Women of the American Revolution

Women of the American Revolution written by Samantha Wilcoxson and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £20 -Hardback - Pages 192

Women of the American Revolution will explore the trials of war and daily life for women in

the United States during the War for Independence. What challenges were caused by the

division within communities as some stayed loyal to the king and others became patriots?

How much choice did women have as their loyalties were assumed to be that of their

husbands or fathers? The lives of women of the American Revolution will be examined

through an intimate look at some significant women of the era. Some names will be familiar,

such as Martha Washington who travelled to winter camps to care for her husband and rally

the troops or Abigail Adams who ran the family’s farms and raised children during John’s

long absences. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton is popular for her role in Hamilton the musical,

but did you know she was also an early activist working tirelessly for multiple social causes?

Decide for yourself if the espionage of Agent 355 or the ride of Sybil Ludington are history or

myth. Not all American women served the side of the revolutionaries. Peggy Shippen

gambled on the loyalist side and paid severe consequences. From early historian Mercy Otis

Warren to Dolley Madison, who defined what it means to be a US First Lady, women of the

American Revolution strived to do more than they had previously thought possible during a

time of hardship and civil war.

At long last, I get a book to review on one of my favourite subjects, American history. This

book Women of the American Revolution looks at the leaders or those that were particularly

strident in a number of causes around the American Revolution. I liked this book due to the

wide variety of women mentioned as it was a broad spectrum both for and against

independence. We read about Martha Washington and Elizabeth Hamilton and also we

should mention Agent 355. I enjoyed the book and found it well written and balanced but

also it helped me learn more about people I hadn’t known about. A good thought out read.

English Rebels and Revolutionaries

English Rebels and Revolutionaries written by Stephen Basdeo and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 288

Throughout history brave Englishmen and women have never been afraid to rise up

against their unjust rulers and demand their rights. Barely a century has gone by

without England being witness to a major uprising against the government of the day,

often resulting in a fundamental change to the constitution. This book is a collection

of biographies, written by experts in their field, of the lives and deeds of famous

English freedom fighters, rebels, and democrats who have had a major impact on

history. Featured chapters include the history of Wat Tyler’s Rebellion, when an army

of 50,000 people marched to London in 1381 to demand an end to serfdom and the

hated poll tax. Alongside Wat Tyler in this pantheon of English revolutionaries is Jack

Cade who in 1450 led an angry mob to London to protest against government

corruption. There are three chapters on various aspects of the English Civil War,

during which the English executed their king. Other rebel heroes featured include

Thomas Paine, the great intellectual of the American and French Revolutions;

Mary Wollstonecraft, author of The Rights of Woman; Henry Hunt, who, as well as

the Chartists after him, campaigned for universal suffrage; William Morris, the

visionary designer and socialist thinker; and finally the Suffragettes and Suffragists

who fought for women’s voting rights.

English Rebels and Revolutionaries throughout English history, the book is a collection separated into chapters written by individual experts and historians. The book is split into three sections, the Medieval Era, the English Revolution and the 18th Century, highlighting a number of individuals and events that happened in those times. I must admit I preferred the 18th Century section most as I had studied that at university, but the other two sections were just as good. It’s a very informative book and also very comprehensive in detail and facts. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and really enjoy these types of book. Highly recommended.

The Pirate Captain Ned Low His Life & Mysterious Fate

The Pirate Captain Ned Low His Life & Mysterious Fate written by

Dr Nicky Nielson and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

Edward ‘Ned’ Low’s career in piracy began with a single gunshot. While working on

a logging ship in the Bay of Honduras the quick-tempered Ned was provoked by the

ship’s captain. He responded by grabbing a musket and inciting a mutiny. Then the

London-born sailor and a dozen of his crewmates held a council, stitched a black

flag and voted to make war against the whole world preying on ships from any nation,

flying any flag. Low’s name became synonymous with brutality and torture during the

1720s as he cut a swathe of destruction from the shores of Nova Scotia to the Azores,

the coast of Africa and throughout the Caribbean. Ned Low’s life was one of failed

redemption: a thief from childhood who briefly rose in the world after moving to America,

only to fall again lower and harder than before. He was feared even by his own crew,

and during his life on the wrong side of the law he became infamous for his extreme

violence, fatalistic behaviour, and became perhaps one of the best examples of why

pirates were classed in Admiralty Law as hostis humani generis: the common enemies

of all mankind.

This book follows the life of Captain Ned Low, a man from very humble beginnings, I must admit I had not heard of Captain Ned Low but thanks to Pen & Sword Books my knowledge of piracy has started to increase thanks to three books I’ve read recently on different pirates. This book is very interesting in that the author Dr Nicky Neilson has done a great job in mixing educated opinions and sources of information. We have a great story mixed in with great information and sources, of a man who seemed to attain the ability to be quite a prolific pirate. This has been a great book that I’ve fully enjoyed, here’s hoping for books about other pirates.

Outlander and the Real Jacobites

Outlander and the Real Jacobites written by Shona Kinsella and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

Outlander has brought the story of the 1745 Jacobite uprising to the popular imagination, but

who were the Jacobites, really? Explore this pivotal moment in Scottish history, visiting some

of the key locations from Jamie and Claire’s travels. Discover what clan life was really like,

read about medicine in the 1700s and find out whether the red coats were really as bad as

Jack Randall. Meet Bonnie Prince Charlie and explore how he managed to inspire an uprising

from France and then storm England with a force of no more than 5,000 soldiers. Witness

the battle of Culloden and what really happened there, before exploring the aftermath of this

final attempt for a Stuart restoration.

This book looks at the rise of the Jacobite nation in the mid-1700s, looking at various aspects of life for the Jacobites during this time and the uprising against the English, which was played in a number of films/programmes such as Outlander. You often find with films/programmes based on history can often be romanticised but having read a number of books on the Jacobite rebellion this book does a good job in documenting events and being quite accurate historically. I must admit that I have not watched the Outlander series, so I can’t comment on any comparisons. A series usually has to be very well received if it’s a history-based series for me to watch it, but from this book, I found it very informative, detailed and well written so maybe I should try and watch the series. A good honest read and I would say it would go down well with television fans of the series.  

The Pirate Queens - The Lives of Anne Bonny & Mary Read

The Pirate Queens - The lives of Anne Bonny & Mary Read written by Rebecca Alexandra

Simon and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20.00 - Hardback - Pages 208

Between August and October 1720, two female pirates named Anne Bonny and Mary Read terrorized the Caribbean in and around Jamaica. Despite their short career, they became two of the most notorious pirates during the height of the eighteenth-century Golden Age of Piracy. In a world dominated by men, they became infamous for their bravery, cruelty and unwavering determination to escape the social constraints placed on women during that time. Despite their infamy, mystery shrouds their lives before they became pirates. Their biographies were recorded in Captain Charles Johnson’s 1724 book, A General History of the Pyrates, depicting the two women as illegitimate women raised by men who, against insurmountable odds, crossed paths in Nassau and became pirates together. But how much is fact versus fiction?

This first full-length biography about Anne Bonny and Mary Read explores their intriguing backgrounds while examining the social context of women in their lifetime and their legacy in popular culture that exists to the present day. Using A General History of the Pyrates, early modern legal documents relating to women, their recorded public trial in The Tryal of Jack Rackham and Other Pyrates, newspapers and new, uncovered research, this book unravels the mysteries and legends surrounding their lives.

When pirates come up it always pricks my interest mainly because I live in the area where another pirate is said to have come from, Barti Duu (or in English, Black Bart) and my only problem really with pirates is the lack of knowledge, records or understanding we have about them. But as the author has a highly recommended knowledge and background in pirates and their lives, I found it safe to say that although a 100% knowledge of these two might not be available, the author has a solid background in the subject.

This book looks at the lives and ventures of these two female pirates, and it was a really good read and very informative throughout. I think the author Simon has done a good job based on the information available, it was quite entertaining and I would actually like to learn more about other pirates now too. I would recommend this book, the author has done a great job.