the End 89

13 Lies, Damn Lies and Politics 101

14 Battle Plan 108

15 Showdown 115

16 Trials and Tribulations 126

17 Fate and Collusion 131

18 Legacy 138

Further Reading & Information 141

Appendix I Spotswood's Version of the Truth 142

Appendix II Unhappiness in the Colonies: Various Letters 153

Appendix III Spotswood Timeline 158

Notes 161

Index 175