Pirate Latitudes: A Novel / by Michael Crichton

By 1665, much of the Americas had been colonized by Europeans and though nations such as England, France and Holland were in on the steal, the vast majority of the new world was under Spain's rule. The Spanish Main, as it was called, encompassed almost the entirety of the Caribbean as well as most of the more advantageous ports of call in North, Central and South America. The region was the primary trading spot and departure point for titanic amounts of riches--gold, silver, gems and spices--accumulated by Spanish merchants and explorers. The lucrative shipping alley was also ripe terrain for privateering (lawful, legitimate attack on and commandeering of merchant ships) and, of course, the other far more profitable venture likewise classified as privateering--piracy.

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In Port Royal, Jamaica--the island colony being one of the few exclusively British territories--English seamen and privateer Captain John Hunter has undertaken a very dangerous operation; but one which, if it succeeds, will bring home one of the largest quantities of riches ever conceived of (£500,000), much less possessed by anyone in the privateering racket. But the charted escapade is a daunting one, a suicide mission only a few willing souls dare undertake. Hunter and his collection of nefarious, though capable men (and one 'woman'), all well-experienced cutthroats, plan to stealthily encroach upon the rear side of an obscure island where the Spanish Galleon containing the prized bullion is docked. Their plan is to somehow gain access to the ship by maneuvering up the steep opposite end of the island, through dense jungle, and somehow past over 150 guards, all armed and protected by a sturdy fortress compound on a ridge just above the harbor. All involved know of the danger, but the reward and the adventure are too much to pass up.

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Crichton's latest thriller was also his last, penned just before his death in 2008. But his swan song effort ranks among his best. Not only is Pirate Latitudes a satisfying adventure novel, it's instructional too just like, well, every single one of the author's other books. In the same mold of historical favorites Eaters of the Dead, The Great Train Robbery and Timeline in which Crichton's touch effortlessly creates appeal, the novel illuminates a particular aspect of history which is already well-represented in fiction (and non-fiction), but perhaps never rendered with such clever and fascinating detail. (FIC CRICHTON)

Michael Crichton

Little intro is needed into the career of the late Michael Crichton. Long one of America's brand-name authors, his uber-popular Sci-Fi/Adventure books have planted him securely among the Grisham-King-Steele-Clancy circle of defacto mainstream novelists. As with many of his contemporaries, accessibility is the clutch; Crichton's writing style (withstanding a good dose of formidable techie-speak) allows multiple ages and genre-likes to easily tap into his stories. While one could argue it was Jurassic Park which made him a household name, he's been on the radar since The Andromeda Strain was published in 1967, never not having a bestseller every three to five years or so.
Congo (1980)
On a specialized mission in the deepest African jungle, an American research team and their Congolese guide suddenly vanish without a trace. All communication between the 11-man team and their California base is permanently lost; the only evidence being a replay from the team's onsite camera filmed just prior to the signal's disconnection. Vaguely, amidst horrifying cries of terror and scrambled background noise, the image appears to show a peculiar subspecies of mountain gorilla roaming in the vicinity of the ruined encampment. When airborne surveillance and rescue efforts prove unsuccessful, it's decided that a new team--this time heavily armed and reinforced--will re-attempt the operation, simultaneously seeking answers to the previous team's demise. Surely, now all of their advanced technology and superior weapons will withstand any potential aggression. Right?

Jurassic Park (1990)
When extracts of Saurian (pre-historic reptilian) DNA are found in a remote region of Central America, a bold new vision forms in the mind of billionaire-scientist John Hammond. Kept strictly confidential, Hammond's new "theme park" is swiftly engineered, erected and made (theoretically) operational on the tiny Isla Nublar west of Costa Rica. Awaiting only the cooperation of reluctant investors, Hammond summons some of his closest friends, scientific experts and legal advisors for a sneak-peek, intending to reveal all the unique park has to offer in the way of "natural" fascination. But how can anyone, even Hammond himself, be sure that modern science will so easily prevail over such a "resurrected" species, especially one of "tyrannical" proportions never before encountered by humans?

Eaters of the Dead (1976)
In 10th century A.D., Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, a scholar under the Muslim Caliph al-Muqtadir was sent on an expedition to recently conquered territories in the North. Intent upon learning and interpreting details pertaining to the nomadic tribes of that region, Ibn Fadlan arrives at his destination only to have his party raided and slaughtered by Vikings. Though eager enough to kill off his companions, the barbarians take Ibn Fadlan captive, indicating his presence in addition to their 12-man group a "good luck" charm for the journey home. Gradually with time, Fadlan is integrated into the Norse tribe, essentially their "13th Warrior" accompanying them in their travels and ultimately battling alongside in the fight against their deadliest enemy--the 'wendol', or 'monsters of the mist'.

Sphere (1987)

Prof. Norman Johnson little suspected that his long-ago written magazine article on a potential alien encounter would land him and a 7-man research team at the bottom of the Pacific ocean where a sunken spacecraft of preternatural proportions has prompted a top secret investigation. Soon things become less a realm of the scientific and more a domain for the unimaginable as the ship--seemingly absent of any marine capabilities--proves to be more than just an interesting find with peculiar technology and nomenclature. Traumatic occurrences in form of a giant squid attack and jellyfish shock-currents soon force Norman and his team to reconfigure analysis concerning the mystery vessel; focusing not just on its origin, but on the singularly entrancing sphere-shaped artifact contained within. Now with time running out inside their underwater biodome, the team must solve the mystery of Sphere not just to satisfy curiosity, but to save their very lives.

The Great Train Robbery (1975)

The 1853 outbreak of the Crimean War between Russia, France and Britain indirectly resulted in large sums of money having to travel long distances (over land) from the London banks to troops in the Caucasus. What more fortuitous occasion could there be for exhibiting travel by Railroad than to safely transfer funds across the continent via locomotive? So was the thought prior to the Great Train Robbery of 1855 in which 12 million pounds (approx. $10,000,000 today) was successfully stolen from a heavily guarded and securely bulwarked train en route from London to Southampton. In this fictionalized rendition of the heist, Crichton recounts--in riveting fashion, though with obvious liberties taken--the details, circumstances and planning of just how the operation was carried out; and, ultimately how the money was eventually recovered.

Rising Sun (1992)

The murder of a beautiful woman atop an LA skyscraper attracts more than just routine attention, it unleashes a powderkeg of international drama as the American investigating authorities clash with an emerging Japanese business conglomerate. After being jerked around by faulty leads and more than a few desperate characters, amateurish Detective Peter Smith reluctantly relies (solely) on direction from former LAPD Officer John Connor, Smith's roguish Japanese translator and partner. Together they claw through a web of misinformation, deceit and cultural divide to find not only a murderer, but a far more grisly culprit undermining the very backbone of the global business infrastructure.