Captain Kidd has captivated imaginations for over 300 years and inspired many stories about pirates, but was he really a criminal? Just how many ships did he plunder, how many men did he force to walk the plank, and how many throats did he slit? Or is the truth more inconvenient, that he was a buccaneer’s worst nightmare, a revered pirate hunter turned fall guy for scheming politicians?
In “Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal” (2025) bestselling author Samuel Marquis delves into the legendary life of his own ninth-great-grandfather, Captain William Kidd (1654–1701), casting new light on one of history’s most infamous figures.
In this engaging conversation, David Bryan speaks with Samuel Marquis, a hydrogeologist and author, about his latest book on Captain William Kidd, a notorious figure often mischaracterized as a pirate. Marquis discusses his journey in writing the biography, the complexities of Kidd’s life as a privateer, and the blurred lines between piracy and privateering during the 17th century. The conversation delves into Kidd’s expeditions, the role of the East India Company, and the mutiny that transformed him into a wanted man, as well as the life and legacy of Captain Kidd, exploring his relationships, particularly with his wife Sarah Kidd, the myths surrounding buried treasure, and the complexities of his character as a pirate.
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