Benerson Little

Notes on content, based on research and discovery subsequent to publication, are provided below. Critical typos are also noted. Some diving questions have also been answered on the Discussion page. Extensive notes and corrections, with citations and detail not provided below, may be downloaded via the linked pdf file above.

Page 66, second paragraph, fifth sentence should read: “Rum-punch-women,” prostitutes, and others, with reputed names such as Unconscionable Nan and Salt-Beef Peg were known in taverns with tame names like The Green Dragon, The Catt and Fiddle, and The Sign of the Mermaid, and were commonly observed engaging in “Swearing, Drinking, and Obscene Talk.”

Page 185, first paragraph, fourth sentence, the reference to Rodrigo should read "Rodrigo's Fantasía para un gentilhombre..." and not "Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez..." Some music scholars do suggest that Gaspar Sanz's music influenced the Concierto, although his themes are actually heard in the Fantasía. This error, however, was a case of the author thinking one thing and writing another.

Page 213, it was Captain George Lenham, not Needham, who attacked the pirates at New Providence.

Pages 216-17, brief bio of Bartholomew Sharp. After publication, I discovered that Captain Sharp had also commanded a company of men under Captain-General Codrington in the Caribbean, 1689-1690.

Page 218, Captain Yanky's death. It is known that Yanky was wounded in 1688 in an attack on Spanish storehouses in the Bay of Honduras; the wound may have led to his death. Soon after attacking the storehouses, Yanky recruited men to attack "Spanish ships" in the area, doubtless the "Hulk" and her consort, the former of which he succeeded in capturing.

The following notes are based on a review of the text by Philip P. Boucher, Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Professor Boucher is the author of France and the American Tropics to 1700 and Cannibal Encounters. My thanks to Professor Boucher. (See "Quick Links" in the right column.)

Page 30. Strictly speaking, the Spanish Inquisition persecuted "Conversos," that is, Jews who pretended or professed to be Catholics. Jews were expelled from Spain by order of Ferdinand and Isabella, and the faith was prohibited.

Page 40. Father Dutertre was, like Father Labat, a Dominican, not a Jesuit.

Page 43. Although English texts of the period use the word "planters" to describe the settlers or inhabitants of Saint-Domingue, the word today conveys a sense of large scale agriculture. In the 1670s, most Saint-Domingue "planters" were small scale, and "settlers" or "habitants" better describes them.

“A richly hued blend of compelling narrative and informed history, The Buccaneer’s Realm captures the dramatic sunset of buccaneering on the Spanish Main. With meticulous documentation, wry humor, and keen attention to detail, Benerson Little accurately portrays the last hurrah of the Brethren of the Coast—a free-minded floating society of patriotic mercenaries and self-serving rogues, accomplished sailors, and intrepid adventurers—before their final eclipse into unmitigated piracy.”


"Like a large format photograph, The Buccaneer’s Realm reveals its subjects in crisp and rich detail. Benerson Little portrays with encyclopedic completeness the milieu of Caribbean sea rovers during one of piracy’s flourishing eras, ranging from the foods that went into the rovers’ mouths to the curses that came out of them, from the shores and ships the rovers plundered to the ports wherein and lusts whereon they spent their spoils. This study is a worthy companion to the author’s The Sea Rover’s Practice."


“In Buccaneer’s Realm: Pirate Life on the Spanish Main, Benerson Little has treated this fascinating subject in admiral detail. Although piracy is pervasive worldwide and an ancient phenomenon that continues to the present day, Little focuses on its practice in two decades of the late-seventeenth century in the Caribbean. The international and multi-faceted character of the sea robbers and their activities during this classical period of buccaneering is well delineated by text, appendixes, and eight original maps.”

“This in-depth treatment proves to be not only very illuminating, but fascinating as well, and conveys pointedly the uniqueness of that period of world history…recommend it highly to anyone else interested in those strange times.”


“The book is well referenced enough to find use in an academic context, but well written enough to appeal to a general audience. At its best, The Buccaneer’s Realm provides an extremely evocative narrative that captures all the ‘romance’ with little of the cliché, offering a usefully comprehensive insight into a world that, while different from the mainstream society of the period, was no less structured, rule, and duty bound.”


“In his new book, The Buccaneer’s Realm, Benerson Little brings this world a lot more to life for me than any other book. For those interested in pirate history, and especially for those recreating this time period, I heartily recommend [it].”


"Never, anywhere, will you find a more interesting, readable, historically accurate account of Europe’s black-market naval activities in the New World....a shining work of classic naval history, about a most unclassic—and delightfully obscure—period in the long, long tale of The Sea."


“This work, by former Navy SEAL turned defense analyst and historian, is an excellent follow up to the author’s previous book, The Sea Rover’s Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630–1730...A good read for anyone interested in maritime history”


"Hollywood's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy has been responsible for a surge of renewed interest in the pirates of old, and Buccaneer's Realm is a well-done welcome addition to this treasure trove of lusty history. Rich in detail with its encyclopedic completeness, Benerson Little's compelling narrative is a fascinating read from cover to cover."


"Armchair adventurers will find many more interesting accounts to fuel their imagination and expand their knowledge of the development of the New World during the final era of buccaneer glory."


"In this rich and storied investigation of the pirates which emerged from the failing Spanish empire, maritime historian and author Benerson Little introduces readers to the cultural and physical environments of those who conquered the Spanish main."

"It's a lively survey recommended for any in-depth marine history collection..."


"[The author] shares his fascination with the maritime world in this exploration of the culture and physical environments of the pirates who sailed on the Spanish Main."

From the Publisher