Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Calloused Thumbs,
Today we brought blog friend Mark Keating, author of the Pirate Devlin series to give his take on Pirates and why he created something different with the Patrick Devlin character:
It's been four years since I first started writing about Patrick Devlin, and it's been four years since I first started writing.
Let me explain.
I hadn't read a lot of naval fiction, just the same fair share that everyone gets round to eventually, and I began to notice something. Every time pirates entered into these stories they were portrayed in the same manner. They were violent, yes, they were raucous rumbustions, yes, but were always singularly rather dumb and easily thwarted. The RN officers would raise a false flag, or just change their hats, smuggle out the female prisoners dressed as boys, or pretend to be ghosts or something. The pirates demonstrated an inferior knowledge of sailing, gunnery, swordsmanship and an inability to see, hear or think coherently. And I got a bit riled.
I realised why the pirates were shown thus. Most of the authors of these novels held an inextinguishable candle to the oaken hearts of the British Navy, and rightly so, and, as such, they considered pirates the enemy of everything that such a breed stood for, and rightly so, and obviously their hero has to triumph. But couldn't you have painted the pirates just a little bit better?
So I went looking for pirate fiction. Modern pirate fiction.
A few that seemed to fit. They often had the word 'pirate' in the title at least. But once inside you discover that the pirate isn't really a pirate at all. He's either an ex-pirate who has seen the error of his ways and is forced to return to awful piracy to rescue an old friend's daughter/son/father/dog, just one more time, or a good Naval captain pretending to be a pirate to rescue an old friend's daughter/son/father/dog, after which he will return to the good path.
I decided to write my own. In my book the protagonist would see that the only error of his ways was in the thought that why hadn't he done this sooner.
Over the passage of the books I got a greater understanding of piracy, its motivations and factors and I had that startling revelation that we all get from time to time that history just repeats itself just as the turning of the earth repeats itself. The two are tied I'm sure.
Today we have more slaves in the world than were ever transported in the whole history of the Atlantic trade. That's a roiling thought for our children to deal with. And we have more pirates than we ever had in the Golden Age of piracy. What I find most interesting is that the nations and Navies of the world made exactly the same mistakes as of old. The slavery thing is never going to end. It never left. We just got better at counting.
Let's jolly up a bit with a comparison of the pirate's we know and love and those we disparage because we watch from afar.
The reasons for the explosion of piracy in late 17th and early 18th century were unemployment and poverty amid a period of globalisation.
The explosion of piracy around the African and Arabian coasts has come about due to mass poverty and the destruction of their native industries due to oil exploration and illegal fishing by other countries and globalisation which favours favours.
Legal and illegal slave-traders and merchants would slip from protected shipping lanes to save time or hide their trade. Thus becoming prime targets.
Cruise ships and containment ships skirt the coastlines outside their shipping lanes to save time and fuel. Thus becoming prime targets.
The Georgian Navy's solution was to send out warships believing a show of force would be enough to put off hungry men. Ignoring the fact that the pirates used smaller ships to evade and attack.
The Navies of today also sent out warships believing a show of force would be enough to put off hungry men. Ignoring the fact that the pirates used smaller ships to evade and attack.
Pirates traded with the colonies in black-market goods because of the high prices set by England which was the only country the colonies were allowed to trade with. They provided a need not available conventionally.
African pirates plunder ships to sell goods on the black-market often to other countries or nations that would not normally get hold of these goods due to embargoes or higher prices due to exchange rates and import taxes. They provide a need not available conventionally.
Pirates discovered that the ransoming of prisoners and ships was quick easy money with less work involved.
And pirates discovered that the ransoming of prisoners and ships was quick easy money with less work involved.
Individuals and provinces began to hire private captains to protect their waterways and ships with smaller vessels.
Today companies and governments have begun to hire private organisations to protect their ships. With smaller ships.
There is a solution. But it takes time. Decades.
Piracy virtually vanished from the Americas after revolution. America now free to trade with other countries thereby having no need for buying black-market pirated goods. With the world trading with each other piracy almost disappeared from the Atlantic.
If you make a world map of where piracy still flourishes
you'll see that it can be overlaid by a map of the most
depressed and oppressed nations of the world. The UN's initial
response to piracy was to agree with the requests of those
nation's harangued by it and throw warships at the matter.
That hasn't worked because, you know, history and stuff.
The
current plan, and solution, is to change the nations
themselves. If you invest in them and allow them to trade
legally, stop other countries exploiting their resources, the
problem will recede. You know the saying. Give a man a fish
and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat
for the rest of his life. Take away his fish or pollute
his waters and he'll pick up an AK47 and take your Nikon
cameras.
Release Date: 19/07/12
SYNOPSIS:
Each Devlin novel is a standalone adventure. In BLOOD DIAMOND the fearles pirate captain Devlin is invited to London by the Prince of Wales, no less, and offered an amnesty if he will carry out a daring crime. Devlin is tasked with going to Paris to steal the biggest, most valuable diamond ever found - the Pitt Diamond - now in the possession of the French Prince Regent. Set against the unsure frenzy of speculation known as the South Sea Bubble, with action and suspense on the filthy streets and great palaces of London and Paris, not to mention an epic confrontation with the French navy in the English Channel, BLOOD DIAMOND is sthe most exciting novel yet in the Devlin series.
REVIEW:
They say, all the good girls love a sailor, so obviously the bad ones, must love a pirate and to be honest its not just the bad girls, it’s the bad guys, so when Mark’s latest book landed I ripped the packaging off, grabbed a bottle of rum, so hard tack (OK, I’ll be honest it was ice cold Cherry Cola alongside a selection of choccy biscuits) and sat down.
What unfurled within was a story of high adventure, cracking action and of course the continual development of our lead hero as he seeks to grow in his own role. As with the previous instalments Mark continues to grow in his writing skill as each title continues to push him and its clear to see how its gone. The prose is top notch, the pace solid and with a character like Devlin on hand how can you not fall in love with the high seas. Great stuff.
Release Date: 20/01/11
SYNOPSIS:
Sold by his father for four guineas, Patrick Devlin was working as a servant to Royal Navy Captain John Coxon when he was catpured by pirates. Now, Devlin has himself become one of the most feared pirates in the world - and Coxon his most bitter foe.
But in this thrilling new historical adventure it is not gold that Devlin is chasing, but something even more valuable.
The early 18th Century is obsessed with the flavours of the New World - coffee and chocolate. And only one material enables the kings, queens and rising middle classes of Europe to drink without burning their fingers on the handles of their cups - Chinese porcelain.
In a brilliant conspiracy story reaching from the unknown empires of the East to the restless new colonies of America, a letter has gone missing. In the letter lies the formula for the manufacture of Chinese porcelain, and whoever can find the letter can name his price - and even change the course of history, by enriching the nation that owns the secret.
Valentim Mendes, a Portugese noble who has crossed swords with Devlin before, now seeks to blackmail him into finding the letter. And wherever Devlin goes, his nemesis Coxon is never far behind.
REVIEW:
Having loved Marks first novel in the series, The Pirate Devlin, I really couldn’t wait to sail the high seas for further adventures. Whilst this title continues the tale of Patrick, Mark has taken a different angle to keep the reader just as engrossed by further expanding the characters within. It’s beautifully descriptive, the characters are magical and whilst the tale is still full of daring do, Marks creativity gets to take the reader to new heights as his great control of prose and pace really won’t let you put the title down.
Add all this to a great overall arc, enemies both new and old which when backed up with dangerous situations where the author plays for keeps leaves the reader with a tale where you hope that your favourites live. So shiver me timbers me hearties, splice the mainbrace, swash some buckles and prepare to sail the high sea’s with a crew of dangerous vagabonds, adventure is to be had with gold to be treasured…
BOOK BLURB:
As the great powers of Europe fight over the spoils of slavery, corruption and greed, the golden age of piracy is born.
Sold by his father as a child for four guineas, captain’s servant Patrick Devlin knows how cheap a man’s life can be.
But his instinct for survival is strong, and when his master’s ship is sunk by pirates, Devlin makes his choice – to trade his servile existence for a life of dangerous liberty. As he learns to adapt to his brutal new world, he watches men who would once have been his masters fall dead at his feet. Eventually, he finds himself captain of the very ship that took down the vessel of the man he once served – Captain John Coxon – who, disgraced and dissatisfied, hungers to return to the sea and take his revenge.
And when His Majesty’s Government and the East India Company hear of the Pirate Devlin, and that he is in pursuit of a secret French cargo of gold bullion, it is Coxon they send to bring his former dog to heel.
REVIEW:
Historical Fiction often dabbles in certain time periods although some are more popular than others. Here in this offering is a naval tale in the spirit of Pirates of the Caribbean but darker with a more antihero protagonist than the usual rogue with a heart of gold.
Well written, with cracking naval action backed up by the authors love that whilst taking certain liberties with some of the vessels is purely in keeping in the entertainment area for the modern reader. It’s a good bit of fun, its got some great dialogue but most of all the Pirate Devlin is one that will make many a reader want to sale the high sea’s with. Great entertainment backed up with a crew of rogues that the reader will love to spend time around. Now pass the rum you scurvy dog.
