Exquemelin, Alexandre Olivier

Bucaniers of America: or, a True Account of the Most remarkable Assaults Committed of late years upon the Coasts of the West=Indies, by the Bucaniers of Jamaica and Tortuga, both English and French ... The Second Edition, Corrected and Inlarged with two Additional Relations. London: Printed for William Crooke, 1684 & 1685

2 volumes bound in one, 4to (8 1/2 x 6 5/8 in.; 215 x 168 mm). Volume 1 with 9 engraved plates (including 2 folding maps and 2 folding plates), volume 2 with 1 folding map, woodcut and engraved text illustrations including maps and coastal outlines; repaired tear in map of South Seas, small tear in lower margin of Panama map entering platemark, bottom edge of map of Golfo Dulce shaved (2:155) without meaningful loss, a few tiny marginal rust spots. Modern blind-ruled leather in an antique panel design, gilt-stamped morocco title label on spine; spine and edges rubbed.

Hill (2004) 579 "first complete edition"; Sabin 23481; Wing E3896 & E3897

Second edition in English of this famous account of English and French pirates then harassing the West Indies. This edition incorporates the Ringrose "continuation" which was, in the first edition, a separate publication styled (after the fact) "The Second Volume." First issued in Dutch (1678), this English translation was prepared from the Spanish version "which emphasized the worst aspects of the English buccaneers more strongly than the original text" (Hill) leading several former buccaneers to bring libel suits against the publisher.

A very clean, crisp copy.