What are you reading right now ?

[Silkie McDonough]

The Watch Dog, Book Two.

[Captain Drake Flint]

Yarrr I be readin' me favourite booke, A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. by the great Captain Charles 'Who am I' Johnson!

[Misson]

Yarrr I be readin' me favourite booke, A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. by the great Captain Charles 'Who am I' Johnson!

If you're really curious about the Defoe/Johnson controversy, I highly recommend the book The Canon-isation of Daniel Defoe by P.N Furbanks and W.R. Owens. I read it and was surprised (and a bit dismayed at first - I wanted so badly to believe Defoe wrote it before I read that book). I wrote about my conclusions on another forum at the time and transferred the matial to my webpage.

I have to re-read General History before I start writing on pirate surgeons. It seems there are more references to medicine than I recall based on footnotes and comments in other books I've been reading. It's been at least ten years since I last read it...

For now, I am reading Life at Sea in the Age of Sail by W.R. Thrower. It contains a surprising amount of info on pirates (much of which is repeated in his next book, The Pirate Picture) but it also has enough on merchantmen -my original reason for procuring it- to keep me reading.

[Sjöröveren]

My most recently completed book was In the Heart of the Sea - the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrook. A very interesting and highly recommended book about a shipwrecked whaler and the ensuing cannibalism. This was the (true) story that Melville is said to have based Moby Dick upon.

Speaking of which, I tried for the third time to get thru Mr. Dick; and for the third time gave up in frustration. I absolutely abhor Melville's style of writing. Lots of really great stuff in there, but pages and pages and pages of utterly annoying prattle. The whole GD first chapter is bascially about how undworthy he is to be writing the book. Fine, Ishmael! Write your GD book and get out of way!

Recently finished the entire Aubrey/Maturin series for the third time through, and promising myself to wait at least a year before I start again. But they're just so damn good!!!

I spent most of this week at home, sick, and watching crappy movies (well OK, a few pretty good ones like 300 and Batman Begins.) Finally worked up the energy to get out and stretch today. Went to Half Price Books, and cut myself off at $30. Here's what I got:

Patrick O'Brian - A Life Revealed Dean King's biography of my favourite author. That should satisfy my O'Brian fix for awhile.

The Pirate Ship 1660-1730 from Osprey Publishing, which I've heard good things about.

Warships of the Great Lakes - 1754-1834 which should satisfy my other newest fascination, the War of 1812. (That reminds me, I read By the Dawn's Early Light by Walter Lord over the winter. Same guy who wrote A Night to Remember. This was a really fun read - focusing just on the British attacks on Washington & Baltimore.)

The Sea Chart - The Illustrated History of Nautical Maps and Navigational Charts by John Blake. I had never heard of this book before. It looks fascinating and it was only $6!

And of course, now that I have all these great new books, I'm feeling better and will be going back to work on Monday.

[Hester]

I'm reading The Story of Chicago May by Nuala O'Faolain:

The author takes an interesting approach to the task of biography. She starts with the subject's own autobiography -- a sensationalized and cliche'd gang-moll confessional from the roaring 20s -- and then contextualizes May's story with Social History. The author then openly speculates about what May might have thought and felt about the events of her life.

[Red-Handed Jill]

I've just started the Aubrey-Maturin series. They are too good!

[Cheeky Actress]

Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations by Chad Lewis & Terry Fisk

Entertaining and there is always a 'dare' listed to most of these locations. If you do something the 'ghost' will appear. Of course, this book mostly supports local lore and myths.

['Bastian Devareaux]

Dance of Death by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Not familliar with either author, but the summary sounded interesting enough.

[hitman]

Currently reading the latest edition of Aviation History but unfortunatley not much else. Dutchess if you don't already get this magazine I'd highly recommend it. Covers everything in the air from WWI Zepplin missions to Vietnam and cold war era. Only bad part is it's not a monthly but an every other month magazine. Sjöröveren if Patrick O'Brian - A Life Revealed is any good let me know. I still have a few books in the Aubrey-Maturin series to go but I love every one of 'em.

[Captain Drake Flint]

Yarrr I be readin' me favourite booke, A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. by the great Captain Charles 'Who am I' Johnson!

If you're really curious about the Defoe/Johnson controversy, I highly recommend the book The Canon-isation of Daniel Defoe by P.N Furbanks and W.R. Owens...

Aye me hearty, I'll be sure t' plunder meself a copy of th' booke. Me heart felt thanks on th' information, be sure t' have a tankard of rum on me!

I bow me hat in yer general direction...

[Ransom]

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte, translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden

Fiction — about the search for a Spanish Brigantine sunk off the coast of Spain, and theoretically owned by the Jesuits (that's part of the mystery).

Each Chapter heading has a quote from different books on sailing or the sea (The main character doesn't read anything but books on the sea or sailing.) One of my favorites, so far (I'm only on chapter five) is:

"You can do everything right strictly according to procedure, on the ocean, and it'll still kill you. But if you're a good navigator, at least you'll know where you were when you died." From the book The Shipkiller by Justin Scott

[Capt. Sterling]

The Verneys

&

Tobacco Coast, A Maritime History of Chesapeake Bay in the Colonial Era

[Lily Alexander]

Seafaring Women Originally published as Women Sailors and Sailors' Women by David Cordingly.

Thanks for recommending this book William.

[Misson]

A Cruising Voyage Around the World by Woodes Rogers. Tiny print in that wonderful old style. The random spelling I can take, but the s's that look like f's drive me cwazy... At least Rogers isn't quite as bad as some other period authors.

[Matusalem]

From Capt. Sterling

Tobacco Coast, A Maritime History of Chesapeake Bay in the Colonial Era

Ooh...I must get that one. I remember Charles County & countless fields of tobacco all the way to Newberg& Cobb Island MD(directly across from GW's Mout Vernon) back in the 70's . Now it's all strip malls, Walmarts and McMansions.

[Hester]

Chain-letter e-mail from a Welsh cousin, via my daft sister.

[Ransom]

The first in the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser. I scored two used books in the series at a bookstore on the coast

What a great anti-hero. The guy you love to hate, or hate to love.

Also reading The Great South Sea — English Voyages and Encounters 1570-1750 by Glyndwr Williams. A very good read so far.

[CaptainSatan]

[D.Patrick Burke]

The Dublin Saga : The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherford.

Thus far it has been quite enjoyable. This is Book One of Two, covering from around 430 AD thru the reign of Henry VIII....give or take.

[Misson]

Serpent in Paradise by Dea Birkett. It's about the experiences of a woman who stayed on Pitcairn Island in the early 1990s. A friend really wanted me to read this, so I'm taking a short break from period medical stuff. It's pretty light reading, although it gave me an idea for a success article which I may or may not use. It also provided a notion about why the marooned Andrew Selkirk was so agile when chasing goats on Juan Fernandez Island and why he couldn't comfortably wear shoes for quite awhile after Woodes Roger's ships picked him up.

However, things related to period medicine wait impatiently in the wings. Yesterday I picked up two books I ordered from the library, Barlow's Journal of his life at sea in king's ships, East & West Indiamen & other merchantmen from 1659 to 1703, Volume 2 by Edward Barlow and Viruses, Plagues, and History by Michael Oldstone. I plan to skim the latter for the period-relevant parts. I think I saw it in one of Briarrose Kildare's posts and, after skimming the table of contents at Amazon, decided it would be worth a look. A lot of it is outside of period, but a couple chapters look like they may contain useful info on some of the deadly period fevers and dysentery.

[MadL]

"The Voyages of Captain William Dampier" - downloaded e-version.

It be about, well, th' voyages o' Captain William Dampier....I hope, cuz if naught then I be very confused

[Hester]

Jules Verne, 20, 000 Leagues under the Sea

[Hester]

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte, translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden

I read that a couple years ago and really enjoyed it!

[Blackbead]

Killer in the Rain by Raymond Chandler.

Also, the latest draft of a book of pirate poetry to be published November 1, 2008.

[Misson]

Also, the latest draft of a book of pirate poetry to be published November 1, 2008.

After having read a couple surgical books, particularly James Yonge's Journal, I was surprised at how popular poetry was around this time. Yonge mentions several esteemed people, including his father if I recall correctly, writing poems. (I suppose it surprises me that he mentions poetry as much as he does because it has always struck me as such a fatuous medium and surgery such a pragmatic one.)