The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists [Kindle Edition]

For some reason when you read this book, the stereotypical pirates voice comes into your mind and you cannot get it out! But this is a good thing, I promise....Oo-Arr Jim Lad....

This is the first in a series of books, by Gideon Defoe where the pirates are goodies as much as baddies. I have made an assumption that this book is aimed at children of around 9-12 years, it is certainly pitched as such in some well know book store. Whoever it is aimed at this is a book that warrants being read out loud to children and as an adult enjoyed just as much out loud or with no noise at all. The witty humour that Defoe puts in the book is as relevant for adults as it is educational for children.

The Pirate Captain and his " rag-tag" crew are bored after adventures so when an arch rival changes his mind and advises them of a ship full of gold, they set sail on the high seas. They sight the ship they believe to hold the treasure and mount an attack, only to find that there is no treasure to be had, in fact there is only scientific treasures on board. The budding new scientist, a young Charles Darwin embraces their enthusiasm after an initial scare when they arrive. They will help in his quest with the Man-panzee and to challenge those who think differently about evolution, whilst at the same time saving his brother.

Do not fret, this book is in no way into theorising about such things, everything is a given and anything you did not know, is helpfully explained by the author. Great for the kids, rather tongue in cheek for the adults.

The book is full of humour from the names of the pirates; the pirate with the scarf; the pirate who wears green; the albino pirate; the pirate with a nut allergy. Everyone is welcome in this pirate world.... All of them have their place in the adventure and will they be able to use their Pirate skill to save the day?

Only one way to find out - go and buy the book.

A subtle sort of humour which will leave you with a wry smile. Read it yourself, read it with your children and read it again! Read more ›

Quite a fun book, but not as funny as it thinks it is. I like the idea of having pirates with descriptors rather than names (the pirate with the red scarf, the pirate with the wooden leg, the pirate who talks too much etc), as it makes it easier to remember a large cast of characters. The adventure is amusing, the situations humorous, and we all love a happy ending. But I kept waiting for the really funny bits to start, and they just didn't. Humorous fluff but not hilarity.

Some Pirates set off on an adventure with Charles Darwin, to exhibit his new discovery - the Manpanzee, a chimp who understands basic etiquette and wears a suit - and save his brother Erasmus from the evil Bishop.

The book's comparisons to Blackadder are very generous and, while the book is obviously written in a comical tone, it doesn't square up to the wit of Ben Elton and Richard Curtis' scripts.

It doesn't care about characters so much, none of the pirates have names and are called simply "the Pirate Captain" and "the Pirate with a scarf", and so on. It doesn't care about plot or story, it just kind of meanders from one thing to the next, seemingly at random. History is skewered as 17th century pirates mingle in Victorian London and speak in a 21st century vernacular.

Basically the novel is absolute rubbish and was apparently written to impress a girl the author liked to convince her to leave her boyfriend (she didn't).

But while the novel is utter crap, it should be required reading for anyone aspiring to become a novelist themselves because as you read it you're thinking "THIS counts? THIS can get published? That's amazing, now that load of cobblers I put together in a few weeks stands as much a chance as any!". If the bar is this low, anyone can make it over, and anyone reading this would gain the confidence to complete their projects knowing that whatever they're writing, it stands as much a chance of getting picked up by Hollywood and made into a movie.

One star for the book, another for the positive impact its existence is likely to have on writers with self-doubt.

I don't really know where to start writing a review for Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists. When I was sent a review copy I have to admit that the cover didn't really catch my attention, in fact I doubt I'd have picked it up if I hadn't realised that the book is the inspiration for the new Aardman animation. As soon as I saw the movie trailer I knew that I had to read the book and I'm really glad that I did.

What other book are you going to find that includes pirates, Charles Darwin, the elephant man, a man-panzee and a dodgy Bishop? The Pirate Captain and his loyal crew are getting a bit bored of sitting around enjoying their spoils and are looking for a new adventure. They get a little more than they bargained for when they raid a boat full of scientists and end up agreeing to help Charles Darwin. In an adventure that takes them from the Galapagos Islands to the heart of London they must try to foil the plans of the devious Bishop and if they're lucky figure out who is behind the spate of murders before one of their own becomes the latest victim.

Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists is a completely crazy but laugh out loud funny read. You'll have no hope of figuring out where the plot will take you next as it wanders off in completely unexpected directions. Amusing, fun and light hearted this book doesn't take itself seriously and at under 200 pages can easily be read in a couple of hours. I'm looking forward to my next adventure with the Pirate Captain and his crew!