Pirate Latitudes

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

From one of the best-loved authors of all time comes an irresistible adventure of swashbuckling pirates in the New World, a classic story of treasure and betrayal.

The Caribbean, 1665. A remote colony of the English Crown, the island of Jamaica holds out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, its capital, is a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses. In this steamy climate, there's a living to be made, a living that can end swiftly by disease - or by dagger.

For Captain Charles Hunter, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking, and the law of the land rests with those ruthless enough to make it. Word in port is that the galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is awaiting repairs in a nearby harbor. Heavily fortified, the impregnable harbor is guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, a favorite commander of the Spanish king himself. With backing from a powerful ally, Hunter assembles a crew of ruffians to infiltrate the enemy outpost and commandeer El Trinidad, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the bloodiest tales of island legend, and Hunter will lose more than one man before he even sets foot on foreign shores, where dense jungle and the firepower of Spanish infantry stand between him and the treasure....

Pirate Latitudes is Michael Crichton at his best: a rollicking adventure tale pulsing with relentless action, crackling atmosphere, and heart-pounding suspense.

©2009 Michael Crichton (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

great story with a great narrator

I could not stop listening. such an enjoyable book that was well read. I had put off this book for so long, that was a mistake. this is a must

Captivating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, the audible has a fast pace and interesting story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, the characters moved quickly through the story to meet their goals.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the characters were trapped in a cave.

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

There were some "edge of your seat" moments.

Any additional comments?

No

Pirates and everything

A good pirate tale with some historical background. It was a pleasure to listen to this book.

Great book

This is a very good book if you are looking for adventure on the high seas. Some reviewers say this book departs from Crichton's normal style, I disagree. The book may not quite be as polished, but it's definitely his style. I really enjoyed Captain Hunter's journeys, and will promptly listen to the book again.

Fresh ideas

Downloaded this book to get ideas for a pirate Dungeons & Dragons campaign and I was not disappointed!
First I enjoyed the introduction to port Royale and learning about the politics of the town from the perpective of the governor. It really felt like Chrichton had done a lot of research even detailing components of 17th century ointments and describing rituals.
From the start to the raid there was a constant building of tension that never let up, which I felt was excellent.
My only reservation is that after the Naval battle the story seemed to drop off. The encounters that Hunter and his crew ran into became a bit tedious.
The twist near the end pulled me back in but the ending felt somewhat unsatisfying.
TL;DR First half:awesome second half:mediocre

Good story

Pretty good story, it starts off a little slow but improves greatly. Definitely worth the listen if you like anything pirate.

Great audiobook

Great story line and great characters, but for me the narrator keeps you drawn into the story. With his different voices for all characters and dramatic way every reciting the story it was a great listen.

Not Crichton

It’s funny how all these scripts of Crichton’s found posthumously sound nothing like his writing voice. I was looking forward to this book. It wasn’t good.

This Review Needs A Title...So, I Gave it One

I expected SciFi and got none of that....just a pirate historical fiction story.. There is a plot and some memorable characters, The plot proved that Crighton did his research well--read that in the publisher's review. He developed compelling characters involved in interesting situations, One cannot finish a review of a pirate story without using the word "swashbuckling", so here it is.

Entertaining...

I wanted to be entertained and I was. It was fast paced and actually kind of fun to listen to. It was outlandish in places but I was not expecting something factual. I probably would have given it 3.75 stars instead of 4 but all in all... good listen.