The Forests of the Night the war as it really was, as James Kirkup observed, an "acid portrait of those who played at being members of the [French] Resistance". The novel's theme and title come from the opening lines to William Blake's poem "The Tyger": "Tiger, tiger, burning bright - in the forests of the night." "The Forests of the Night" was translated in 1951 into English by Nora Wydenbruck; it has not been re-printed since. Francis is the son of the Comte de Balansun, whose family resides in the French town of Saint-Clar, near the Pyrenees. Francis, in the beginning of the novel, skips
Capture of the sloop William Rackham's position to Barnet, but did not further participate in the battle. The encounter is remembered more for its participants than the actual combat. It was around 10:00 at night on October 20, 1720 when "Snow-Tyger" discovered "William" at anchor in Dry Harbor Bay near the shore. "William"s crew was mostly drunk and sleeping, including Captain Rackham. Bonadvis approached "William" but fell back after Rackham fired a cannon at him. Barnet then ordered his men to extinguish all lights and to silently approach the resting pirates. Once his sloop was near "William", Barnet ordered the pirates to surrender. Captain Rackham