# Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune - Hardcover

by **Keith Thomson** (Author)

**Discover the "fascinating and outrageously readable" account of the roguish acts of the first pirates to raid the Pacific in a crusade that ended in a sensational trial back in England--perfect for readers of Nathaniel Philbrick and David McCullough (Douglas Preston, #1 _New York Times_ bestselling author of _The Lost City of the Monkey God_)**

The year is 1680, in the heart of the Golden Age of Piracy, and more than three hundred daring, hardened pirates--a potent mix of low-life scallywags and a rare breed of gentlemen buccaneers--gather on a remote Caribbean island. The plan: to wreak havoc on the Pacific coastline, raiding cities, mines, and merchant ships. The booty: the bright gleam of Spanish gold and the chance to become legends. So begins one of the greatest piratical adventures of the era--a story not given its full due until now.

Inspired by the intrepid forays of pirate turned Jamaican governor Captain Henry Morgan--yes, that Captain Morgan--the company crosses Panama on foot, slashing its way through the Darien Isthmus, one of the thickest jungles on the planet, and liberating a native princess along the way. After reaching the South Sea, the buccaneers, primarily Englishmen, plunder the Spanish Main in a series of historic assaults, often prevailing against staggering odds and superior firepower. A collective shudder racks the western coastline of South America as the English pirates, waging a kind of proxy war against the Spaniards, gleefully undertake a brief reign over Pacific waters, marauding up and down the continent.

With novelistic prose and a rip-roaring sense of adventure, Keith Thomson guides us through the pirates' legendary two-year odyssey. We witness the buccaneers evading Indigenous tribes, Spanish conquistadors, and sometimes even their own English countrymen, all with the ever-present threat of the gallows for anyone captured. By fusing contemporaneous accounts with intensive research and previously unknown primary sources, _Born to Be Hanged_ offers a rollicking account of one of the most astonishing pirate expeditions of all time.

### Author Biography

**Keith Thomson** is the author of several novels, including _Pirates of Pensacola_ and the _New York Times_ bestseller _Once a Spy_. The former Columbia history major also writes nonfiction for the _New York Times_, _Garden & Gun_, and the _Huffington Post_ on a range of topics, including national security and piracy. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

**Number of Pages:** 384

**Dimensions:** 1.25 x 9.49 x 6.35 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** May 10, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 40.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 40.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/born-to-be-hanged-the-epic-story-of-the-gentlemen-pirates-who-raided-the-south-seas-rescued-a-princess-and-stole-a-fortune-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23