The Real Captain Kidd: A Vindication

Dalton reconstructs and defends the career and trial of Captain Kidd, tracing his commissioned voyage in the Adventure Galley, the capture of prizes, crew mutiny at Madagascar, troubled return, and successive legal proceedings leading to execution. He charts the emergence of the arch-pirate myth, analyzes evidence and legal ambiguities about commissions and seized goods, and critiques the actions of colonial and metropolitan officials. Extensive appendices publish primary documents — sailing orders, Kidd’s own narrative, depositions, French passes, and official reports — supporting a documentary reappraisal that emphasizes misfortune, divided loyalties aboard ship, and contested interpretations of piracy.