Historical, Nautical, Fiction - A Swashbuckler

Jean Lafitte left behind many a legend for generations to follow in thepages of Louisiana history. Treasure hunters still speculate about the site ofpirated loot buried under French Quarter homes or sunk in the Barataria swamps.His notorious reputation was born of tales like these of the blacksmith andsuspect pirate. But regardless of whatever the storytellers may repeat, thereis one legend that does survive the test of authenticity, the story of how JeanLafitte and his men were heroes at the Battle of New Orleans against theinvading British forces during the War of 1812.In The Pirate Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans , authorRobert Tallant has given younger readers a chance to relive the excitement,romance, and thrill of those days when the Barataria pirates threatened rivertraffic and New Orleans felt the threat of seige by the British. Thisenthralling story from the pages of history is delightfully told with anemphasis on helping children understand the political events of the time aswell as the social climate of the city in the early-nineteenth century.The story reveals the speculative past of Lafitte and how he hid behind thefacade of his blacksmith's shop in the Vieux Carr . He held bittercontempt for his enemy Governor Claiborne until that famous battle, in whichthe pirate-turned-hero joined Gen. Andrew Jackson to protect the city from theincoming assault of British soldiers. Combining tales of pirates, mystery,battle, true events, and real people, this children's book is a thrillingchapter in American history.Robert Tallant (1909-1957) was one of Louisiana's best-known authors, andparticipated in the WPA Writers Project during the 1930s and 1940s. BesidesMardi Gras . . . As It Was, Tallant also wrote Voodoo in NewOrleans and The Voodoo Queen . With Lyle Saxon and EdwardDreyer he coauthored the famous collection Gumbo Ya-Ya: Folktales ofLouisiana.

"Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America's Longest Running Mysteries takes a fresh look at the various myths and legends surrounding the life and death of one of the last great pirates, Jean Laffite, exploring the theory that Laffite faked his death in the early 1820s and re-entered the United States under an assumed name. Beginning in New Orleans in 1805, the book traces Laffite through his rise to power as a privateer and smuggler in the Gulf, his involvement in the Battle of New Orleans, his flight to Galveston, Texas and eventual disappearance in the waters of the Caribbean, then picking up the trail as he makes a return into the country under a new identity. The tale follows Laffite's subsequent journey across the South and his eventual end in North Carolina, where he died in 1875 at the age of ninety-five. Backed up by thorough research and ample documentation, the book contradicts the prevailing thought about the disappearance and death of Laffite, making a compelling case that is sure to intrigue and inspire scholars and history buffs for many years to come"--

Privateers of the Americas examines raids on Spanish shipping conducted from the United States during the early 1800s. These activities were sanctioned by, and conducted on behalf of, republics in Spanish America aspiring to independence from Spain. Among the available histories of privateering, there is no comparable work. Because privateering further complicated international dealings during the already tumultuous Age of Revolution, the book also offers a new perspective on the diplomatic and Atlantic history of the early American republic. Seafarers living in the United States secured commissions from Spanish American nations, attacked Spanish vessels, and returned to sell their captured cargoes (which sometimes included slaves) from bases in Baltimore, New Orleans, and Galveston and on Amelia Island. Privateers sold millions of dollars of goods to untold numbers of ordinary Americans. Their collective enterprise involved more than a hundred vessels and thousands of people--not only ships' crews but investors, merchants, suppliers, and others. They angered foreign diplomats, worried American officials, and muddied U.S. foreign relations. David Head looks at how Spanish American privateering worked and who engaged in it; how the U.S. government responded; how privateers and their supporters evaded or exploited laws and international relations; what motivated men to choose this line of work; and ultimately, what it meant to them to sail for the new republics of Spanish America. His findings broaden our understanding of the experience of being an American in a wider world.