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A review by jrc2011
The Pirate Queen: In Search of Grace O'Malley and Other Legendary Women of the Sea by Barbara Sjoholm
3.0
I do confess - Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley was really the primary draw for me in this book - based on the jacket, I thought it was more of an in depth book, like Richard Zacks' excellent tome on Captain Kidd ("The Pirate Hunter").
What I got, instead - was a single chapter about Grace O'Malley and lots of references to people who apparently know more about and wrote more about her -- and a travelogue covering different roles women played in different communities in the north/west of European coastal communities. And a lot of personal reflections and musings on love for the sea and reinventing oneself.
Yes - it was confusing for a few chapters - a bit of a bait and switch. But, some of what she wrote was interesting. Some of what she wrote was silly - but not as silly as some of Bill Bryson's travel stuff and personal reflections. Interesting but not necessarily a reflection of much primary source research -- more of a hobby/personal book.
What I got, instead - was a single chapter about Grace O'Malley and lots of references to people who apparently know more about and wrote more about her -- and a travelogue covering different roles women played in different communities in the north/west of European coastal communities. And a lot of personal reflections and musings on love for the sea and reinventing oneself.
Yes - it was confusing for a few chapters - a bit of a bait and switch. But, some of what she wrote was interesting. Some of what she wrote was silly - but not as silly as some of Bill Bryson's travel stuff and personal reflections. Interesting but not necessarily a reflection of much primary source research -- more of a hobby/personal book.