Scourge of the Caribbean

“Denham has produced an interesting `deep dive’ bio of a fascinating character and underappreciated period of Gulf history.” —John S. Sledge, author of The Gulf of Mexico: A Maritime History

“Comprehensively researched and wonderfully readable, this important work transforms our understanding of the maritime world of the Caribbean. Combining first-rate narrative and incisive analysis, through the remarkable Charles Hawkins, Denham introduces a rich tapestry of characters with all their ambition, passion, drama, and honor. In this exploration of an emerging naval history and culture, adventures are sure to await ye.” —Orville Vernon Burton, author of The Age of Lincoln

“The Scourge of the Caribbean brings readers into the world of the sailors, scoundrels, and swashbucklers who defined the Gulf Coast of 19th century America, while at the same time making a valuable contribution to the study of American naval and maritime history.” —Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong, author of Small Boats and Daring Men: Maritime Raiding, Irregular Warfare, and the Early American Navy

“The lives of some historical figures appear ripped from the pages of a novel; this certainly describes Hawkins. Denham spins a compelling narrative of duels, deceit, piracy, and naval action to chart Hawkins’s complex life within the early nineteenth-century maritime world of the southern United States and Texas.” —Kevin D. McCranie, author of Utmost Gallantry: The U.S. and Royal Navies at Sea in the War of 1812

James M. Denham is professor of history and director of the Lawton M. Chiles Jr. Center for Florida History at Florida Southern College. Among his authored books are Florida Founder William P. DuVal: Frontier Bon Vivant, Fifty Years of Justice: A History of the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and A Rogue’s Paradise: Crime and Punishment in Antebellum Florida, 1821–1861.