Black Sam

Prince of Pirates

By: James Lewis

Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White, Roy Dotrice, Scott Brick, Stefan Rudnicki, William Dufris, Jayne Entwistle, Simon Vance, R.C. Bray

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The War of Spanish Succession is over, many sailors are out of work, and the thriving American colonies are quickly becoming the place of opportunity. For Sam Bellamy it is the opportunity to become the captain of his own ship.

When he falls in love with a rebellious New England debutante, he finds out very quickly that he needs more than a dream to win over her socialite parents. After a failed treasure salvaging expedition, Sam makes one last desperate attempt to change his economic standing and unwittingly becomes the captain of the pirate ship Mary Anne.

As a self-proclaimed "Free Prince", Sam wages war on greedy merchantmen, slave traders, and Mother Nature in a bid not only for the love of his life but for life itself.

The full list of additional narrators includes:

Susan Hanfield, Ian Hart, Dave Fennoy, George Del Hoyo, Chuma Gault, Mae Sally Rouge Pax, Douglas Urbansk, Cleandra Martin-Waldron, Freddy Douglas, Gerry O'Brian, Peter Woodward, Jim Meskimen, Tamra Meskimen, Taylor Meskimen, Zachary Webber, Suzanne Heathcote, JP Gaumont, John Ortiz, Jackson Hyde-White, Elizabeth Swain, John Taylor, Jackson Conor, Brian Monk, Nate Aldrich, Paul Barry, Kevin Haas, Mauro Ron Butler, Austin Ford, Marc Solomon, Nicole Faires, Shelly Bovert, Garrick William, James Wood, James Lewis, Kelly Huddleston, Whitney Webster, Raul Dourado, and Shelby Lewis.

©2013 James Lewis (P)2015 James Lewis

narration

the story was just okay, but the narration of the female parts were so stale that I had to really hang with it to the end.

Good but not life changing.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. Many of the characters were likable. Hearing the book narrated by a group of actors did add to the listening experience. However, I think the cutting between various voices could have been better. There were many points where that production quality distracted from the story. I enjoyed this book. I'm glad I spent my time on the seas with Black Sam. This writing lacks the quality and depth that earn books a prominent place on my bookshelf; though, as I said, it's enjoyable and not -in my opinion- a waste of time.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, It's the pirate life for me!

Any additional comments?

"Captain Samuel Bellamy, "Black Sam" Bellamy the English pirate of the high seas in the 18th century, and known as the wealthiest pirate in recorded history- Wikipedia/ Forbes." The Robin Hood of the seven seas, we know the history, but listen to this incredible multi-character cast to hear it as it was meant to be told. You are introduced to the heart of a man who fell in love and lost his life in a tragic event that would separate two ill fated lovers; a story beyond legend that is still told in folklore, song and storytelling today. Each character is brought to life as we are transported back to a day of piracy, duels, adventure, and a fight for honor and glory. This story is so much more than mere literature; it is the history and legacy of the Robin Hood of the seas, Captain Samuel Bellamy. It is the story of the people that surrounded him and the struggle for life and independence. This is an audiobook that I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience the treacherous high seas on a journey for honor and glory. You will feel as if you have become part of the crew on the "Whydah" as you experience true pirate history in the adventure of a lifetime. This is true story telling at its best.The entire narration cast was exceptional, and the author's work flowed smoothly for superior narrative storytelling. A pleasure to listen to.

Black Sam Prince of Pirates review

What other book might you compare Black Sam to and why?

None, since this is the first pirate book I've read.

Which scene was your favorite?

The beginning when the wave hit the ship.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A pirates life.

Any additional comments?

I really liked this.

Fantastic story. Great narration. Inconsistent recording quality.

I love the story! The performances were great but the consistency of the recording was unprofessional but still able to listen through the book.

Great voices

Fun story but a bit hard to follow in audio format due to dates, flashbacks, etc... Nice performance though.

I loved this book!

Where does Black Sam rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I rank this at the top with the full cast of narrators!

What did you like best about this story?

Sam always thought of others.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Character - you really get into the character from the voices.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The plot twist at the end was totally unexpected. I have to listen to the beginning again, to see if there was a clue.

Any additional comments?

I just really enjoyed it and I feel there is a sequel coming with the way it ended!

Excellent writing

A front row seat to a mental movie You'll want to experience again. Great Writing !!!

Needs some sound editing.

Great full cast. Lots of colorful variations in narrators. My only issue was some of the narrators sounded like they were in a tin can and the transitions you could hear awkward starts and stops.

An adventure on the High Seas!

Where does Black Sam rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As stated on the cover, this is a great story to listen to as a family. Adventures, pirates and a little sweet romance.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This book is jam packed full of big name narrators including Alex Hyde-White, Scott Brick, Simon Vance, R.C. Bray and William Dufris just to name a few. By using the 'full cast' approach to this book, each narrator is able to give their character their all. There was a little 'humming' or 'background white noise' detected at times but over all it didn't distract from the performances.

Any additional comments?

Black Sam: Prince of Pirates is the story of Sam Bellamy who falls in love with the lovely upper class Maria. As Sam isn't in her 'league' as they say, her family objects to their courtship. Because of this, Sam goes off to sea to go to Florida in hopes of being able to recover some of the gold that has gone down with the Spanish fleet. His first attempt at a recovery mission doesn't go as planned and before you know it, Sam is a pirate.

This story is told in two different story lines, which at first was confusing but as the story played out it made more sense. I would recommend this book to my adventure loving friends and as a book that could be listened and shared by the family. Ages 10+