The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet - by Jeremy R Moss (Paperback)

About the Book

How the unlikeliest of pirates came to stand among the New World's most notorious and successful pirates.

Book Synopsis

"It is said that truth is often stranger than fiction...and Major Bonnet's story is proof of that saying. Moss breathes life into the tale of one of history's most puzzling pirates. Exhaustively researched and lively as a salty sea breeze, this book succeeds in both educating and entertaining." Laura Sook Duncome, author of Pirate Women and A Pirate's Life for She

"Moss restores Bonnet to his rightful place in the pantheon of pirate lords, warts and all. It's about time." ―Wreck Watch Magazine

How the unlikeliest of pirates came to stand among the New World's most notorious and successful pirates.

Major Stede Bonnet was living the good life by the age of 28. Bonnet was a wealthy, well-married father of three children, and the family lived on a 400-acre estate on the lush island of Barbados.

Then Bonnet had a "humor to go a-pirating," and left it all behind...

An heir to an established land-owning aristocratic family in Barbados, Major Stede Bonnet enjoyed luxuries equal to those of the finest houses in London. "A Gentleman of good Reputation" and a "Master of a plentiful Fortune," he was given "the Advantage of a liberal Education," but the call of the sea-and perhaps more significantly, the push of his obligations as a father and husband-cast Major Bonnet onto an unlikely and deliberate course toward piracy.

The real story of pirates of the Caribbean. Awash with myth-busting history, Moss tells the story of the real pirates of the Caribbean, sharing accounts of their daily life, social issues, natural disasters, political intrigues, bloody battles, and, of course, buried treasure, walking the plank, flying the Jolly Roger, pirate-speak and much more, all while weaving in interesting connections to the history of early colonial America.

The Golden Age of Piracy. Through Bonnet's story, Moss introduces the most notorious of pirates, including Charles Vane, "Calico" John "Jack" Rackham, Israel Hands, Benjamin Hornigold, William Kidd, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, and the pirate to whom Bonnet would forever be connected, Edward Teach (infamously known as "Blackbeard"). Follow Major Bonnet through his improbable and exciting journey.

Review Quotes

"It is said that truth is often stranger than fiction...and Major Bonnet's story is proof of that saying. Moss breathes life into the tale of one of history's most puzzling pirates. Exhaustively researched and lively as a salty sea breeze, this book succeeds in both educating and entertaining." Laura Sook Duncome, author of Pirate Women and A Pirate's Life for She

"Moss's book is well researched and beautifully written. He weaves for the reader a sordid tale of piracy and intrigue, digging deep into the life of the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet. This is a must-read for any pirate lover!" Dr. Jamie L.H. Goodall, staff historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History and author of Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay

"Take whatever you thought you knew about the pirates of the Caribbean and throw it overboard. This is the true story of the pirates of the Caribbean." Scarlet Ingstad, author of The She-Wolf (Pirate Queen of the Caribbean) and Krekania

"The notorious pirate Major Stede Bonnet's life has been wonderfully recreated by Jeremy Moss in a dramatic, yet, extremely factual fashion. Jeremy Moss's nice narrative presents the sad story of the life, career and execution of the one and only gentleman pirate." John V. Quarstein, Director Emeritus, USS MONITOR Center, The Mariners' Museum and Park

"Jeremy R. Moss has written a swashbuckling stranger-than-fiction account of the life and death of one of the most fascinating real-life Pirates of the Caribbean." Paul Brown, author of Sins Dyed in Blood: The Lost Pirate of Blackbeard's Golden Age

"Jeremy Moss' The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate Major Stede Bonnet, is at once a compelling biography of Stede Bonnet and an insightful history of 18th century piracy itself. In presenting a well-articulated book about Stede Bonnet's connections to other pirates, such as "Blackbeard" (Edward Thatch), Moss demonstrates both the perils and potential power of such associations. The readers of The Life and Trials of Stede Bonnet will no doubt gain an additional appreciation for this fascinating period of history, as well as discover some of the pitfalls of the popular imagining of 18th century piracy." Dr. David W. Price, author of A World of Darkness, Cotton Mather and the 1692 Salem Witchcraft Trials

"The best gift from this book is the crisp comparison between the aristocratic Scarlet Pimpernel-like Bonnet and other pirates, a rugged and nasty gaggle of criminals." Diane Carey, author of Banners and the Star Trek series

"Strong factual research about Stede Bonnet, a colorful and unusual Pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy." Barbara McLennan, author of Blackbeard's Legacy

"Get aboard this read! Moss brings Bonnet and other pirates to life so you can hear, feel, and even smell them as if you were in their crew. Meticulously researched, but never boring, you need to batten down and start turning pages." ​Northcott-Mayes, author of The Killdeer