Books with author Richard Zacks

Everybody knows the legend of Captain Kidd, America's most ruthless buccanneer. Few people realize that the facts of his life make for a much better tale. Kidd was actually a tough New York sea captain hired to chase pirates, a married war hero whose secret mission took a spectacularly bad turn. This harrowing tale traces Kidd's voyages in the 1690s from his home near Wall Street to Whitehall Palace in London, from the ports of the Caribbean to a secret pirate paradise off Madagascar. Author Richard Zacks, during his research, also unearthed the story of a long forgotten rogue named Robert Culliford, who dogged Kidd and led Kidd's crew to mutiny not once but twice. The lives of Kidd and Culliford play out like an unscripted duel: one man would hang in the harbor, the other would walk away with the treasure. Filled with superb writing and impeccable research, The Pirate Hunter is both a masterpiece of historical detective work and a ripping good yarn, and it delivers something rare: an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.

The Legend of L'il Red is a fable in the Aesop's tradition for children of all ages. It is a story of friendship, persistence, tolerance, and love. The two principal characters, a blind turtle and a one-clawed baby crawfish, find each other in the middle of a hurricane. The Legend of L'il Red is the story of their adventures as they set off in search of a new claw for the little crawfish, encountering a host of incredible creatures and confronting big challenges along the way.

Captain Kidd has gone down in history as America's most ruthless buccaneer, fabulously rich, burying treasure up and down the eastern seaboard. But it turns out that most everyone, from novelists to scholars, has the story all wrong. Captain William Kidd was no career cutthroat; he was a tough, successful New York sea captain who was hired to chase pirates in the 1690s. His three-year odyssey aboard the aptly named Adventure Galley would pit him against arrogant Royal Navy commanders, jealous East India Company captains, storms, starvation, angry natives, and, above all, flesh-and-blood pirates. Captain Kidd found himself facing a long-forgotten rogue by the name of Robert Culliford, who lured Kidd's crew to mutiny not once but twice.Through painstaking research, author Richard Zacks has pieced together the never-before-told story of Kidd versus Culliford, of pirate hunter versus pirate, as they fought each other in an unscripted duel across the oceans of the world. One man would hang in the harbor; the other would walk away with the treasure. The Pirate Hunter delivers something rare: an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.

Captain Kidd has gone down in history as America's most ruthless buccaneer, fabulously rich, burying treasure up and down the eastern seaboard. But it turns out that most everyone, from novelists to scholars, has the story all wrong. Captain William Kidd was no career cutthroat; he was a tough, successful New York sea captain who was hired to chase pirates in the 1690s. His three-year odyssey aboard the aptly named Adventure Galley would pit him against arrogant Royal Navy commanders, jealous East India Company captains, storms, starvation, angry natives, and, above all, flesh-and-blood pirates. Captain Kidd found himself facing a long-forgotten rogue by the name of Robert Culliford, who lured Kidd's crew to mutiny not once but twice.Through painstaking research, author Richard Zacks has pieced together the never-before-told story of Kidd versus Culliford, of pirate hunter versus pirate, as they fought each other in an unscripted duel across the oceans of the world. One man would hang in the harbor; the other would walk away with the treasure. The Pirate Hunter delivers something rare: an authentic pirate story for grown-ups.

In the Adirondack town of Sparks, New York, ten-year old Winks Shays and his friend thirteen-year old Josh Campbell build a snowman on Little Pond Lake for the annual winter carnival. Shortly afterward strange deaths occur near the snowman and the boys uncover a deadly secret that threatens not only their lives but the lives of their families. When they race down to the lake to destroy their creation they find themselves trapped into a confrontation with terrifying dark forces. It is during this final battle that they discover that friendship can be the most powerful weapon of all.

I was only thirteen when my life came to an end. My real life, I mean. In the summer, when tourists stop at the gift shop, they smile and tell me I must be the luckiest kid in the world. They go on about the beaches, campgrounds, parks, hiking trails and bicycle paths that are all just so beautiful they can’t wait to tell their friends. ‘Half Moon Falls is simply one of the very, very best places to spend a vacation.’ they say. I smile and nod. But I know better.Because after they’ve all gone home, this quaint little town becomes a very different place. A place where shadows stalk lost travelers, where shuttered storefronts, empty streets and chain locked gates bid no one welcome, where ripped and tattered “Welcome to Half Moon Falls” banners flap wildly in sub-zero winds like ancient battle flags. It is at this time of year we huddle in terror as the sirens blare and the Harkeners roam the streets.