Florida has a long and rich history of pirates plundering its shores, cities, and shipping lanes. Tales of Florida pirates abound from Key West to Pensacola and from Miami to Jacksonville. But how much of it is true? Exaggerations of true pirate histories have been told and retold for centuries, giving rise to imaginary pirate heroes, and spawning sensational legends and myths.
Digging deep into the true history of piracy along the Florida coast, Robert Jacob has unearthed a treasure of information that reveals the truths, explains the legends, and identifies the myths about Florida Pirates from Sir Francis Drake to José Gaspar.
Come aboard and join Robert on a captivating adventure into the world of Pirate lore. Read about the type of ships they used, the support they received from governments, media's influence on the stories, and how pirates and privateers planned and executed some of the most cunningly successful heists ever known. Pirates of the Florida Coast will transport you back to old Florida and paint a vivid picture of piracy throughout the years. If you thought you knew all about the Florida pirates, you're in for some surprising revelations that will leave you even more intrigued!
With a lifelong passion for history, Robert Jacob has been involved in living history interpretation and reenacting for over 40 years. He has participated in activities covering a wide range of time periods including French and Indian War and Revolutionary War reenactments, Western Gun Fighter groups, Mountain Man Rendezvous, and Renaissance Fairs. During the past 16 years he has focused on the golden age of piracy. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Robert graduated from Duquesne University with a Bachelor's Degree in education in 1978. He taught in the West Point public school district, West Point, VA for five years while completing his Master's Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983.In 1982, Robert entered the United States Marine Corps reserve and augmented to active duty in 1983. During his service, he became a military occupational specialty instructor and earned the designation of Master Training Specialist. Later in his career, he became the Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment at the same school where he had earlier instructed. He achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 5 and retired after 31 years of service in 2013.While researching information on the golden age of piracy, Robert realized that most of the publications on the subject were contradictory and even incorrect. This motivated him to write his first award-winning publication, A Pirate's Life in the Golden Age of Piracy. After its release, his readers expressed a strong interest in Florida pirates. This inspired Robert to write his second book that focused on the them, Pirates of the Florida Coast: Truths, Legends, and Myths. Robert is currently a living historian. author, lecturer, and public speaker. He has appeared as a subject matter expert on pirates at museums, historical events, educational institutions, and on the History Channel.
