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The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd Audiobook
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(3.03) - 935 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Captain Kidd has gone down in history as America's most ruthless buccaneer, fabulously rich, burying treasure up and down the eastern seaboard. But it turns out that most everyone, from novelists to scholars, has the story all wrong. Captain William Kidd was no career cutthroat; he was a tough, successful New York sea captain who was hired to chase pirates in the 1690s. His three-year odyssey aboard the aptly named Adventure Galley would pit him against arrogant Royal Navy commanders, jealous East India Company captains, storms, starvation, angry natives, and, above all, flesh-and-blood pirates. Captain Kidd found himself facing a long-forgotten rogue by the name of Robert Culliford, who lured Kidd's crew to mutiny not once but twice.
Through painstaking research, author Richard Zacks has pieced together the never-before-told story of Kidd versus Culliford, of pirate hunter versus pirate, as they fought each other in an unscripted duel across the oceans of the world. One man would hang in the harbor; the other would walk away with the treasure. The Pirate Hunter delivers something rare: an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.
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"I was as captivated as a small boy might be reading nursery tales about pirates! It's so interesting and just captivating. This is one of the best pieces of history writing I've ever read. The book is well researched and written. It reads like a great fiction book and is loaded with so many details you can picture what life was like in the late 1600's on the ocean, in the colonies and the US. The tales show why young men would rebel against their naval commanders and risk everything to live a wild life on the high seas. Just the descriptions of New York as a uncontrolled colony of a few houses are enthralling. But the stories are so outrageous and engrossing you'd think they were made up! With the wild outfits and baudy behavior it's no wonder pirates have captured the imagination for so long. And like Deadwood on HBO, the book offers a realistic portrayal of the corruption and nuances of an era that's more complicated than presented when you're a kid. I'd pick the short life of a pirate over forced service in the Royal Navy (and the years without pay and abuse by aristocratic officers)any time!"
— Ian (5 out of 5 stars)
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“In this fascinating work of historical revisionism, Zacks…sets the suspenseful tale of Kidd’s downfall within its larger historical context, in a manner reminiscent, at times, of Defoe, vividly illustrating the brutalities of life on a seagoing vessel and the chaos of urban society at the end of the seventeenth century.”
— New Yorker -
“Entertaining, richly detailed, and authoritatively narrated, Zacks’ account of the life of legendary seaman William Kidd delivers a first-rate story.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A lively, educational, thoroughly spellbinding trip back in time.”
— Booklist -
“Author Zacks is diligent in giving us the inside story of how in the late 17th century the worlds of commerce, shipping, speculation, piracy, and politics combined to produce the phenomenon of Captain Kidd…a rich, detailed book—a find for maritime enthusiasts.”
— Kliatt
The Pirate Hunter Listener Reviews
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" A very well researched account which suggests that Captain William Kidd, while no saint, was probably just as badly sinned against. I enjoyed this salty journey half way round the world from the east coast of America and it's eventual culmination in London. "
— Don, 2/17/2014 -
" Wonderful and informative account of the history of Captain William Kidd. Zacks has done an incredible amount of research in finding the real story of Captain Kidd and his subsequent trial for piracy. The book has just the right balance of novel style writing blended with facts and figures. It gives a good insight into the workings of the English system of law in the early 18th century, and how frightening it could be if you were on the wrong side of it. The audiobook version, narrated by Michael Prichard, is well recorded. "
— Kelleysgirl, 2/14/2014 -
" This book was not easy to get through, but I learned a lot about pirates. My students love hearing some of the more gross facts from the book. "
— Beth, 2/9/2014 -
" I liked hearing the story of Captain Kidd and you can tell the author certainly has done his research. The problem is its almost to dutiful in giving as many details as possible. For me a book a bit less point by point would have been a better read. "
— Dany, 2/7/2014 -
" i have respect for captain kidd. "
— Lynley, 1/18/2014 -
" About as insightful and informative a pirate book as I've ever read. Exquisite writing that brings you back to Kidd's day as if through a wormhole in time. If you are going to going to be marooned on an deserted island with one pirate book, this is it. "
— Keith, 1/12/2014 -
" Great in depth history of the pirate age around 1800. In relating the story of Capt Kidd the author gives you a tour of New England at that time, New York, English monarchy, English justice, piracy on the high seas, etc. Great read. "
— Mark, 12/25/2013 -
" If ya like pirates this is based on the on a real pirate! "
— Amanda, 12/14/2013 -
" Vindication at last. I take back everything I (and Laughton) ever said. "
— Greg, 8/21/2013 -
" Good reading for an international plane flight. I enjoyed the court transcript from hundreds of years ago and the glimpse into the old English legal system. I think that's because I'm a lawyer, though. "
— Nathaniel, 8/8/2013 -
" too dry - takes the fun out of pirate history! "
— Ash, 6/18/2013 -
" Captain Kidd was not a pirate but a privateer who went out to hunt pirates? Very interesting tale. "
— Mark, 5/21/2013 -
" Excellent! Political corruption is not a new concept. "
— Stephen, 11/23/2012 -
" Dispels all the falsehoods you learned about Captain Kidd. Well told and quite interesting! "
— John, 7/11/2012 -
" Mr. Zacks wrote this so well, I felt like I was there. The historical research he did on this was spot on! I could smell the smells of the wretched streets in old England. I could not put this book down and you won't be able to either! "
— Mark, 12/22/2011 -
" i was never particularly interested in pirate history and i'm still not but i'm a sucker for history's misunderstood figures and captain kidd is definitely to be included in that group. "
— joshua, 12/1/2011 -
" A very interesting story, illustrating how history can get things wrong, and how a person with no voice can be buried by the system. The tale at sea was a long read, but the payoff was good. An enjoyable look at a part of history for which we only know myths and rumors. "
— Dave, 10/30/2011 -
" An interesting and entertaining look at the life and career of Captain Kidd, who may not have been the notorious pirate he was perceived to be. "
— James, 10/4/2011 -
" A FAIR portrayal, meaning I think he was judged wrongly in his time, and this book presents things factually. "
— Robyn, 5/9/2011 -
" An interesting look into the past, into the life of one Captain Kidd. Nicely written. "
— Sabrina.h, 3/8/2011 -
" This is a classic case of the author including too much of his research in the book. The story was good but there was just too much supporting information. It muddied the waters and made parts of the book somewhat boring. "
— Erik, 2/14/2011 -
" Dispels all the falsehoods you learned about Captain Kidd. Well told and quite interesting! "
— John, 1/25/2011 -
" Mr. Zacks wrote this so well, I felt like I was there. The historical research he did on this was spot on! I could smell the smells of the wretched streets in old England. I could not put this book down and you won't be able to either! "
— Mark, 12/7/2010 -
" only read about half of it. The book was somewhat interesting but I just wasn't in the mood to finish it. "
— Roger, 11/28/2010 -
" This book is not only a non-romantic observation of the privateer/pirate world, but a real example of how political machinations can use and destroy a person. "
— Jb, 11/10/2010 -
" An interesting and entertaining look at the life and career of Captain Kidd, who may not have been the notorious pirate he was perceived to be. "
— James, 10/3/2010 -
" <br/>I learned a great deal about pirate culture from this book. Well written. "
— Nancygerman5, 5/26/2010
About Richard Zacks
Richard Zacks specializes in offbeat history. He is the author of the bestselling History Laid Bare and The Pirate Hunter, chosen by Time as one of the five best nonfiction books of 2002.
About Michael Prichard
Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.