Welcome to Litsy!

This was a fascinating listen! I‘ve read a few books about pirates that were mainly focused on specific individuals, and I enjoyed how this described the overall crew, the changing dynamics between them, and more of daily life on a long voyage. Their journey took them across the Darien Isthmus, along the South American coast, around Cape Horn, and back north.

#ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Panama #nonfiction #audiobook

Though very slow at the start, this book picked up in pace and action and delivered on its promises. The amount of detail that Thomson was able to include- and the amount of research it must‘ve taken to verify- is astounding! Though he stretched the story a bit thin trying to follow so many different historical figures, he nevertheless immerses his reader in the merry lives of these pirates.

This book follows the first English pirates to cross the Darian Passage (on foot), which is the dividing line between North and South America, mainly from pirate Basil Ringrose‘s diary and the diaries of others. They travel the length of South America and are the first to navigate around Cape Horn, fighting the Spanish, hunger, thirst, and the elements. I learned so much from reading this book, not the least that pirates wrote detailed ⬇️

I‘ve just finished this audiobook for #readingtheamericas and I will write a review soon. I just want to let y‘all know it works for #Panama #Peru and #Chile. It could work for other countries because of brief encounters in #Barbados and #Antigua

My next audiobook. I‘m so happy that #readingtheamericas really lends itself to read about pirates. Two books about pirates at the same time? Fascinating!! @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

#Panama

“Sharp‘s men would have expected him to deliver a speech. No record exists of what he said…Given his laconic tendencies, it‘s likely his exhortation bore a closer resemblance to Blackbeard‘s famous rally cry, “Let‘s jump on board, and cut them to pieces.”

If this doesn‘t make it into season 2 of Our Flag Means Death I will be sad.