Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash by Hans Turley (1999, Hardcover)

I have just read a review of "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash", that says that the sodomy part of the book title existed solely in Hans Turley's mind. Here is an excerpt from a writing by Howard Pyle on the early Caribbean buccaneers on Hispaniola: There arose a strange union of lawless man with lawless man - so near, so close that it can scarce be compared to any other than that of husband and wife. They lived together by day, and slept together by night. The only separation that came between them was death.

Ok, gang - use your imaginations a little. No,not everybody in this social setup was gay, but to claim in the review I read that homosexuality did not exist at all, on Hispaniola, later on Tortuga, and on all those leaky tubs in the middle of watery nowhere, is risible. And, ever heard of "birds of a feather flock together"? Hackneyed cliche that it is, there is a lot of truth to it. Homosexuality was probably at least tolerated in these buccaneer society, and I am sure that some flocked to it because it was tolerated.

What do you think was going on on all those long nights on Hispaniola, chumps? A game of Chinese checkers?

I would say that Hans Turley is at least half right on the sodomy/homosexual issue presented in this book.

As for the rum part, do you think that existed solely in Turley's mind, too? Maybe all them buccaneers toddled over to Appalachia and got some white lightnin' instead.


I bought and read the book because it was interesting.