Mary Diamond Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I am in the very beginning stages of researching Anne Bonny, with eventual re-enactment intent. I am looking for exhaustive historical detail, and am unfamiliar with reputable authors in this field. Perhaps some of the Pub's more well-read pirates could offer a recommendation or two? Many thanks! Oooh, shiny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSatan Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 On a related note: There is a pretty decent work of fiction on the two ladies and Calico Jack called The Sweet Trade by Elizabeth Garret. Don't be fooled by the wimpy quasi-romance novel art on the cover. -CS As we say in Ireland let's drink until the alcohol in our system destroys our liver and kills us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Garrett is actually James L. Nelson who repackaged and rereleased this book in 2004 as "The Only Life That Mattered: The Short and Merry Lives of Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Calico Jack", under his real name. Hurricane -- Hurricane ______________________________________________________________________ http://piratesofthecoast.com/images/pyracy-logo1.jpg Captain of The Pyrates of the Coast Author of "Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Year Before the Mast" (Published in Fall 2011) Scurrilous Rogue Stirrer of Pots Fomenter of Mutiny Bon Vivant & Roustabout Part-time Carnival Barker Certified Ex-Wife Collector Experienced Drinking Companion "I was screwed. I readied my confession and the sobbing pleas not to tell my wife. But as I turned, no one was in the bed. The room was empty. The naked girl was gone, like magic." "Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Years Before the Mast" - Amazon.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSatan Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Garrett is actually James L. Nelson... Doesn't surprise me. It seems to be a painfully common practice to package historical fiction as romance novels. -CS As we say in Ireland let's drink until the alcohol in our system destroys our liver and kills us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Mary, The best place to begin your search is with the source, Captain Johnson's General History of Pirates.... This early 18th century source work, often mistakenly attributed to Daniel DeFoe, takes its information from the court transcripts of Anne Bonny and Mary Read's trial. No one else's theories or retellings of Anne Bonny's life will give you better information than that you can read from the original yourself. If your intent is an accurate portrayal of Anne Bonny's life, Johnson's General History is the place to start. Although this one says it's written by DeFoe, it is actually a very good edition of Johnson. Kass Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSatan Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 To this day I'm still sad that Pirate Anne, starring Bo Derek was never made. Mr.s Derek and her ribby-ribs actually spent several months learning how to yield a blade. sad but true.... -CS As we say in Ireland let's drink until the alcohol in our system destroys our liver and kills us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Almost everything that has been written abotu Anne Bonny is taken from Johnson's General History, so I wholeheartedly second Kass's recommendation. You might also try reading "The Pirate Trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read" by Tamara Eastman. Between those two you needn't bother reading anything else, because anything else is either made up or is just a rehashing of those two. Foxe"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707ETFox.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumba Rue Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 On that same note, Tamara Eastman is a descendant of Anne Bonney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Jim-sib Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 "The Only Life that Matter" may be going to film. Producers have been talking to Nelson about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Thighbiter Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Odd, just finished reading a book about the Madagascar pirates and the author totally debunks the Capt Johnson theory of who wrote the General History. According to the same author, both Anne Bonny and Mary Reade are fictitious characters, created by Defoe, the real author of the General History. Pirate music at it's best, from 1650 onwards The Brigands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Funny how there are court records in England about the trials of Bonny and Read then, eh? Do you think DeFoe wrote those too? I wonder how he smuggled them into the Public Record Office... The "DeFoe was really Johnson" theory was disproved by English lit scholars in the 1990s. From content, format, and style, it is clear that DeFoe did not write Johnson's General History. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Diamond Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 Just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate the input! I am a bit thin on time, so this is extremely helpful, as I want to get the most authentic history, the first time around. Oooh, shiny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 According to the same author, both Anne Bonny and Mary Reade are fictitious characters, created by Defoe, the real author of the General History. Amazing how some self-proclaimed experts can't even get the basics correct. Why cast doubt on something so well documented? Ah, to sell books - that's why! Perhaps he'll make enough off the sales to go to England and see the real documents of the Tryal. I suppose Calico Jack was ficticious too, eh? -- Hurricane -- Hurricane ______________________________________________________________________ http://piratesofthecoast.com/images/pyracy-logo1.jpg Captain of The Pyrates of the Coast Author of "Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Year Before the Mast" (Published in Fall 2011) Scurrilous Rogue Stirrer of Pots Fomenter of Mutiny Bon Vivant & Roustabout Part-time Carnival Barker Certified Ex-Wife Collector Experienced Drinking Companion "I was screwed. I readied my confession and the sobbing pleas not to tell my wife. But as I turned, no one was in the bed. The room was empty. The naked girl was gone, like magic." "Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Years Before the Mast" - Amazon.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSatan Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 On that same note, Tamara Eastman is a descendant of Anne Bonney. Allegedly As we say in Ireland let's drink until the alcohol in our system destroys our liver and kills us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Maria Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 The "DeFoe was really Johnson" theory was disproved by English lit scholars in the 1990s. From content, format, and style, it is clear that DeFoe did not write Johnson's General History. In case anyone is interested I have an excellent article from the Papers of the American Bibliogrphical Society that deals with the authorship of GHP. It is titled: Daniel DeFoe, Nathaniel Mist, & the General History of the Pirates. It very throughly and logically, with primary source amterial, deals with the GHP authorship issue. Anyone who wants a copy contact me offline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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