Empire of Blue Water : Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign

He challenged the greatest empire on earth with a ragtag bunch of renegades--and brought it to its knees. Empire of Blue Water is the real story of the pirates of the Caribbean. Henry Morgan, a twenty-year-old Welshman, crossed the Atlantic in 1655, hell-bent on making his fortune. Over the next three decades, his exploits in the Caribbean in the service of the English became legendary. His daring attacks on the mighty Spanish Empire on land and at sea determined the fates of kings and queens, and his victories helped shape the destiny of the New World. Morgan gathered disaffected European sailors and soldiers, hard-bitten adventurers, runaway slaves, and vicious cutthroats, and turned them into the most feared army in the Western Hemisphere. Sailing out from the English stronghold of Port Royal, Jamaica, "the wickedest city in the New World," Morgan and his men terrorized Spanish merchant ships and devastated the cities where great riches in silver, gold, and gems lay waiting. His last raid, a daring assault on the fabled city of Panama, helped break Spain's hold on the Americas forever. Awash with bloody battles, political intrigues, natural disaster, and a cast of characters more compelling, bizarre, and memorable than any found in a Hollywood swashbuckler--including the notorious pirate L'Ollonais, the soul-tortured King Philip IV of Spain, and Thomas Modyford, the crafty English governor of Jamaica-- Empire of Blue Water brilliantly re-creates the passions and the violence of the age of exploration and empire. From the Hardcover edition He challenged the greatest empire on earth with a ragtag bunch of renegades—and brought it to its knees.Empire of Blue Wateris the real story of the pirates of the Caribbean. Henry Morgan, a twenty-year-old Welshman, crossed the Atlantic in 1655, hell-bent on making his fortune. Over the next three decades, his exploits in the Caribbean in the service of the English became legendary. His daring attacks on the mighty Spanish Empire on land and at sea determined the fates of kings and queens, and his victories helped shape the destiny of the New World. Morgan gathered disaffected European sailors and soldiers, hard-bitten adventurers, runaway slaves, and vicious cutthroats, and turned them into the most feared army in the Western Hemisphere. Sailing out from the English stronghold of Port Royal, Jamaica, “the wickedest city in the New World,” Morgan and his men terrorized Spanish merchant ships and devastated the cities where great riches in silver, gold, and gems lay waiting. His last raid, a daring assault on the fabled city of Panama, helped break Spain’s hold on the Americas forever. Awash with bloody battles, political intrigues, natural disaster, and a cast of characters more compelling, bizarre, and memorable than any found in a Hollywood swashbuckler—including the notorious pirate L’Ollonais, the soul-tortured King Philip IV of Spain, and Thomas Modyford, the crafty English governor of Jamaica—Empire of Blue Waterbrilliantly re-creates the passions and the violence of the age of exploration and empire. History,Caribbean & West Indies,General The Real Story Of The Pirates Of The Caribbean. Henry Morgan, A Twenty-year-old Welshman, Crossed The Atlantic In 1655, Hell-bent On Making His Fortune. Over The Next Three Decades, His Exploits In The Caribbean As A Privateer In The Service Of The English Became Legendary. His Daring Attacks On The Mighty Spanish Empire On Land And At Sea Determined The Fates Of Kings And Queens, And His Victories Helped Shape The Destiny Of The New World. Morgan Gathered Disaffected European Sailors And Soldiers, Hard-bitten Adventurers, Runaway Slaves, And Vicious Cutthroats, And Turned Them Into The Most Feared Army In The Western Hemisphere. They Terrorized Spanish Merchant Ships And Devastated The Cities Where Great Riches In Silver, Gold, And Gems Lay Waiting. His Last Raid, A Daring Assault On The Fabled City Of Panama, Helped Break Spain's Hold On The Americas Forever.--from Publisher Description. Introduction : The Lost City -- I Offer A New World -- The Tomb At The Escorial -- Morgan -- Into The Past -- Sodom -- The Art Of Cruelty -- Portobelo -- Rich And Wicked -- An Amateur English Theatrical -- Black Clouds To The East -- The Isthmus -- City Of Fire -- Aftermath -- Apocalypse. Stephan Talty. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 309-312) And Index. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Talty’s vigorous history of seventeenth-century pirates of the Caribbean [is] a pleasure to read from bow to stern.”— Entertainment Weekly “In Stephan Talty’s hands, the brilliant Captain Morgan, wicked and cutthroat though he was, proves an irresistible hero. . . . A thrilling and fascinating adventure.”—Caroline Alexander, author of The Endurance and The Bounty The passion and violence of the age of exploration and empire come to vivid life in this story of the legendary pirate who took on the greatest military power on earth with a ragtag bunch of renegades. Awash with bloody battles, political intrigues, natural disaster, and a cast of characters more compelling, bizarre, and memorable than any found in a Hollywood swashbuckler, Empire of Blue Water brilliantly re-creates the life and times of Henry Morgan and the real pirates of the Caribbean. Timeline Maps Introduction : The lost city "I offer a new world" The tomb at the Escorial Morgan Into the past Sodom The art of cruelty Portobelo Rich and wicked An amateur English theatrical Black clouds to the east The isthmus City of fire Aftermath Apocalypse Glossary The lost city "I offer a new world" The tomb at the Escorial Morgan Into the past Sodom The art of cruelty Portobello Rich and wicked An amateur English theatrical Black clouds to the east The isthmus City of fire Aftermath Apocalypse.