Excerpt from HistoryExtra article, “Stede Bonnet, Gentleman Pirate: how a mid-life crisis created the ‘worst pirate of all time’” available here.
History has not been particularly kind to Bonnet. Many know him as ‘the worst pirate of all time’ and portions of Bonnet’s story are, admittedly, so absurd they are best suited for comedy.
Nonetheless, Bonnet sailed with some of the most fearsome men of the times, fearlessly (or more appropriately, ignorantly) taking on larger vessels with significant courage. Whether Bonnet fulfilled the yearnings that caused his midlife crisis, we’ll never know.
For the full Stede Bonnet story, The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet is available on Amazon and through all major booksellers.
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