In the days leading up to the release of Blackbeard’s Lost Treasure (April 28,2016 – Franklin/Kerr Press), I will give my readers–or anyone with interest in the legendary pirate–some notes I took as part of my research for the novel.
These notes will lay the background for Blackbeard, many of which did not make it into the novel. For the items that did make it into the novel, don’t worry, there will be no spoilers. You can read all of the facts here.
Here now is the second fact about Blackbeard, and this one really surprised me.
Blackbeard Fact #2
On movie and television screens, when you see pirates take to battle, it conjures images of bloody brawls, cannon fire, swords slashing, and flintlock pistols blasting. Going into this, I always believed that since Blackbeard is the most notorious of them all, that he would have had his share of fighting and had killed many sailors in hand to hand combat and made others “walk the plank”.
Did you know that until the battle near Ocracoke Island in 1718 that cost him his life, there is no evidence that he killed anyone?
So how did he rise to his level of prominence in the pirate world?
Fear and intimidation is the answer.
He was already considered a giant in his day. He stood more than a foot above the average sized men of his day. Then, he grew his signature, glorious beard that would make the lumberjacks of today jealous.
The imagery on his personal pirate flag–which you will see in the novel–struck fear into the hearts of seafarers upon seeing it.
He also did something else. Perhaps the most surprising to instill fear.
That will be my next Blackbeard Fact.
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