Description: At large during the most colorful period in New Orleans' history, privateers Jean and Pierre Laffite made life hell for Spanish merchants on the Gulf. Davis uncovers the truth about two men who made their names synonymous with piracy and intrigue on the Gulf.
Brief description: The author of more than forty books, WILLIAM C. DAVIS is the director of programs at the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. He is also chief consultant for the A&E television series Civil War Journal and teaches history at Virginia Tech.
Review Quotes:
PRAISE FOR AN HONORABLE DEFEAT
"Once again [William C. Davis] has reminded us that American history is not all black and white, or blue and gray-that, especially within the doomed Confederacy, the shading of character ran from nobility to absurdity." -THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
"A story rich in pathos and humor." -THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW