An irresistible tale of swashbuckling pirates in the New World from master storyteller Michael Crichton -- now in paperback Jamaica, in 1665 a lone outpost of British power amid Spanish waters in the sunbaked Caribbean. Its capital, Port Royal, a cuthroat town of taverns, grog shops and bawdy houses -- the last place imaginable from which to launch an unthinkable attack on a nearby Spanish stronghold. Yet that is exactly what renowned privateer Captain Charles Hunter plans to do, with the connivance of Charles II`s ruling governor, Sir James Almont. The target is Matanceros, guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, and considered impregnable with its gun emplacements and sheer cliffs. Hunter`s crew of buccaneers must battle not only the Spanish fleet but other deadly perils -- raging hurricanes, cannibal tribes, even sea monsters. But if his ragtag crew succeeds, they will make not only history ! but a fortune in gold.