Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign » (Abridged)

STEPHAN TALTY is the author of Mulatto America: At the Crossroads of Black and White Culture, and has contributed to the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Details, and Men’s Journal.

The Spanish Empire in the 1600's was a superpower, a dominant force in world affairs commanding numerous far-flung colonies, importing untold wealth in gold and silver from the Americas, and imposing brutal slavery. One man, legendary pirate Henry Morgan, commanding a ragtag group of cutthroats, adventurers, sociopaths, and runaway slaves, brought this mighty empire to its knees. Operating with the blessing of the English government, Morgan and his buccaneers were based in the legendary pirate stronghold of Port Royal, Jamaica.

From this base, Morgan and his men terrorized the shipping lanes and attacked Spanish ports in carefully planned night raids, storming fortified walls and taking whole towns by force. The Spanish navy set its sights on capturing him, but Morgan bested them time and again, burnishing his reputation as a daring and brilliant tactician and becoming de facto Admiral of the pirate fleet...

Publishers Weekly

Henry Morgan was a Welsh-born sailor who traveled to the Caribbean as a privateer-a "licensed marauder of the sea"-on behalf of the British Empire. But before his career was over, he had become one of the most notorious pirates ever to sail the Spanish Main. Talty focuses the story on Morgan's most exciting exploits, including the tale of what is perhaps Morgan's most infamous act: the unauthorized sacking of Panama. Mayer reads in a rich, resonant voice; it's perfectly suited to the grim and gritty subject matter, and would not be out of place narrating a History Channel documentary. The abridgment is flawless; the listener would never know this production was abridged if not for the cover copy. The only legitimate complaint to make is that this audio was abridged at all-Mayer and Talty could have kept listeners enthralled for an audiobook at twice the length. Filled with riveting and astonishing details, this audio satisfies on every level, sure to please not only serious scholars but casual fans of pirate lore as well. Simultaneous release with the Crown hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 5). (May)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Timeline     viii
Maps     x
Introduction: The Lost City     1
"I Offer a New World"     6
The Tomb at the Escorial     25
Morgan     32
Into the Past     52
Sodom     68
The Art of Cruelty     84
Portobelo     101
Rich and Wicked     129
An Amateur English Theatrical     142
Black Clouds to the East     174
The Isthmus     209
City of Fire     232
Aftermath     253
Apocalypse     285
Glossary     307
General Bibliography     309
Primary Sources     312
Notes     313
Acknowledgments     324
Index     325