Discover the fascinating and outrageously readable account of the roguish acts of the first pirates to raid the Pacific in a crusade that ended in a sensational trial back in England perfect for readers of Nathaniel Philbrick and David McCullough (Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God) The year is 1680, in the heart of the Golden Age of Piracy, and more than three hundred daring, hardened pirates a potent mix of low-life scallywags and a rare breed of gentlemen buccaneers gather on a remote Caribbean island. The plan- to wreak havoc on the Pacific coastline, raiding cities, mines, and merchant ships. The booty- the bright gleam of Spanish gold and the chance to become legends. So begins one of the greatest piratical adventures of the eraa story not given its full due until now. Inspired by the intrepid forays of pirate turned Jamaican governor Captain Henry Morganyes, that Captain Morganthe company crosses Panama on foot, slashing its way through the Darien Isthmus, one of the thickest jungles on the planet, and liberating a native princess along the way. After reaching the South Sea, the buccaneers, primarily Englishmen, plunder the Spanish Main in a series of historic assaults, often prevailing against staggering odds and superior firepower. A collective shudder racks the western coastline of South America as the English pirates.