Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune

In 1680, over 300 pirates gathered on a Caribbean island to plan a raid on the Pacific coastline, raiding cities, mines, and merchant ships. Inspired by Captain Henry Morgan, they crossed Panama on foot, slashed through the Darien Isthmus, and liberated a native princess. They plundered the Spanish Main in a series of historic assaults, often prevailing against superior firepower. Keith Thomson's novel Born to Be Hanged offers a rollicking account of one of the most astonishing pirate expeditions of all time, fusing contemporaneous accounts with research and primary sources.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Discover the captivating and outrageously readable account of the mischievous escapades of the first pirates to raid the Pacific in a crusade that ended in a sensational trial back in England.

The year is 1680, in the midst of the Golden Age of Piracy, and over three hundred daring, hardened pirates, a potent mix of low-life scallywags and a rare breed of gentleman buccaneers, gather on a remote Caribbean island. The plan: to unleash havoc on the Pacific coastline, raiding cities, mines, and merchant ships. The booty: the bright gleam of Spanish gold and the chance to become legends. So begins one of the greatest piratical adventures of the era, a story that has not received its due until now.

Inspired by the intrepid forays of pirate turned Jamaican governor Captain Henry Morgan, yes, that Captain Morgan, the company crosses Panama on foot, slashing its way through the Darien Isthmus, one of the thickest jungles on the planet, and liberating a native princess along the way.

After reaching the South Sea, the buccaneers, primarily Englishmen, plunder the Spanish Main in a series of historic assaults, often prevailing against staggering odds and superior firepower. A collective shudder racks the western coastline of South America as the English pirates, waging a kind of proxy war against the Spaniards, gleefully undertake a brief reign over Pacific waters, marauding up and down the continent.

With novelistic prose and a rip-roaring sense of adventure, Keith Thomson guides us through the pirates' legendary two-year odyssey. We witness the buccaneers evading Indigenous tribes, Spanish conquistadors, and sometimes even their own English cou.

This is a tale of audacity, bravery, and the pursuit of fortune, a story that has captured the imaginations of generations and remains as thrilling and captivating as ever. So grab your compass, set sail for the high seas, and join the pirates on their unforgettable journey.

Weight: 338g
Dimension: 138 x 210 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780316703635