A review by biophile
Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History by John Steinbeck

3.0

Steinbeck's take on the pirate tale is an interesting departure from the traditional adventure story; there is substance here beyond the usual swashbuckling and plundering typical of many other titles in the genre. Instead Steinbeck has chosen to depict the familiar themes of youth and belonging through the experiences of a young Henry Morgan coming to terms with his ambitions and desires. Morgan's youth is spent as an indentured servant on a plantation in the Caribbean, where he spends his days not devising revenge for those that betrayed him, but rather on increasing the profits of the business. The industrious Morgan excels at ruthless economic strategy, and quickly realizes he can use gain his freedom and enter a life of piracy. After capturing his first ship he easily starts to win the respect of hundreds of buccaneers, and soon commands a fleet of loyal vessels. Soon only one challenge is left to him - the Cup of Gold. But what is a man to do when the prize that he has won is, through the winning, changed into something far less desirable?

In a way, you could view this story as a post-modern anti-consumer fable, but of course that is not what Steinbeck intended. Through a wonderful allegory, Steinbeck is showing us that all that glitters is not gold, and maybe on closer inspection, the object of desire wasn't even glittering in the first place.