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

Crichton was terrific as was Mr. Lloyd

Wonderful book, so sorry his is no longer with us.

loved it

awesome story and fantastic narration. enjoyed every aspect and I wish there was more to listen to.

great narration, fantastic story

narrator was great. loved the story. Michael Crichton is a top 5 author of mine.

A quick review by a novice reader

I haven't read (listened to) many books in my time. As a lover of adventure and the sea I decided to give this one a shot. A lot of other reviews said this was not as good as Crichtons other works. Having read none of them I can't say.

Coming in to this book blind I can say I absolutely loved it!

If you're looking for a swashbuckling Adventure look no further

Loved it!

Such an enjoyable listen! Especially if one listens while in Florida. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.

really enjoyed this!

I have always loved pirate stories, and this was no different. great book, very entertaining.

Perfect Escapism

Immeasurably more enjoyable than any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Not the best Chrichton novel, but certainly not the worst (see Next). Pure fun that will have you searching for more pirate novels.

Fun book

What did you love best about Pirate Latitudes?

The raunchy nature of it. It didn't give pirates this sort of glossy, romantic image; it felt more true to their the realities of the time.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pirate Latitudes?

There were a bunch. Whereas with most stories, the main goal is established and the rest of the book is spent seeking to accomplish said goal, this one achieves goal resolution in the middle of the book leaving the reader guessing for the entire remainder of the book while it covers the return journey. Most books don't cover return journeys, so that in itself was pretty fun.

Which scene was your favorite?

Probably the Kraken

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

We futz ta get crunk yo ho!

Any additional comments?

This is just a really fun book.

Entertaining action!

Great characters and detailed, engaging plot of pirate intrigue and a seemingly impossible heist. "Love" interest later in story is improbable and a bit sappy, making the hero/villain/babe ending rather predictable, but the main action is top notch. Speaker reads well, especially varied accents, but could use more dramatic phrasing and tone in the suspenseful parts.

Not my taste, but I'm sure others would enjoy it.

While I love Michael Crichton, this book just didn't do it for me. But I'm sure others would like it, it just wasn't something that fit my personal taste. For me it was average.