The Pirate
Table of Contents
The Pirate
The Pirate is my latest short story, that is part one of a six part series from true crime author Harold Schechter.
A heinous history of America. Exploring the dark heart of US history, true-crime master Harold Schechter reveals six sensational but nearly forgotten acts of carnage and bloodlust that shocked the nation. From a diabolical Kansas family down the road from Laura Ingalls Wilder to an Elvis-inspired “rebel” to the country’s first mass shooter, these chilling criminals dominated the headlines—and nightmares—of their day.
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Have you read The Pirate? Come on in and let me tell you about it!
About The Pirate
In 1860, a sloop drifted into New York Harbor. Not a soul on board—just blood from cabin to deck. Looted coins led to Bowery thug Albert Hicks, the ax slayer who turned his shipmates into chum.
His crimes were absolutely fiendish. His execution was pure ballyhoo. It drew nearly ten thousand bloodthirsty sightseers to the city—including the enterprising showman P. T. Barnum. Refreshments were served as the most notorious and unrepentant mass murderer of the era made history as one of America’s first celebrity killers.
The Pirate is part of Bloodlands, a chilling collection of short page-turning historical narratives from bestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter. Spanning a century in our nation’s murderous past, Schechter resurrects nearly forgotten tales of madmen and thrill-killers that dominated the most sensational headlines of their day.
Thoughts on The Pirate
The Pirate is a true crime short story, taking just an hour to read. It is the first in a six part series from author Harold Schechter. This is the first from author Harold Schechter that I’ve read, but it will not be the last, I know that.
Through the use of newspaper clippings and court documents, Schechter transports us back to New York in 1860, where we meet Albert Hicks, likely the last man known to be executed for piracy in the United States.
I have a fascination with true crime stories and always have. So when I found this six part series that only took about an hour per book to read, I was pretty excited.
Plus who doesn’t want to read a true story about a pirate? That isn’t something I see every day in terms of variety or availability. That fact alone makes this a one of a kind read.
I found the best part of The Pirate to be that I could read the entirety of it before bed each night this week, and because it takes roughly an hour to finish one, there was no staying up past my bedtime to finish it. If you’ve ever played the “just one more chapter” game and suddenly it is 3am, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Final Thoughts on The Pirate
Harold Schechter has a way of drawing the reader in, and keeping them reading from beginning to end, and I appreciate the way he delivers these stories.
I am very much looking forward to reading the next five books in the Bloodlands series this week. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I do, and see below for the rest of my reviews in the series.
Discussion
Have you read The Pirate or any other writing from author Harold Schechter? Are you a fan of true crime stories? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
About the Author
Harold Schechter is an American true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo where his PhD director was Leslie Fiedler. He is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter. His newest book, The Mad Sculptor, (about a sensational triple murder at Beekman Place in New York City in 1937) was published in February 2014.
Purchasing The Pirate
If you are interested in buying the Kindle version of The Pirate, click here.
Click here for the Audiobook version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.
More From Harold Schechter
Did you enjoy my review of The Pirate? Need more from Harold Schechter? Here are my favorites!
Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie
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