She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea

Visit her website at www. Karin Winegar Minneapolis Star Tribune Great reading, especially for those who love tales of risk, glory, gritty adventure, and action-packed history. Donna Seaman Booklist Druett is as valued for her jaunty storytelling as she is for reclaiming the forgotten lives of seafaring women Maritime lore has always been rich in romance and suffering; Druett's revelations increase its fascination tenfold.

By clicking 'Sign me up' I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the privacy policy and terms of use. Free eBook offer available to NEW subscribers only. Must redeem within 90 days. Like their male counterparts, these astonishing women were drawn to the ocean's beauty -- and its danger. In her inimitable, yarn-spinning style, award-winning historian Joan Druett tells us what life was like for the women who dared to captain ships of their own, don pirates' garb, and perform heroic and hellacious deeds on the high seas.

We meet Irish raider Grace "Grania" O'Malley -- sometimes called "the bald Grania" because she cut her hair short like a boy's -- who commanded three galleys and two hundred fighting men. Female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read were wanted by the law. Armed to the teeth with cutlasses and pistols, they inspired awe and admiration as they swaggered about in fancy hats and expensive finery, killing many a man who cowered cravenly before them.

Others disguised themselves for economic reasons. In , Ann Jane Thornton signed on as a ship's steward to earn the fair wage of nine dollars per month.

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Not only were these women important, they were essential and some very powerful. I also had no idea ALL women were able to buy shares of these expensive ships like one would with the stock market now. This book is pretty much the only book of its subject on the market. The book has great facts and information, but unfortunately lacks transitions.

This book has page after page of facts and history, but reads almost as a list. It is not an easy read and you feel overwhelmed. This book should have been either a lot longer, or more than one book. Don't get me wrong though, the information in this book is well-researched and very interesting. It is worth picking up. May 14, Midnight Blue rated it it was amazing. A superbly written book with anecdotal tales about the history and relationship of women and the sea; informative without being boring and full of all the interesting details that make history so appealing.

Detailed illustrations in the various styles of the periods that the stories are set in add to the enjoyment Mar 31, Kate rated it liked it Shelves: Mostly Euro-centric, but with some discussion of women in Austrialia, America, and a brief flirt with China where are my Japanese pearl divers? My favorites were obviously the lighthousekeepers. Mar 15, Kerensa rated it really liked it Shelves: No, this book is not exclusively about she captains, but it is a history of various heroines and hellions of the sea as well as other ladies that had some involvement.

I found this to be a very interesting read and I enjoyed the writing style.

1. She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea!
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Oct 27, H. Stephens rated it it was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great reference for the newbie pirate historian. I always say never have just one book as a reference but if you can only have one to begin with, make sure it has a good base.

This is that book for she-captains. This book proves not only that women were pirates but captains as well and that it wasn't entirely uncommon. This is a great way to dispel the many myths about women of the past. Women are strong and have always been strong. Jul 10, Jennifer rated it liked it Shelves: Not big on the literary flourishes, but a wonderful catalog of female pirates nonetheless.

Dec 08, Maria Astua rated it it was amazing. Serious research written very accessibly. Only person who talks about Cheng I Sao. Apr 15, Fred rated it liked it Shelves: A good reminder that human history is horrific, in the sense that people have been and are inhumane.

The book opens true to title, with the second half being only vaguely related. May 25, Monica Bond-Lamberty rated it really liked it. Interesting examination of women in the sea. The title is misleading. It's about women at sea, not a lot of captains. But was very informative.

May 29, Skye rated it really liked it Shelves: Chock full of information, but hard to follow at times. The book was less about female captains than notable females who were somehow related to the sea, but an interesting read nonetheless. Feb 24, D. Hanni rated it it was ok. Just skimmed it for research purposes so didn't read it too in-depth.

Nov 28, Pancha rated it it was ok Shelves: Feb 14, C marked it as to-read. Author of Island of the Lost.

Aug 25, R. Bruce Macdonald rated it really liked it. A fresh look at women aboard ships through the ages. I quite enjoyed it as did my two daughters- who grew up aboard a sailing ship. Joann rated it really liked it May 30, There are no discussion topics on this book yet.