The various adventures of the Pirate Captain
and his eccentric crew bring him into contact with an impressive range of
historical figures and give some new (not necessarily accurate) perspectives on
them. In this book the captain’s path crosses that of Napoleon Bonaparte.
This is the unlikely chain of events that
bring it about: The Pirate Captain, humiliated at the Pirate of the Year
Awards, decides to give up pirating and keep bees instead. His nemesis, Black
Bellamy, takes the opportunity to get another one over on the naive Captain and
‘sells’ him the ‘tropical island’ of St Helena, which he assures, is perfect
for beekeeping.
The island, of course, is neither perfect
for bees nor available for purchase, being an outpost of the British Empire.
However English hospitality ensures the Pirate Captain is made welcome, and he
begins to revel in his celebrity status. Then the more famous figure of
Napoleon Bonaparte turns up to serve his exile.
The two big egos clash in a range of
nonsensical disputes that escalate and culminate in a duel at dawn.
It’s not so much the events as Defoe’s way
of telling them that gives the Pirates books their charm and humour. This is my
second and I found it amusing and entertaining, if not as laugh out loud as the
first (the Adventure with Scientists). I suspect the first encounter with the
pirates (and with Defoe) will always be the funniest due to the freshness of
the style and the unfolding craziness of the buccaneers’ lifestyle, with
subsequent books having declining impact.
So if you haven’t come across one yet, and like
a laugh, I recommend you read one (any one) but not in public unless you are
comfortable being regarded as a giggling idiot.
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