The Atrocities of the Pirates: A Faithful Narrative of the Unparalleled Suffering of the Author During His Captivity Among the Pirates

Smith, Aaron

ISBN 10: 1616081945 / ISBN 13: 9781616081942

Published by Skyhorse, 2011

About this Item

125 pages. Appears unread. Seller Inventory # 21529

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Atrocities of the Pirates: A Faithful ...

Publisher: Skyhorse

Publication Date: 2011

Binding: Soft cover

Condition: Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

Originally published in 1824, this firsthand account describes how, in June 1822, young English seaman Aaron Smith was taken captive by Cuban pirates when his ship was boarded en route from Jamaica to England. A skilled navigator, fluent in Spanish, and regarded as what was then acceptable as a ship’s surgeon, he was an attractive candidate for conscription.

Forced to work as a navigator and participate in pirate boarding parties for ten months, he suffered mightily and witnessed unspeakable acts of murder and torture. He struggled between resisting the orders of the cruel pirate captain and acting against his conscience to preserve his own life from the wrath of the pirates. After failed attempts to get away, he managed to narrowly escape with his life, but was arrested as a pirate upon arrival in Havana. Smith was jailed in Cuba and then sent back to England in chains, where he found himself on trial for his life at the Old Bailey courthouse. The attorney general himself led the prosecution, with the captains of the ships boarded by Smith and the pirates as the principal witnesses.

About the Author:

Aaron Smith was a young English seaman taken captive on June 29, 1822, by Cuban pirates when his ship was boarded en route from Jamaica to England. He was returning home to marry his fiancée after this final visit—the last of many—to the West Indies.