The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy

In this twisty account, marine archeologist Kingsley (Enslaved) and shipwreck hunter Cowan (Castaway and Wrecked) trace the life of 17th-century pirate Henry Avery. In 1696, Avery led a fleet of pirate ships in an attack against a Mughal convoy on its way to Mecca loaded with a fortune in gold, silver, and silk. After snagging this monumental score, Avery disappeared, mystifying embarrassed British officials and the furious Mughal emperor, souring international relations, and making Avery a popular figure in British song and legend. In 1978, shipwreck hunter (and Cowan’s late wife) Zélide Cowan discovered evidence of Avery’s post-1696 existence in the form of a partially encrypted letter in the Scottish Record Office. Addressed in 1700 from “the pirate Avery” to an underling of spymaster (and Archbishop of Canterbury) Thomas Tenison, the letter referenced a completed mission. Pointing to author Daniel Defoe’s work as a spy in the same ring, as well as Defoe’s writings seemingly inspired by Avery’s life, the authors speculate that Avery and Defoe were close friends. This line of conjecture stretches thin, but fascinating descriptions of turn-of-the-18th-century espionage pieced together from archival scraps more than compensate, and other claims hold more water (such as that Britain probably offered Avery a secret pardon in exchange for the treasure). It’s a winding yarn. (Apr.)