Captain Kidd and the War Against the Pirates

A scholarly treatment of the William Kidd case and times. The author switches back and forth between presenting biographical information about Captain Kidd and an evolution of the declining use of privateers and pirates as tools of foreign policy. The writing is smooth and well thought out, providing an entertaining read. I found the information on the attitudes toward pirates during the late 17th and early 18th centuries interesting and chock full of little know tidbits. The biography of William Kidd was eventful and conforms with what I have read in other sources. The author takes the story from early accounts to Kidd's first appearance in the Caribbean to the arrival in New York and on through the fateful trip that sealed his fate. Ritchie uses the general information on the attitude toward pirates to reinforce the conclusion that Kidd was doomed from the moment he surrendered in New York, and to provide some insight into why Kidd did surrender.My one complaint revolves around the author's conclusion that Kidd was actually guilty of piracy and should have been convicted. It is not that the author reaches that conclusion, after all the evidence can point to that conclusion, however, I had the feeling from the first page that the author's intent was to prove Kidd guilty. Casting off the guise of impartial historian that early in the book has to raise the question - has the author's attitude spilled over into the data presented? That said, it is important to read multiple views to get a better understanding of the history, and I did find this book to be both entertaining and informative. For an alternate view of the William Kidd story try The Pirate Hunter by Richard Zacks. P-)

This book makes you hostage from start to finish Was the captain out on the seas in quest for something other than treasure You Decide Great read

It is ironic that Captain Kidd is one of the most famous pirates of all time considering that he was probably one of the worst and most unlucky pirate of them all. This book chronicles the adventures of those most "notorious of pirates" and gives an excellent account of the times that came to be known as the Golden Age of Piracy from about 1695-1730. Here are found names like Edward Teach, or Blackbeard as he is better known, Bartholomew Roberts, Edward England, and their ilk. Armed with tales of hidden treasure and cold steel cutlasses, Robert Ritchie weaves a wonderful tale of the time of the pirates as they plundered shipping and coastal towns from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean in search of excitement and riches. The book focuses on the exploits of William Kidd, a man hired as a pirate hunter in a time when crime on the high seas was taking its toll on an emerging global commerce. Kidd is a poor pirate hunter, but when his crew evetually threatens to mutiny, he is forced to turn to piracy himself. We see Kidd slowly spiral into oblivion as his crew and his life are pulled into the blackest depths of self-destruction. Kidd is finally captured by treachery and put on trial as a scapegoat for the financial ruin and embarrassment he has caused his secret aristocratic backers; made the victim of a conspiracy gone awry. This is a great book on a fascinating subject that has too often been shrouded in myth.

Robert C. Ritchie's "Captain Kidd and the War Against the Pirates" is definitely a classic text on pirate history, fundamental for those interested in serious investigation on the theme. It deals with the chapter known as "The Pirate Round", when some pirate captains decided to abandon the Caribbean and search for plunder in the Indian Ocean. They were specially looking for the Muslim Fleets that travelled to Mecca in pilgrimage, with huge treasures and just a few soldiers. Some pirates achieved ever-lasting fame when they plundered the Muslims, the most notorious were Henry Avery and Thomas Tew. Captain William Kidd was sent in a special mission to supress piracy and ended up becoming a pirate himself. Professor Ritchie has accomplished the impossible when he wrote the biography of Captain Kidd, since pirates are obscure figures in history and all the facts known about them has to be uncovered and separated from thousands of myths. This is an accurate biography of one of the most notorious pirates, were the myth and the reality are well stablished and separated. It also provides an excellent description of the maritime world of the time, the East India Company and the political intrigues in the British Parliament that led to the hanging of Captain Kidd in 1701. It is definitely one of the most useful books in pirate history.

Professor Ritchie's book is extensively researched, reads like a novel, and gives the reader a complete sense of the farce of a pirate we all know as Capt. Kidd. I found the book to be invaluable to understanding any pirate or sailor of the day.