David Stapleton has written a nice short biography of a minor pirate name John Phillips. Mr. Phillips' pirating career spanned from 1721 to 1724. Apparently, he was also a bit of a tyrant. This apparently led to his demise:
Going north from Tobago, the pirates took a Portugueze ship and two or three sloops; Fern again tried to quit the crew in one of these ships and was killed by Captain Phillips in accordance with the articles. On the 25th of March they took another two ships. Taking several more ships, including a sloop and schooner in early April, they made their way to Newfoundland, where they planned to take on more crew. Along the way they replaced their ship with sloop out of Cape Ann.
It was at this time that several of the crew, anxious to be done with pirating, mutinied and tossed several of the officers over the side. Taking control of the ship they changed course for Boston, where they arrived the 3rd of May. As there is no mention of John Phillips being tried with several others of the pirate crew, it can only be assumed that he died during the mutiny on April 18th, 1724.
Once again, the case of Mr. Phillips shows that pirating was a short-term profession. Few pirate careers lasted more than a couple of years, even for the most successful and notorious.
Of particular interest to history buffs will be the Articles for their pirate ship The Revenge under the command of Philllips. Mr. Stapleton has posted the ARticles here, and they are a quick interesting read.
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Pirate enthusiasts who are a bit academically inclined will find this post by Lynda on her blog Give Me a Moment (23 January 2008) interesting. She has a number of interesting references, as well as a few insights into the social order of pirates.
Here's a sample:
This idea of the subversive interests me in that I am considering Bakhtin’s idea of carnival and how it influences social protest and counterculture as an area of study for my doctoral degree. I am both amused and intrigued by Hobsbawm’s and Christopher Hill’s Marxists analyses of “social banditry.” I’m only amused because the idea of socialist pirates sounds so peculiar and extreme. But Hobsbawm’s explanation that pirating evolved from the transition from “peasant economies to capitalism” and reflected a “desperate response to upheaval,” posits a new take on pirates for me, and if we consider the 1960s message music movement in conjunction with the civil rights and anti-war protests, we can definitely view pirates as 17th century versions of counter-culture rock stars.
Go Lynda! |
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We just ran across this blog from college student Andie Z. She loves to read and writes reviews in her spare time. Apparently, she dabbles in seafaring books, having reviewed To Catch a Pirate and "68 knots". You can find her blog here.
Now, to get her interested in Isabella and The Pirate of Panther Bay.... |
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Author S.R. Staley will lead a workshop for aspiring writers at Borders Books at Deerfield Town Center in Mason, Ohio on Saturday, 9 February 2008. Staley's book The Pirate of Panther Bay has received rave reviews since its publication in 2006, calling it "a swashbuckling tale of piracy, action, and romance," "expertly written," and a "grand high seas adventure any teen would love; many adults as well."
Staley's workshop will give insight into the writing and publishing process, drawing on more than 15 years of experience working with book publishers and writing fiction and nonfiction.
"We all want to be best-selling authors," Staley said, "but what do you have to do to get there?"
The workshop will cover topics such as the writing process, how to go about getting your book published, and the "brave new world" of marketing using the internet and worldwide web.
Check out www.pantherbay.com for more details as the workshop approaches. |
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A ship believed to have been captained by the notorious Captain Kidd has been discovered by Indiana University archeologists off the coast of Dominican Republic. While many news outlets have covered the story, a more detailed report can be found at Time.com here.
The barnacled cannons and anchors found stacked beneath just 10 feet of crystalline coastal waters off Catalina Island are believed to be the wreckage of the Quedagh Merchant, a ship abandoned by the Scottish privateer in 1699, Indiana University researchers say.
This ship has apparently been untouched by looters, a real rarity in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean.
Historian Richard Zacks, who wrote a book about the seafaring privateer called "The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd, said the Scotsman had captured the 500-ton Moorish ship in the Indian Ocean but left it in the Caribbean in 1699 as he traveled to New York to try and clear his name of criminal charges.
Whether Captain Kidd was a privateer or a true pirate is the subject of a lot of debate among historians. Kidd was hanged in 1701 after his conviction for piracy. |
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Our trip to the Cincinnati book festival, Books by the Banks, sponsored by the Cincinnati Public Library was a success from our perspective! S.R. Staley ended up signing copies of The Pirate Panther Bayat what became dubbed the "pirate table". He had a great time talking to readeers of all ages. Borders books stores was selling The Pirate of Panther Bay on site along with the works of 85 authors from across the nation. Sitting at the same table was Geoffrey Girard, the author of the "creative nonfiction" book Tales of the Atlantic Pirates. Look for a review of this book at the Panther Bay web site in the near future. On the other side of the Pirate Table was none other than Sharon Draper, one of the hottest (and most talented) young adult authors on the market. Sharon is the author of the Tears of the Tiger trilogy, Jericho, Copper Sun, and many others. She also conducted a seminar at the even on writing young adult literature, discussing her experiences as an author and speaker. Check out her seb site and books here. |
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The Smithsonian has a really cool article on modern day pirate huntersat www.smithsonion.com. Pirate attacks are on the rise, and today's pirate hunters use high tech weapons--like a guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill!
In pursuit of the hijacked dhow, the Churchill had the advantage of surprise. The pirates "couldn't see us over the horizon" during the night, the ship's executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Erik Nilsson, told me in a telephone interview. But at first light the destroyer deliberately showed itself to the crew of the dhow, and the pirates took off to the west. Somalia's territorial waters—from which the Churchill was barred by international law—were 80 nautical miles away.
But, it can still take a while before these modern ships can catch up to modern-day pirates:
"We repeatedly radioed and asked [the dhow] to halt," [Captain] Nilsson said. When the pirates refused, the U.S. sailors called to them over an amplified megaphone, without effect. The chase went on all morning and into the afternoon. With Somali waters only four hours away, the Churchill closed to within 500 yards of the dhow and fired across its bow with its 25-millimeter chain guns. "That got the pirates' attention, and they stopped," Nilsson said.
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If you’re looking for a light hearted, off beat, funny perspective on pirates and pirating, it’s hard to find a book more engaging than Time Bete's Guide to Pirate Parenting! It's a refreshing change of pace from the seriousness of block buster movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, a load of new books on pirate history, and adult and young adult fiction rolling off the presses (including our own Pirate of Panther Bay).
Using a highly readable, tongue-in-cheek style, Tim “reports” on the sage advice given by Cap’n Billy “The Butcher” MacDougall. “There be many good reasons to raise year children as pirates, me hearty,” MacDougal tells the author from a bar stool. 101 of them are listed in this thin tomb.
But, the tips are only a down payment on the humorous value crammed into this book. Readers will find check lists for evaluating your pirate’s development: Is your child asking for bedtime reading like “Goldilocks and the Three Scurvy Dogs”? Is your child being penalized during sports for “flogging the kicker”? Has your child flushed a brother or sister’s gold fish down the toilet during a “burial at sea”—while the fish was alive?
The chapters are short and to the point, and include helpful sections such as “Frequently Asked Questions” on pirate “health and safety”. You’ll learn how to treat cuts, teach your budding pirate how to swim, treat swimmer’s ear, and remove gum from your pirate’s hair. The author has thoughtfully included 19 pirate nursery rhymes. One of our favorite chapters provides a detailed, step-by-step guide for converting a minivan into a pirate schooner.
Guide to Pirate Parenting stands out for another reason: the book is well crafted, an element that will be appreciated by those knowledgeable about pirate history and lore. The humor is grounded in a thorough knowledge of the characters, legends, and reality of pirate live and behavior.
It’s the perfect gift book for those that take pirating too seriously as well as those readers (parents and non-parents) that just have a good sense of humor. |
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Bellbrook, Ohio—S.R. Staley will be joining authors from across the nation to discuss their work and sign copies of their books at Books By The Banks, the Cincinnati area’s first annual book festival. The event will be held at the Duke Energy Center on Saturday, 3 November 2007, from 10 am to 6 pm.
The day-long festival will feature more than 85 regional and national authors of fiction, history, mystery, biography, travel, non-fiction, children's literature, and more. Attendees to the festival can meet authors and to purchase signed copies of their books. In addition, activities will be held throughout the day such as author readings and panel presentations on such topics as baseball, cookbooks, cartoonists, local history, romance, and urban fiction.
“I’m very excited to part of this event and to be in the company of amazing writers like Sharon Draper,” said S.R. Staley. “Isabella and the other characters in The Pirate of Panther Bay are interesting and unique. This is a great opportunity to broaden their audience while learning from masters in the field.”
Copies of The Pirate of Panther Bay will be available from Borders, the official bookseller for Books By The Banks.
The Pirate of Panther Bay has received acclaim from reviewers since its publication in 2006:
· “The brilliant descriptive powers of author S.R. Staley allows the reader to feel the intense emotions as the sword fights and cannon fire fuel the imagination.” (youngadultromancewriters.com)
· “A swashbuckling tale of piracy, action, and romance, The Pirate of Panther Bay is a well-researched and entertaining trip into that same rum-soaked world which Disney has so recently popularized.” (Allbookreviews.com)
· “If you are looking for an expertly written, unique, and original pirate-themed book, then this is book for you.” (readerviewskids.com)
· “This adventurous tale takes a circuitous journey that remains true to the real world of pirates and Spain's desire to reign over the New World.” (Cindy Vallar, Pirates & Privateers) Additional information about Books By The Banks can be found at the organizers’ web site, www.booksbythebanks.com. Additional information about The Pirate of Panther Bay can be found at www.pantherbay.com. Copies of The Pirate of Panther Bay can be purchased from www.borders.com, www.amazon.com, or www.pantherbay.com. |
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