Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom--and Revenge »

Edward Kritzler is a historian and journalist residing in Kingston, Jamaica.

In this lively debut work of history, Edward Kritzler tells the tale of an unlikely group of swashbuckling Jews who ransacked the high seas in the aftermath of the Spanish Inquisition. At the end of the fifteenth century, many Jews had to flee Spain and Portugal. The most adventurous among them took to the seas as freewheeling outlaws. In ships bearing names such as the Prophet Samuel, Queen Esther, and Shield of Abraham, they attacked and plundered the Spanish fleet while forming alliances with other European powers to ensure the safety of Jews living in hiding. Filled with high-sea adventures–including encounters with Captain Morgan and other legendary pirates–Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean reveals a hidden chapter in Jewish history as well as the cruelty, terror, and greed that flourished during the Age of Discovery.

The Washington Post - Ken Ringle

Kritzler usefully reminds us of the scholarly heritage that gave birth to Jewish astronomers and cartographers without whom Columbus (and wasn't he at least part Jewish? The debate goes on!) could not have sailed. Mel Brooks's Inquisition ("History of the World—Part 1") may be more entertaining, but Kritzler should be commended for making us rethink a few historical assumptions.

Ch. 1 Columbus and Jamaica's Chosen People 13

Ch. 2 Adventuring in the New World 29

Ch. 3 The King's Essential Heretics 49

Ch. 4 Samuel Palache, the Pirate Rabbi 75

Ch. 5 Amsterdam, the New Jerusalem 93

Ch. 6 Zion Warriors in the New World 123

Ch. 7 Exodus to Heretic Island 157

Ch. 8 Cromwell's Secret Agents 181

Ch. 9 The Golden Dream of Charles II 207

Ch. 10 Buccaneer Island 221

Epilogue: Searching for the Lost Mine of Columbus 257

Acknowledgments 264

Chronology 266

Notes and Sources 270

Index 316