Pirate Latitudes

Pirate Latitudes
	First edition cover
Author	Michael Crichton
Language	English
Genre	Historical fiction, Adventure
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	November 26, 2009
Publication place	United States of America
Pages	313
ISBN	978-0-06-192937-3
OCLC	318430694
Preceded by	Next
Followed by	Micro

Last updated November 12, 2024

Pirate Latitudes is an action adventure novel by Michael Crichton, the sixteenth novel to be published under his own name and first to be published after his death, concerning 17th-century piracy in the Caribbean. HarperCollins published the book posthumously on November 26, 2009.^[1] The story stars the fictional privateer Captain Charles Hunter who, hired by Jamaica's governor Sir James Almont, plots to raid a Spanish galleon for its treasure.

Background

Crichton's assistant discovered the manuscript on one of Crichton's computers after his death in 2008, along with an unfinished novel, Micro (2011).^[1]

According to Marla Warren, there is evidence that Crichton had been working on Pirate Latitudes at least since the 1970s; to substantiate her position, she quotes a statement by Patrick McGilligan in the March 1979 issue of American Film that Crichton was aiming "to complete a long-standing book project about Caribbean pirates in the seventeenth century.".^[2]^[3] In 1981, Crichton said he was working on a pirate story,^[4] and he mentioned a research trip to Jamaica in 1982 in his non-fiction book Travels (1988).

According to Jonathan Burnham, a publisher of a HarperCollins imprint, Pirate Latitudes had been written concurrently with Crichton's then most recent novel, Next (2006).

Historical basis

Alan Cheuse said, in review for NPR Books: "It builds on an actual event in maritime records" when pirates out of the Caribbean port of Port Royal attacked a fortress on a Spanish island in order to plunder – I like that word, and it's what pirates do, they plunder – a ship filled with new world treasure."^[5]

Though reviewers have compared Crichton's novel to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ,^[6] the Historical Novel Society notes: "Crichton's portrayal of Port Royal and its inhabitants is far more grounded in reality than Disney's portrayal.

Plot

In 1665, Captain Charles Hunter is hired as a privateer by the Governor of Jamaica, Sir James Almont, to lead an expedition to the island fortress of Matanceros.^[7] Almont is excited about the possibility of reward in this venture, though his secretary, Mr. Robert Hacklett, is less than enthusiastic and calls Hunter a pirate.

They travel out to Matanceros. Mere days into the journey, they come across trouble and get locked up. Hunter and his crew reboard their ship after breaking free and continue on their way before they get caught again.

Upon their arrival at Matanceros, Hunter, Black Eye, Lazue, Sanson, and the Moor all make their way behind the fortress. Encountering high cliffs, rough jungle foliage, and deadly animals, the crew comes to see that Cazalla has docked under the suspicion that Hunter is still on his way to the island. The privateers manage to make their way around the village and the soldiers occupying it long enough to set their traps. After a short duel between Hunter and Cazalla, the traps are sprung, and a cut to the throat kills Cazalla. The Cassandra appears, and the crew takes their captain, his shipmates, and the galleon out to sea.

After a few days, the treasure inside the galleon, El Trinidad, is accounted for, but Hunter refuses to split the treasure between the two ships, not trusting Sanson. Soon afterward, Hunter discovers he is being pursued by the warship commanded by Bosquet, Cazalla's second-in-command. Hunter is chased to Monkey Bay, where he narrowly evades capture with the aid of Lazue's keen eyesight. The sun's glare on the ocean renders the warship unable to follow. Here, Hunter waits a few days, until the crew spy an impending hurricane. Now they divide the treasure between the two ships, in case one sinks in the storm and all is lost. Using Don Diego's genius, they arm their cannons and aim for a mere two defensive shots. Upon their departure, however, the warship has disappeared.

While celebrating their surprise escape, they see – a few miles out to sea – the warship quickly approaching their stern. With Hunter aboard, El Trinidad sustains massive damage from cannon fire. The aimed cannons fire upon the warship, merely damaging it with the first shot and seeming to miss entirely with the second. However, after a moment of inactivity, Hunter realizes the second shot actually landed a devastating blow, and the attacking ship explodes and sinks rapidly. Moments later, there is little evidence of the warship.

Victory evades the two ships, however, as rain and storm begin. The El Trinidad and the Cassandra, helmed by Sanson, are separated by fierce winds and strong currents. After the storm abates, Hunter finds El Trinidad beached on a strange island. A few hours later, they see the island is inhabited by cannibal natives, who nearly capture Governor Almont's niece. On their way back to Port Royal, the crew suffers yet another misfortune when a Kraken (see "lusca") attacks their ship. After the beast has killed many and damaged the vessel, Hunter manages to mortally injure it. Their path to Port Royal is finally clear.

Upon the crew's arrival, a courier informs them that Almont is gravely sick, and Hacklett has taken charge as governor. Hunter is arrested and put to trial, at which Sanson betrays his captain and lies to the court. Hunter is sentenced to be placed in prison and then hanged. With the aid of Almont (who was being held prisoner by Hacklett), Hunter is sprung from prison and kills the men who sentenced him, save for the judge, who pardons Hunter. Hacklett is shot in the groin by his wife (whom he has caused to be raped by an associate), and Sanson sends word that he alone knows where the other half of the treasure is. Hunter turns the man's own crossbow against him, killing Sanson, and throws his body overboard letting the sharks eat his body, and is never able to find Sanson's treasure.

Characters

Captain Charles Hunter — Hunter is a privateer who leads the Cassandra on their journey for treasure. Born in 1627, Hunter is originally from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and has a Harvard education. A cunning and resourceful man, he is in many ways reminiscent of the criminal mastermind Edward Pierce from Crichton's earlier bestseller The Great Train Robbery (1975). Hunter abandoned his home and religion at an early age. Although generally a reasonable man of his word, Hunter does not hesitate to use violence and threats to reach his goals—wealth. Additionally, it is mentioned that Cazalla murdered one of Hunter's brothers years before, allegedly by being strung up and castrated, and choking on his testicles stuffed in his mouth. In the end, Hunter catches malaria during his long voyages to find Sanson's treasure and dies almost completely forgotten, in England in 1670, with a modest estate. His son with Mrs. Hacklett becomes a merchant in the New World, and his grandson is ultimately appointed governor of the Carolina Colony during the early American Revolutionary War.
Don Diego a.k.a. Black Eye a.k.a. the Jew — Don Diego runs a jewelry shop in Port Royal. He is a very intelligent man, able to create and invent many instruments to suit his own needs or his mates'. In his past, he also worked with gunpowder and armaments, costing himself three fingers and permanently blackening his eye (hence the name Black Eye). Diego is a Jewish man who lost a son to the Inquisition. In the story's epilogue, Diego lives to a very old age and finally dies during the earthquake that flattened Port Royal.
Sanson — A very large and heavyset man, Andre Sanson is a visual interpretation of the word assassin, with the exception of his surprisingly high voice. Notorious for being the most ruthless killer in the Caribbean, this Frenchman's skills include use of the sword, pistol, and crossbow, and negotiations. He is, however, distrusted by many Englishmen due to his nationality; this distrust is later vindicated by his treacherous actions in the book's conclusion.
Lazue — Lazue, an excellent marksman possessed of extraordinary vision, can see far more accurately than anyone else. Raised as a man, this woman can confuse her enemies by baring her breasts to gain advantage. Her ability to traverse through shallow waters and coral reefs make her an important asset to the Cassandra. The tale's epilogue mentions that Lazue is eventually hanged in Charleston, Carolina around 1704, as a pirate and alleged lover of Blackbeard's. Her name is a likely pun of the French phrase "les yeux" meaning "the eyes".
Enders — While in Port Royal, Mr. Enders operates as a barber-surgeon. While at sea, he is a helmsman, able to read and steer the Cassandra perfectly due to his innate ability, and is often referred to as a "sea artist". His relationship with the ship makes his experience needed many times during the voyage. Evidently, his luck eventually runs out, as it is stated he died during a storm on another expedition soon after the book's conclusion.
Bassa a.k.a. The Moor — A huge dark man, this giant is mute. After he killed the man who cut off his tongue and murdered his wife, the Moor escaped to Port Royal to make a living. Communicating with gestures, he embodies intimidation, strength, and power. The book's epilogue states a released bull killed him during Henry Morgan's daring attack on Panama in 1669, of which he was likely an expedition member.
Sir James Almont — Governor of Jamaica, Almont resides in Port Royal. Known locally as "James the Tenth", it is Almont who commissions Captain Hunter for the Matanceros expedition. Both Almont and his niece return to England shortly after the events of the story, only to perish in the Great Fire of London, in 1666.
Robert Hacklett — A young and loyal man of England, Mr. Hacklett begins as a secretary hired to assist Governor Almont. Hacklett is a man of many words who throws them around without regard for consequence. In his eyes, all of Charles Hunter's privateering expeditions appear to be piratical ventures. Hacklett also has the misfortunes of being impotent (or at least sterile) and of having married a promiscuous, pretty wife who is well known to have been a mistress of King Charles II. Early on, Mrs. Emily Hacklett becomes pregnant after a brief fling with Captain Hunter, and in anger Robert later allows Commander Scott to rape her. The same night, she fatally shoots Hacklett in the groin before Hunter arrives to take revenge. Mrs. Hacklett dies of syphilis in 1686. Her illegitimate son with Hunter becomes a merchant, and her grandson ultimately is appointed governor of the Carolina Colony during the American Revolutionary War.
Captain Cazalla — Cazalla, a brutal villain in many respects, is a Spaniard who commands the Spanish fortress of Matanceros and commands a warship that guards the naos in Matanceros' harbor. He has a violent history with both Don Diego and Captain Hunter, yet has never met either.
Anne Sharpe — Anne is a beautiful girl who was sent to Port Royal. Despite her youth and innocent looks, she is not afraid. She helps free Hunter from prison and aids him in his revenge against Sanson.

Film adaptation

In August 2009, Steven Spielberg (an admirer of Crichton's work) announced his intention to adapt the novel to film, reportedly having wanted to make a pirate film.^[8]^[9] Spielberg hired David Koepp to pen the screenplay.^[10] Anil Ambani's Reliance Big Entertainment and Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios were to produce the film, which would have been the third of Crichton's novels Spielberg adapted, after the highly successful Jurassic Park films. As of 2024^[update], no new news about a potential film has been released. By agreement, any film based on Crichton works must be approved by his widow Sherri. Sherri Crichton has authorised Spielberg for an adaptation of a Crichton novel finished by James Patterson, Eruption .

Related Research Articles

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he may have been a sailor on privateer ships during Queen Anne's War before he settled on the Bahamian island of New Providence, a base for Captain Benjamin Hornigold, whose crew Teach joined around 1716. Hornigold placed him in command of a sloop that he had captured, and the two engaged in numerous acts of piracy. Their numbers were boosted by the addition to their fleet of two more ships, one of which was commanded by Stede Bonnet, but Hornigold retired from piracy toward the end of 1717, taking two vessels with him.

William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in New York City. By 1690, Kidd had become a highly successful privateer, commissioned to protect English interests in North America and the West Indies.

A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or delegated authority issued commissions, also referred to as letters of marque, during wartime. The commission empowered the holder to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war. This included attacking foreign vessels and taking them as prizes and taking crews prisoner for exchange. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law, with the proceeds divided by percentage between the privateer's sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Morgan</span> Privateer and political office holder in Jamaica (1635–1688)

Sir Henry Morgan was a Welsh privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he and those under his command raided settlements and shipping ports on the Spanish Main, becoming wealthy as they did so. With the prize money and loot from the raids, Morgan purchased three large sugar plantations on Jamaica.

The era of piracy in the Caribbean began in the 1500s and phased out in the 1830s after the navies of the nations of Western Europe and North America with colonies in the Caribbean began hunting and prosecuting pirates. The period during which pirates were most successful was from the 1650s to the 1730s. Piracy flourished in the Caribbean because of the existence of pirate seaports such as Port Royal in Jamaica, Tortuga in Haiti, and Nassau in the Bahamas. Piracy in the Caribbean was part of a larger historical phenomenon of piracy, as it existed close to major trade and exploration routes in almost all the five oceans.

John Rackham, commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, while Jack is a nickname for "John".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hector Barbossa</span> Fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series

Captain Hector Barbossa is a fictional character of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, depicted by Geoffrey Rush and appearing in all five films in the series. Barbossa first debuted in The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) as the captain of the Black Pearl and a cursed undead skeleton, where he dies at the end of the film. However, the character is revealed to have been resurrected and brought back from the dead by Tia Dalma by the end of Dead Man's Chest, and has since appeared in an anti-heroic role. Captain Hector Barbossa was one of the nine Pirate Lords in At World's End (2007), a privateer in service to King George II and the British Navy while also seeking revenge against Blackbeard in On Stranger Tides (2011), as well as a rich rogue and influential leader of a prosperous pirate empire and fleet in Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Throughout the series, Barbossa has been conceptualized as a "dark trickster" and the evil counterpart of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Thomas Tew, also known as the Rhode Island Pirate, was a 17th-century English privateer-turned-pirate. He embarked on two major pirate voyages and met a bloody death on the second, and he pioneered the route which became known as the Pirate Round. Other infamous pirates in his path included Henry Avery and William Kidd.

This timeline of the history of piracy in the 1680s is a chronological list of key events involving pirates between 1680 and 1689.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward England</span> Irish pirate (c. 1685 – 1721)

Edward England was an Irish pirate. The ships he sailed on included the Pearl and later the Fancy, for which England exchanged the Pearl in 1720. His flag was the classic Jolly Roger — almost exactly as the one "Black Sam" Bellamy used — with a human skull above two crossed bones on a black background. Like Bellamy, England was known for his kindness and compassion as a leader, unlike many other pirates of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Age of Piracy</span> Maritime piracy from the 1650s to the 1730s

The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation for the period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

David Marteen was a Dutch privateer and pirate best known for joining Henry Morgan’s raids against Spanish strongholds in present-day Mexico and Nicaragua. He is also the subject of a popular buried treasure legend.

John Morris was an English buccaneer active in the Caribbean during the 1660s and early-1670s. His son, John Morris the Younger, held a command of his own ship during his father's later expeditions against Portobelo and Maracaibo. John Morris the Younger was one of the commanders killed in an explosion during a party on board Henry Morgan's flagship in 1670.

Sanson may refer to:

Captain John Coxon, sometimes referred to as John Coxen, was a late-seventeenth-century buccaneer who terrorized the Spanish Main. Coxon was one of the most famous of the Brethren of the Coast, a loose consortium of pirates and privateers. Coxon lived during the Buccaneering Age of Piracy.

The Republic of Pirates was the base and stronghold of a loose confederacy run by privateers-turned-pirates in Nassau on New Providence island in the Bahamas during the Golden Age of Piracy for about twelve years from 1706 until 1718. While it was not a republic in a formal sense, it was governed by an informal pirate code, which dictated that the crews of the Republic would vote on the leadership of their ships and treat other pirate crews with civility. The term comes from Colin Woodard's book of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain Morgan in popular culture</span>

Sir Henry Morgan was a Welsh pirate, privateer and buccaneer. He made himself famous during activities in the Caribbean, primarily raiding Spanish settlements. He earned a reputation as one of the most notorious and successful privateers in history, and one of the most ruthless among those active along the Spanish Main.

The Flying Gang was an 18th-century group of pirates who established themselves in Nassau, New Providence in the Bahamas after the destruction of Port Royal in Jamaica. The gang consisted of the most notorious and cunning pirates of the time, and they terrorized and pillaged the Caribbean until the Royal Navy and infighting brought them to justice. They achieved great fame and wealth by raiding salvagers attempting to recover gold from the sunken Spanish treasure fleet. They established their own codes and governed themselves independent from any of the colonial powers of the time. Nassau was deemed the Republic of Pirates as it attracted many former privateers looking for work to its shores. The Governor of Bermuda stated that there were over 1,000 pirates in Nassau at that time and that they outnumbered the mere hundred inhabitants in the town.

Joseph Thompson was a pirate from Trinidad, Cuba, and was active in the Caribbean. He is primarily known for a single incident involving grenades.

References

1 2 Motoko Rich (April 5, 2009). "Posthumous Crichton Novels on the Way". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
↑ "quote by Patrick McGilligan". American Film . March 1979.
↑ Warren, Marla (June 18, 2010). "Origins of Pirate Latitudes – Part 2". Musings on Michael Crichton.
↑ Warga, Wayne (March 1, 1981). "FACT, FICTION INTERTWINED BY CRICHTON". Los Angeles Times . p. m22.
↑ Cheuse, Alan (December 22, 2009). "Review: Michael Crichton's 'Pirate Latitudes'". NPR Books.
↑ WSJ Staff (November 23, 2009). "Books: Michael Crichton's 'Pirate Latitudes': Review Revue". Speakeasy.
↑ Matanceros is a fictional island located east of the Virgin Islands chain and north of St. Kitts, as shown on the map in the endpapers of the first edition. Another fictional Matanceros Island, at a different location, is found another Crichton's novel The Lost World (1995).
↑ McClintock, Pamela (August 27, 2009). "DreamWorks eyes 'Pirate' for Spielberg: Studio acquires film rights to Crichton's book". Variety .
↑ "Spielberg to make pirates movie". Yahoo! Movies UK & Ireland. August 27, 2009. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009.
↑ "DreamWorks Hires Koepp for 'Pirate Latitudes' Movie". SciFi Pulse. August 2009.

Bibliography

Maslin, Janet (November 22, 2009). "Vile Heroes and High-Seas Swagger". The New York Times.

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[NYT1109-1] 1 2 Motoko Rich (April 5, 2009). "Posthumous Crichton Novels on the Way". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2009.

[2] "quote by Patrick McGilligan". American Film . March 1979.

[3] Warren, Marla (June 18, 2010). "Origins of Pirate Latitudes – Part 2". Musings on Michael Crichton.

[4] Warga, Wayne (March 1, 1981). "FACT, FICTION INTERTWINED BY CRICHTON". Los Angeles Times . p. m22.

[5] Cheuse, Alan (December 22, 2009). "Review: Michael Crichton's 'Pirate Latitudes'". NPR Books.

[6] WSJ Staff (November 23, 2009). "Books: Michael Crichton's 'Pirate Latitudes': Review Revue". Speakeasy.

[7] Matanceros is a fictional island located east of the Virgin Islands chain and north of St. Kitts, as shown on the map in the endpapers of the first edition. Another fictional Matanceros Island, at a different location, is found another Crichton's novel The Lost World (1995).

[8] McClintock, Pamela (August 27, 2009). "DreamWorks eyes 'Pirate' for Spielberg: Studio acquires film rights to Crichton's book". Variety .

[9] "Spielberg to make pirates movie". Yahoo! Movies UK & Ireland. August 27, 2009. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009.

[10] "DreamWorks Hires Koepp for 'Pirate Latitudes' Movie". SciFi Pulse. August 2009.

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v t e Michael Crichton
Bibliography
Novels	The Andromeda Strain (1969) The Terminal Man (1972) The Great Train Robbery (1975) Eaters of the Dead (1976) Congo (1980) Sphere (1987) Jurassic Park (1990) Rising Sun (1992) Disclosure (1994) The Lost World (1995) Airframe (1996) Timeline (1999) Prey (2002) State of Fear (2004) Next (2006) Pirate Latitudes (2009) *  Micro (2011) *  Dragon Teeth (2017) *  Eruption (2024) *
Novels written under pseudonyms	Odds On (1966) Scratch One (1967) Easy Go (1968) A Case of Need (1968) Zero Cool (1969) The Venom Business (1969) Drug of Choice (1970) Dealing: or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1970) Grave Descend (1970) Binary (1972)
Post-Crichton novels	The Andromeda Evolution (2019)
Non-fiction	Five Patients (1970) Jasper Johns (1977) Electronic Life (1983) Travels (1988)
Films directed	Pursuit (1972) Westworld (1973) Coma (1978) The First Great Train Robbery (1978) Looker (1981) Runaway (1984) Physical Evidence (1989)
Films written	Extreme Close-Up (1973) Westworld (1973) Jurassic Park (1993) Rising Sun (1993) Twister (1996)
Television series	Beyond Westworld (1980) ER (1994–2009) Westworld (2016–2022)
Adaptations	The Andromeda Strain (1971) Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972) The Carey Treatment (1972) Pursuit (1972) The Terminal Man (1974) The First Great Train Robbery (1978) Jurassic Park (1993) Rising Sun (1993) Disclosure (1994) Congo (1995) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Sphere (1998) The 13th Warrior (1999) Timeline (2003) The Andromeda Strain (2008)
Video games	Amazon (1984) Westworld 2000 (1996) Timeline (2000) Jurassic Park series
Franchises	Westworld (1973–2022) Jurassic Park (1993–present)
Related	Antarctica cooling controversy
*Released posthumously