Reviews for Report of the International Law Commission, Fifty-Ninth Session (7 May - 5 June and 9 July -...

The average rating for Report of the International Law Commission, Fifty-Ninth Session (7 May - 5 June and 9 July -... based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-05-26 00:00:00 Jose Alberto Portilla Martinez Sir Henry Morgan left behind a huge legend, but not much else - no artifacts of his life remain, no heir carried on his name - even his grave was lost when Port Royal was obliterated by earthquake and swallowed by the sea shortly after his death. Today, most know him better as myth than history, or worse, as nothing more than a cartoon caricature used to sell rum. In `The Buccaneer King', (also published as `Harry Morgan's Way'), navel historian and novelist Dudley Pope cuts through the myths and reconstructs for us the history of this bold and fascinating man. It would be impossible to understand Morgan without some basic knowledge of the history of European conquest and conflict in the West Indies, the pivotal part that Jamaica played in that conflict, or the history and significance of the buccaneers to that conflict. Pope realized this; `The Buccaneer King' is as much an early history of Jamaica and the West Indies buccaneers as it is a biography of Morgan. Henry Morgan doesn't even enter the action of the book until chapter seven. Pope used his initial chapters to explain how Spain came to be in conflict with the English, Dutch, and French in the West Indies, and to tell the fascinating story of how the unique buccaneer culture developed. We learn that buccaneer has a very specific meaning, and is not an interchangeable synonym for pirate, and discover the fine legal and ethical points that separated privateers from pirates as well. All of this is absolutely necessary background to understanding a man who was not only the undisputed leader of the buccaneers of the West Indies, but was knighted by his king and made lieutenant governor of Jamaica. Morgan was a bold man of action, equal to the great Sir Francis Drake in stature, and a history of his exploits makes for fascinating reading. Pope is at his best when describing Morgan's major raids (for he was more soldier than sailor, ships being little more than the transport that moved his troops for land battles) against Granada, Portobelo, Maracaibo, and Panama. Much of his life was spent in the intrigue and battles of Jamaican politics as well, and though these can be interesting, Pope does not show the same deft touch when writing of them, and sometimes my interest waned under the brunt of their detail. Still, all told `The Buccaneer King' is a riveting read - exciting, informative, well written, and recommended.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-03-15 00:00:00 Linda Loftin Great history book