Ahoy, Matey!!!

This week, I'm sticking with J. Patrick Lewis and exploring another of his books, Blackbeard The Pirate King.  Here's a link to the book at Amazon.

The author chose to use paintings by various authors to illustrate the different episodes of Edward Teach, better known as "Blackbeard".  The author mixes his poetry with interesting facts about the life of Captain Teach, and ends the book with maps and a time-line of all the interesting and terrible things that he did.  He also mentions various web-sites that one can visit to learn more about the life and times of Blackbeard. 

I think my favorite thing about this book is the artwork.   The author chose to use depictions rendered by contemporaries of Blackbeard as well as more recent renditions of the pirate's life from the last decade or so.  One of the more bold paintings chosen is entitled "Blackbeard Afire" by Rick Farrell (2000); this painting depicts an angry Blackbeard holding a pistol.  He is standing in front of a black flag with a skeleton on it, and behind him is a fiery golden sky.  The poem that Mr. Lewis wrote to accompany this painting is as follows:

A Pirate's Colors

Though often running up a flag
    Meant mercy would be shown,
For some a pirate's colors cried,
    Leave well enough alone.

Now a famous Jolly Roger that
    Could capture Blackbeard's art
Was the skull-and-crossbones death's head
    That could stop a human heart.

But what's a rumor worth at sea
    That passes for suspense?
Of scores of men they say he killed,
    There is no evidence.

Blackbeard The Pirate King.  by J. Patrick Lewis (2006)  Washington DC.  National Geographic Society.

While many would think that Blackbeard was, like many pirates are depicted, bloodthirsty and a cold blooded killer, evidence indicates that he did not kill anybody until his final fight at Ocracoke Inlet, where he perished in November of 1718.  I like books like this that will challenge the mainstream idea of how a person really was and give you a more realistic idea of how an historical person might have actually behaved. 

In the end, I would recommend this book just for the paintings depicted; however, there is a wonder that is added when you read the poetry that Mr. Lewis has included with these paintings.  Pick it up sometime, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well.