I just finished reading one of the most interesting books that I have read of late; A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: The Life of William Dampier: Explorer, Naturalist, and Buccaneer, by Diana and Michael Preston. I was not familiar with Dampier, and being an avid reader of all things piratical I came upon this book while visiting the gift shop at the San Diego Maritime Museum. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I was fascinated by what was presented here, and I find the story of Dampier’s life to be almost unbelievable. 
In case you are unfamiliar with Mr. Dampier, allow me to introduce you. William Dampier, born in September of 1651 (died in March 1715) was an English buccaneer, sea captain, author and scientific observer. He was the son of a tenant farmer, and went to sea in the 1670s, eventually joining a crew of buccaneers who had no problem crossing the line into out right piracy. Over the next 40 years, he wandered around the globe and spent years in the Caribbean, raiding Spanish ships and settlements. As he traveled, he recorded his observations in journals that he managed to preserve in bamboo. He was the first Englishman to explore or map parts of New Holland (Australia) and New Guinea. He was the first person to circumnavigate the world three times. The information he recorded produced three travelogues, beginning with A New Voyage Around the World in 1697. His books became bestsellers, and he published the first account of Australia's aborigines and the first English description of the zebra, the breadfruit, and the effects of marijuana. His writings galvanized generations of scientists, writers, and explorers. 
While he was a pirate; or a buccaneer as he claimed, he launched dozens of raids on gold-laden Spanish ships, and marched through Panama's jungles to sack cities for their gold and treasure. However, what distinguished him from an ordinary pirate was his sharp eye for observation. He was the first self-made naturalist to visit the Galapagos; his sketches of the region's turtles set the stage for Darwin's future visit. He also drew detailed maps of nearly every place he visited, charts that defined Western Europe's knowledge of the Americas and the South Seas. Diana and Michael Preston, in A Pirate of Exquisite Mind, describe him as “the greatest nautical explorer-adventurer, British or otherwise.” Charles Darwin called his books "a mine of information" and took them aboard the Beagle during his exploratory cruises. Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe used his experiences as inspiration in writing Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe. Captain James Cook relied heavily on his observations while voyaging around the world. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called him a genius and "a man of exquisite mind." Dampier has more than a thousand entries in the Oxford English Dictionary, and he introduced hundreds of words into the English language, including barbecue, chopsticks, and kumquat. Dampier's powers of observation were astonishing. He was the first to deduce that winds cause currents and the first to produce wind maps across the world. His insights when on land were equally acute: For example, he introduced the concept of the "sub-species" that Darwin later built into his theory of evolution, and Dampier's description of the breadfruit was the impetus for Captain Bligh's voyage on the Bounty. For the life of me, I cannot recall having ever read about Dampier during any history class at any level, which troubles me. Perhaps I missed class that week or the public school system, not to mention my college alma mater, which I will not mention, did not adequately educate me about this “exquisite” explorer. No matter, I can’t wait to pick up a copy of his own writings from his first published manuscript, A New Voyage Around the World. If this was your introduction to Dampier, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the Preston’s book, as it presents an extraordinary story about one of the most fascinating people of the 17th century. Perhaps like Dampier’s own work, recognized as the first “Travel Guides,” it will spark your imagination about that incredible period of discovery. Pirate aficionado or history buff or simply having an inquisitive mind of your own, A Pirate of Exquisite Mind is a great read!
In case you are unfamiliar with Mr. Dampier, allow me to introduce you. William Dampier, born in September of 1651 (died in March 1715) was an English buccaneer, sea captain, author and scientific observer. He was the son of a tenant farmer, and went to sea in the 1670s, eventually joining a crew of buccaneers who had no problem crossing the line into out right piracy. Over the next 40 years, he wandered around the globe and spent years in the Caribbean, raiding Spanish ships and settlements. As he traveled, he recorded his observations in journals that he managed to preserve in bamboo. He was the first Englishman to explore or map parts of New Holland (Australia) and New Guinea. He was the first person to circumnavigate the world three times. The information he recorded produced three travelogues, beginning with A New Voyage Around the World in 1697. His books became bestsellers, and he published the first account of Australia's aborigines and the first English description of the zebra, the breadfruit, and the effects of marijuana. His writings galvanized generations of scientists, writers, and explorers. 
While he was a pirate; or a buccaneer as he claimed, he launched dozens of raids on gold-laden Spanish ships, and marched through Panama's jungles to sack cities for their gold and treasure. However, what distinguished him from an ordinary pirate was his sharp eye for observation. He was the first self-made naturalist to visit the Galapagos; his sketches of the region's turtles set the stage for Darwin's future visit. He also drew detailed maps of nearly every place he visited, charts that defined Western Europe's knowledge of the Americas and the South Seas. Diana and Michael Preston, in A Pirate of Exquisite Mind, describe him as “the greatest nautical explorer-adventurer, British or otherwise.” Charles Darwin called his books "a mine of information" and took them aboard the Beagle during his exploratory cruises. Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe used his experiences as inspiration in writing Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe. Captain James Cook relied heavily on his observations while voyaging around the world. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called him a genius and "a man of exquisite mind." Dampier has more than a thousand entries in the Oxford English Dictionary, and he introduced hundreds of words into the English language, including barbecue, chopsticks, and kumquat. Dampier's powers of observation were astonishing. He was the first to deduce that winds cause currents and the first to produce wind maps across the world. His insights when on land were equally acute: For example, he introduced the concept of the "sub-species" that Darwin later built into his theory of evolution, and Dampier's description of the breadfruit was the impetus for Captain Bligh's voyage on the Bounty. For the life of me, I cannot recall having ever read about Dampier during any history class at any level, which troubles me. Perhaps I missed class that week or the public school system, not to mention my college alma mater, which I will not mention, did not adequately educate me about this “exquisite” explorer. No matter, I can’t wait to pick up a copy of his own writings from his first published manuscript, A New Voyage Around the World. If this was your introduction to Dampier, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the Preston’s book, as it presents an extraordinary story about one of the most fascinating people of the 17th century. Perhaps like Dampier’s own work, recognized as the first “Travel Guides,” it will spark your imagination about that incredible period of discovery. Pirate aficionado or history buff or simply having an inquisitive mind of your own, A Pirate of Exquisite Mind is a great read! 
A great review, Thankyou.
ReplyDeleteI live in a town near his birthplace, and it always amazes me that not even (most) people in the village of East Coker have heard of William Dampier.