Blackbeard: The Birth of America

My book for July was Blackbeard: The Birth of America by Samuel Marquis. Snipes recommended the book when we were visiting Wallen in May.

The book is a historical fiction book by Samuel Marquis that aims to present a new perspective on the legendary pirate Edward Thache (or Teach), commonly known as Blackbeard. The central premise of the book is to challenge the popular image of Blackbeard as a ruthless, bloodthirsty villain. Instead, it portrays him as a more complex figure, a former British Navy seaman who became a privateer and then a pirate.

While a work of historical fiction, Marquis states he based the book on "reliable historical records and the latest research" to illuminate the true man behind the myth. It aims to separate fact from the "fog of legend, myth and propaganda" that has surrounded Blackbeard for centuries, much of which originated from biased contemporary accounts.

It suggests that he and his crew, many of whom were Jacobites, held anti-British sentiments against King George I and the British establishment. The book posits that pirate ships operated as democracies, and that the colonists in the New World, already developing an "American" identity, viewed pirates as heroic figures challenging British rule.

Initially, I was skeptical of the book. Even though it is historical fiction, I wasn't keen on the idea of so many imagined conversations and first person dialogues. By the end, I warmed to the book. I give it a solid "B" grade.
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During our trip to England and Scotland, there was lots of discussion about the Jacobites. We visited a number of Jacobite historical sites. Somehow I missed the fact the George I was really a German who spoke little or no English!?! When Queen Anne died without an heir, he became king.