The Republic of Pirates

By: Colin Woodard

Narrated by: Lewis Grenville

Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

The untold story of a heroic band of Caribbean pirates whose defiance of imperial rule inspired revolt in colonial outposts across the world.

In the early 18th century, the Pirate Republic was home to some of the great pirate captains, including Blackbeard, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and Charles Vane. Along with their fellow pirates - former sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves - this "Flying Gang" established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote. They cut off trade routes, sacked slave ships, and severed Europe from its New World empires. And for a brief, glorious period, the Republic was a success.

©2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2015 Blackstone Audiobooks

Reads like a novel

If you're into pirates, you're going to love this book. It follows the lives of several of the most notorious pirates in a narrative fashion that's engaging and exciting to follow.

57 of 59 people found this review helpful

Audible is better

I bought this book over 5 years ago and read half of it. The book is filled with so much information that's it's difficult to keep interested while reading, but the audible version is like having your very own personal story teller. The information, when being read to, seem to sink in a lot more, opposed to reading it myself. Over all, this book really captures the true nature of our maritime history and the propaganda that was created to end the golden era of the Pirates.

74 of 78 people found this review helpful

More Information than I expected

Would you listen to The Republic of Pirates again? Why?

Not sure if I will listen to the book over and over. I read it because I was interested in the subject. It did a good job of covering the topic and increasing my knowledge.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The pirates themselves and the way they thought were my favorite characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

This is a history so I did not have a favorite scene.

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

My reaction to the book was one of interest. Governments cared and then they did not care at all about the pirates and there territories. They used pirates as they wished. They commissioned them and they hanged them. It was a risky business to be a leader of a pirate band. Communication was very slow and because of this it helped and hurt the pirates and the colonial leaders in the area.

Any additional comments?

Colin Woodard really studied the subject well. It is the best book I have read on the subject and I have read several. Lewis Grenville did a very good job of presenting the book. I am just glad I was not born during that time.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

History that reads like fiction

Where does The Republic of Pirates rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is in my top 3 of pirate history books. Very compelling and well written.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Henry Avery. His story was fascinating and it would seem he did what he thought was the right thing at the time.

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

He is a very capable narrator. Clear diction, and no mouth or breath noises.

49 of 54 people found this review helpful

Raise the Black Flag!

Any additional comments?

I am not too familiar with this time frame but it seems like the author did some great research. He also put it into a story style narrative that was very engaging. The pirates were an amazing part of history and how they dominated the seas for a decade is absolutely astounding. Highly Recommended!!!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Good research!

What made the experience of listening to The Republic of Pirates the most enjoyable?

Getting to know the pirates on a more personal basis than what History class taught;

Which character – as performed by Lewis Grenville – was your favorite?

Edward Teach (Blackbeard) was truly diabolical.

29 of 32 people found this review helpful

Excellent Book

if love history, pirates or both then this is the book for you. great info and we'll narrated

26 of 29 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable for fans of the golden age of pirates

Slow at times, bogged down by too much detail, the book is still a lot of fun to listen to. If one wants to know more about the golden age, it is a wealth of information, and told as the story of Black Sam Bellemy, Blackbeard, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, Anne Bonney, and Woods Rogers as well as a few others. Well worth a listen.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Pretty interesting content, but crap narration

I've listened to 259 books in my 7 years as an Audible member, and this is only the second book I wasn't able to at least power through. The narrator has a really distracting rhythm, pausing at strange points during the reading. It's extremely unfortunate because it truly is an interesting story

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Some Incredible Stories, Told A Bit Too Rigidly

Some incredible stories of piracy and pirate-hunting within, but falls into that nonfiction trap of over-explaining certain aspects in obsessive detail, sometimes sabotaging its own inherently interesting subject matter. This book made me appreciate Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag a lot more, which features many of the same historical characters- I'd recommend playing through that one as you read this. Great audible narrator. [AUDIBLE]

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

An interesting read

The only thing I didn’t like was the American reader, American pronunciations to British places etc did jar somewhat. Overall a great and informative book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fascinating story spoiled by poor narration.

A rich and fascinating story of pirate history unfortunately spoiled by poor narration and pronunciation.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Fascinating

A great fascinating account of the Golden Age of pirates. Goes nicely with watching The Black Sails.

Very informative

Would you consider the audio edition of The Republic of Pirates to be better than the print version?

No

Any additional comments?

This book is a must for any wishing to learn about the great pirates of the high seas. Highly recommended.

Bringing the Legends to Life

This is a fascinating account of the rise and fall of the pirates of the Caribbean. It brings to life characters that you may have considered to be the stuff of legend including the infamous Blackbeard and colourful Jack Rackham. By placing their creation in clear historical context it almost certainly will increase your sympathy for these swashbuckling raskels and leave you perhaps asking what you would have done in their place. The Caribbean will never be the same again....thank goodness.

Fantastically written, researched and read

Such an interesting and incredibly well researched and presented book. A must for any fan of this period in history.

Highly recommended history of the pirates

Hugely enjoyable and continually interesting history of the golden age of pirates. Really well narrated. Definitely recommend this audiobook if you have any interest in this period of history.

incredibly well researched

If this is a true reflection of the pirates, there dreams of romance and treasure were only a dream for most. The hardship and reality was almost that of nightmares. The value of life was less than cheap and very much was dependent of the colour of your skin and who you were born to. An impossible combination for many souls.