Pirate Latitudes: Michael Crichton

Jamaica in 1665 was a lone outpost of British power amid Spanish waters in the sun-baked Caribbean. Its capital, Port Royal, was a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops and bawdy houses - the last place imaginable to launch an attack on a nearby Spanish stronghold. Yet that is exactly what Captain Hunter, privateer, plans to do with the connivance of Charles II's governor, Sir James Almont. Matanceros is guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla and considered impregnable with its gun emplacements and sheer cliffs. Hunter's crew of buccaneers must battle the Spanish fleet, raging hurricanes, cannibal tribes and sea monsters and if they succeed they will not only make history but a fortune in gold.