Pen & Sword Books

Showing posts with label Pirates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pirates. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2022

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.

The Battle of Reichswald - Rhineland - February 1945

The Battle of the Reichswald Rhineland - February 1945 written by Tim Saunders and published by Pen & Sword Books - £22 - Hardback - Pag...