It's too bad this book is out of print. The stories and lives of Caribbean privateers (careful, don't call 'em pirates) revealed in this book are indeed intriguing. Some of M.S. Hunter's fabrications such as the existence of an Italian island in the Caribbean are a bit baffling, yet his rendering of a fairly utopian interracial (albeit a bit misogynist) buccanneering society is captivating. Though, granted, I picked this book up because of my interest in gay fiction, the book would be of interest to a general open-minded readership. The book's erotic passages are thankfully short enough not to interfere with the story which is far more interesting. Because of this novel, I am much more interested in reading other literature concerning the adventures of buccaneers.