Under the Black Ensign: A Pirate Adventure of Loot, Love and War on the Open Seas

Originally published in the August 1935 issue of "Five Novels Monthly" magazine, L. Ron Hubbard's thrilling "Under the Black Ensign" has been beautifully reprinted in this quality paperback by Galaxy Press as part of their ongoing series of Golden Age story reprints. "Under the Black Ensign" is especially fascinating because it represents the swashbuckler, a genre now extinct. But at the time this short novel was published the swashbuckler was very much alive in Hollywood and in the dozens of pulp magazines that flourished during the 1930s. Errol Flynn was wooing audiences in "Captain Blood" (based upon the novel by Rafael Sabatini) and the pirate novels of Col. Prentiss Ingaham were being reprinted to great success. Hubbard's writing career had taken off like a rocket. He demonstrated no fear in tackling every genre the market demanded - westerns, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, air adventure, spy and international intrigue, and sea adventure tales. Hubbard was prolific from the start and his extraordinary talent is apparent on every page. There's not a dull paragraph to be found in "Under the Black Ensign." Of course, the same can be said of all of Hubbard's golden age stories. The tale recounts the adventures of Tom Bristol who is pressured into joining the crew of the HMS Terror where he experiences firsthand the cruelties of the British navy. When the Terror is overtaken by pirates Bristol life takes a dramatic turn when he is marooned on an island only to be saved by a beautiful girl. Here he plots his revenge and...ah, but here's where you need to stop reading this review and order the book to find out what happens next. Hubbard was a man of ideas and I was fascinated that "Under the Black Ensign" contained a racial subtext for Tom Bristol is a character that will have nothing to do with racism. After freeing the captives of a slave ship Bristol informs two staid British seamen, "These men are free men, not slaves. I don't happen to be of your stamp, gentleman. When I take lives I use a rapier, not the whipping post and starvation, and yet I am a pirate, while you and your brothers are supposed to be civilized beings." Bristol, like many of Hubbard's characters, espouses an ideology of freewill, fair play and equality. It was a theme Hubbard returned to time and again, and it adds depth to his adventure tales. As always, the writing is crisp, vivid, and loaded with action. Each Galaxy Press edition of Hubbard's stories is introduced with a short essay by Kevin J. Anderson and concludes with a biographical profile. "Under the Black Ensign" also includes a glossary of nautical terms and other phrases and a diagram of a full rigged sailing ship. Better yet, you get story previews of forthcoming editions. All of this is inexpensively priced at $9.95 and the Galaxy Press website offers special packages that you won't want to miss. Most of these stories have not been previously reprinted. These are beautifully produced books and I inten

Great swashbuckling adventure! Tom Bristol is a great character and I really like the feel of the story from the pulp days. Pretty amazing that this was written way before the Pirates of the Caribbean. If you like pirates, adventure on the high-seas, give this one a try!

This story was just awesome! Before Jack Sparrow, there was Tom Bristol and what a great character! The story was action packed, riveting, fun and full of adventure. I thought that pulp fiction was not my thing! But I must say that this story is timeless and can be read at any time. It is some of the most fun I've had reading ever. I've also read 3 other titles by Hubbard from the same series, Branded Outlaw, Spy Killer and If I Were You. Equally, "can't put downers". Check them out!

Under the Black Ensign was one of those really great swashbuckling, action packed, good versus evil type stories. I listened to it on CD and I could feel the warmth my parents have told me of the old radio days. I can't wait to listen to my next Hubbard pulp fiction!

This book was great!!! I enjoyed every minute of it - from the first page to the last! This is about a gentleman and pilot shanghaied in London on a ship as a lowly sailor and how this shift from this point. This is one of the most entertaining books I've read this year!