This is probably the most widely read biography of Jean Laffite, as substantiated by the fact that this work was first published in 1930. However, it mixes fact with mythology and ends up with enough fiction to leave the reader with a false report on the man and his life. For probably the best and most thorough scholarly work on Laffite, see the very recently published "The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf" by William C. Davis' (Harcourt, May 2, 2005) Amongst several revelations: The contributions of Laffite and his men to the 1815 Battle of New Orleans were likely only negligible at best, and of honor he had little to none. However, what is lost to romantic fiction is offset by rare insights into a place and period of transition in American history, the Louisiana Purchase and its early aftermath. (Come to New Orleans for awhile and you'll find that the transition still isn't complete, and if luck prevails, it never will be.)