Corsair

Name: Corsair
Rating: 2.5 (5 reviews)

by Dudley Pope Book 4 in the Ned Yorke series.

First published 1987

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2.5(5)

Set in 1660s Jamaica, Corsair begins when two buccaneer ships are seized at Riohacha and their crews imprisoned. Ned Yorke leads the Brethren of the Coast on a rescue mission, only to uncover evidence that Spanish warships, troops and guns are gathering for a much larger operation that may be aimed at Jamaica itself.

With the island's army disbanded and the governor unwilling to accept the danger, Yorke has to act without reliable official support. He uses raids, fireships, reconnaissance and sudden sea attacks to disrupt the Spanish concentration before it can become an invasion fleet. The stakes are different from a treasure raid: the buccaneers are fighting for the survival of the English colony that gives them shelter, trade and a base. Pope makes the political uncertainty of Jamaica as important as the battles offshore.