A cross between genuine privateers, commissioned to defend a country's colonies and trade, and outright pirates, buccaneers were largely English, French, and Dutch adventurers who plied the waters among the Caribbean Islands and along the coasts of Central America, Venezuela, and Colombia more than 300 years ago. The activities of these bands of plundering sea rovers reached a peak in the second half of the seventeenth century, when this remarkable eyewitness account was first published (1678).
Alexander Exquemelin, thought to be a Frenchman who enlisted with the buccaneers for a time, chronicles the bold feats of these raiders as they ravaged shipping and terrorized Caribbean settlements. Exquemelin provides fascinating details of the French presence in Hispaniola (now comprising the island nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic) describes the features of that country and its inhabitants, and comments at length on the origin of the buccaneers, vividly recounting their rules of conduct and way of life. These bold plunderers come across as shrewd strategists, crack shots, fine navigators, wild debauchers, and greedy adventurers who frequently engaged in vicious acts of cruelty. Among the figures in his rogues' gallery, none stands out more than the infamous Henry Morgan, whose exploits culminated in the seizure and burning of Panama City.
A bestseller in its own time, The Buccaneers of America will fascinate any modern reader intrigued by piracy and by the often sordid history of European conflicts in the Caribbean and on the Spanish Main.
Lakes Michigan and Superior, 49 dramatic and exciting shipewrecks tales, 75 color and 57 b&w photos, archival and underwater, 284 pages. Also: The Most Hunted Wrecks.
Highlights the first-hand account of the exploration of the Titanic shipwreck
As paper navigational charts are replaced by vector images on computer screens, magnetic compasses enhanced by digital flux gate technology, and chronometers joined by atomic clocks, the demand has been mounting for an extensive update to the classic reference known worldwide as Dutton's. To meet the varied needs of today's recreational, naval, and commercial navigators the Naval Institute introduces this new edition of a guide that has remained the seafarers' choice for more than three-quarters of a century. It blends the traditional navigation techniques first compiled by Benjamin Dutton in 1926 with technological marvels of the twenty-first century to authoritatively cover all phases of surface navigation. For example, while the book acknowledges that many navigators still peer into the skies through sextant telescopes, it also helps them take full advantage of man-made Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
Valued as both an indispensable quick reference and a comprehensive text, Dutton's makes accessible such foreboding subjects as spherical trigonometry through the use of step-by-step explanations and examples that encourage practical use. To insure accuracy and relevancy, a board of experts made up of naval and Coast Guard officers, merchant mariners, accredited harbor pilots, and sea-service academy professors, has carefully reviewed this fifteenth edition. The result is an unparalleled treatment of the art and science of nautical navigation that both amateur and veteran navigators will use to safely navigate the waters of the world.
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, in the early evening of November 10, 1975, disappeared during a heavy snow storm on Lake Superior. Her captain and crew of 28 men are still listed as "missing." Commemorating the 30th Anniversary, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" has been reformatted and redesigned with updated information and new detailed photos.
"This is the most authoritative and highly literate account of these pernicious people that I have ever read." -- Patrick O'Brian
Pirates are so much a part of legend that it is easy to forget they actually existed. UNDER THE BLACK FLAG tells their story in a rollicking account of the golden age of piracy that is packed with history, anecdote, and above all adventure. Here are the true stories of such bloodthirsty legends as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, Anne Bonny, and the fearsome Mary Read. And here are rousing descriptions of what ships pirates sailed, what punishments they exacted, what they really wore, and how they flourished--or perished. From the smoky havoc of shipboard battle to the loneliness of a fugitive's life at sea, this spellbinding narrative vividly brings the brutal world of pirates to life.
* Written by the granddaddy of the river running world
* Completely updated, with new text and photos
* Sidebars describing real-life river running situations threaded throughout First published in 1975, River Running inspired a whole generation of river runners. Now this classic text is back in print in a completely rewritten and updated guide. Reflecting changes in the regulations, equipment, and popularity of the sport, River Running introduces the modern river runner to craft and gear, technique, planning and preparation, health and safety, environmental issues, and basic river sense. Long-time expert Verne Huser shares his insights on the nature of rivers-how they act, why they flood, and what to look for when scouting out rapids, holes, and other obstacles-and discusses how to choose from the many types of craft, from traditional wooden canoes to inflatable kayaks and catarafts. Also covered are the different means of propulsion and the latest in safety equipment. All information is presented in the context of running rivers safely, with as little impact on the river environmental as possible.
