NF

I enjoyed this book a lot. An interesting story about how one dramatic heist changed global law and economics. ( )

Steven Johnson's "Enemy of All Mankind" is centered on the infamous Henry Every (also known as Henry Avery), a late 17th Century English pirate. Every's pirate career was short lived, lasting about two years, starting after leading a mutiny on a sleek and well-armed British privateer, the Charles II. After taking over the ship, he renamed it the Fancy, and then sailing the ship to the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea to attack ships in the rich trade of India. With some luck, he managed to take one very rich prize, a large, well-armed ship of the grand Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Every's successful attack on the Mughal treasure ship in itself was a shock. Outgunned and outmanned, the Fancy was able to take the Indian vessel, the Gunsway, by a stroke of good luck. First of all, one of the cannons on the Indian ship exploded when firing on the pirate ship, killing the gun crew and others around it, At the same time, one of the cannonballs from the Fancy made a direct strike at the base of the mainmast on the Gunsway, dropping the mast, sails, and rigging, causing chaos aboard her. Every's men were able to scramble aboard and take control of the vessel. The ship was a pirate's dream, holding riches amounting to what would be equivalent to many tens of millions of dollars today. The ship also was carrying members of the royal family, many of whom were killed and many of the women abused, leading to a world-wide search for Every and his men.

With the crew of the Fancy wanted internationally for their brutal treatment of those aboard the Gunsway, and Every labeled as an "enemy of all mankind", they made a wise decision and traded the ship to the governor of a Caribbean island in return for safe haven. Some of the men stayed, others sailed back to England on other vessels, hoping to bribe their way in and blend in with their riches. Only a handful were ever caught and tried by the authorities, ultimately being hanged for their crimes.

Every and a handful of his men purchased a small vessel, sailed it across the Atlantic to Ireland, and Every apparently managed to retire with his ill-gotten gains. There is little documentation about the rest of Every's life, only conjecture, but he basically disappeared after his great theft and was never heard of again.

This isn't a typical swashbuckler book, with dramatic battle stories, ships maneuvering for punishing broadsides, descriptions of hand to hand combat with cutlass and pistols, etc. Much of the book explores, with some conjecture, what it was like to be a pirate with Henry Every, describing the long periods of boredom aboard a pirate ship, how the ships were outfitted and prepared , etc.

What makes Every's story of interest was it's impact on British - India relations and a subsequent strengthening of the British East India Company. This was the lead-up to the British ultimately taking control of the Indian sub-continent. ( )

This is the first book I've read by Steven Johnson and I'm not sure if I care for his style. He genuinely tries to incorporate a lot of information and spells out how events that took place over 300 years ago still have ramification for how the world functions today. I understand too the need to try to set the tone for the environment of the late 17th century, it just doesn't flow. He jumps all over the place and it is just a little too abrupt, one page your with the pirates, next page you one to the Grand Mughal and then you off to one of the clerks of the East India Company. All very interesting information, but just not presented very well. ( )

Reminiscent of format television, frantically scuttling from scene to scene in a desperate attempt to obscure the dearth of actual content.
Words, words, words, so many words. ( )