Book Review – Michael Crichton’s “Pirate Latitudes”
Avast, ye landlubbers!
If any of ye be seeking adventure, treachery, damsels in distress, treasure, and bloody vengeance, then Michael Crichton‘s Pirate Latitudes may be just for you.
This short but highly entertaining story has just what you would expect for today’s view of Caribbean pirates from the 1660’s. It features a cunning pirate hero, a treasure ship packed with riches, the tropical setting of Caribbean islands, ship-to-ship combat, a hurricane, and even a sea monster. Name your favorite piece of pirate folklore and you’ll probably find it in this novel.
The best features of Pirate Latitudes include the amount of detail into the different ships themselves along with sailing and combat tactics. I was also fond of the tropical setting in general along with Captain Hunter’s skilled tactics. Do not cross Captain Hunter, and never underestimate him.
Taking place in 312 pages (hardcover edition) and involving only one major storyline, Pirate Latitudes is an easy read. I had some free time and finished it within a week. Does this mean that the story is bad or too easy of a read? Certainly not. Pirate Latitudes is a lot of fun.
The story behind the story is that the entire manuscript for Pirate Latitudes was supposedly found on Michael Crichton’s computer sometime after his death back in 2008. You can tell that it wasn’t quite ready to publish yet as the story feels like there could be so much more added to give it more of a solid, Crichton feeling. You can tell that Crichton did his homework on the sailing ships of the 1660’s along with general tactics, but other parts of the story just feel a bit short.
For example, the conclusion comes at way too fast of a pace. Captain Hunter’s revenge in Port Royal could have easily taken another two hundred pages of action and adventure. Crichton could have also gone into more detail with the assault on the Spanish fortress in Matanceros, the evil ways of Cazalla and Robert Hacklett, or even the search for Sanson’s treasure.
I can’t fault Crichton for the novel feeling too short as he died before approving it to be released. What we do have in Pirate Latitudes is a great story filled with action and adventure. I’m glad to have read it as the story itself was a much needed escape from my current stress.
It’ll be interesting to see Steven Spielberg’s film adaption of the book. The man has a knack for developing characters and telling outstanding stories in movies, so I’m sure that he’ll appropriately fill in the gaps left behind by the late and still great Mr. Crichton. I’m already looking forward to the movie.
If you’re looking for more pirate action beyond books, I do recommend two excellent documentaries: “True Caribbean Pirates” and “Blackbeard – Terror at Sea.”
“True Caribbean Pirates” is one of the best Caribbean pirate documentaries that I’ve ever seen. Trust me. Whenever I see anything pirate related on History, Discovery or TLC, I automatically set the autotune feature on my satellite receiver. I’m hooked on the stuff.
This documentary doesn’t just limit you to one pirate. This one covers them all from Henry Morgan to Blackbeard to Anne Bonny. The expert interviews, historical re-enactments and tales of exciting raids are particularly entertaining. This documentary alone has inspired me to seek out more books covering the history of the Caribbean islands and the pirates.
National Geographic’s “Blackbeard – Terror at Sea” is a very good look at the life of one of the Caribbean’s most infamous pirate raiders. Follow along this historical re-enactment of Edward Teach’s rise to power, his pardon and leave of absence, and of course, his return to piracy and ultimate battle with Lt. Robert Maynard.
People have claimed that this film has left out key parts of Blackbeard’s history, but if you don’t know anything about the man and are looking for a place to start, then this documentary will work. It’s a great start and may inspire you to look for more accurate tales about the pirate.
In the meantime, grab a copy of Pirate Latitudes and set sail for adventure!