Black ivory: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Black ivory: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Black ivory is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Banks, Polan (1906–1984).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Black ivory" by Polan Banks is a historical romance novel written in the early 20th century. Set around the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans in the early 19th century, it follows the rise of privateer Jean Lafitte—driven by vengeance and ambition—as he navigates piracy, smuggling, and Creole society. The story centers on Lafitte’s transformation from wounded lover to strategic power broker of the Barataria pirates, with his brother Pierre and adversaries like Brouillard and the Baratarian faction leaders shaping his path. The opening of the novel begins on Mauritius, where a duel over Lizette Fondac goes tragically wrong when she leaps between the pistols and is killed, prompting the young Jean Lafitte to swear vengeance on Brouillard. Years later in the Caribbean, Lafitte commands the brig Lizette, clashes with Brouillard—now the feared Black Fox—gets captured, and endures the brutal murder of his loyal follower Red Jacques before Pierre and the crew of the Lizette rescue him; Brouillard dies fleeing, taken by a shark. The scene then shifts to 1810 New Orleans, where District Attorney Grymes outlines the post–slave-importation ban world: “black ivory” smuggling, the Lafitte brothers’ genteel blacksmith front, and Barataria’s emergence as a pirate base. Lafitte declares a bold plan to centralize operations at Grande Terre, build stockades and markets, enforce order with his “Myrmidons,” and wield economic power under letters of marque; arriving at Barataria, he confronts dissent from the quadroon Grambo and intervenes when Grambo savagely assaults a newly landed enslaved girl, the confrontation cutting off mid-scene.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Black ivory
- Author credits: Banks, Polan (1906–1984)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Brothers -- Fiction
- Historical fiction
- Laffite, Jean -- Fiction
- Laffite, Pierre, -1826? -- Fiction
- Love stories
- New Orleans (La.) -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
- Pirates -- Fiction
- Slave traders -- Fiction
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Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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