1931 Rare First Edition - Bully Hayes, The South Sea Pirate by Basil Lubbock

Author: Basil Lubbock.
Title: Bully Hayes: South Sea Pirate.
Publisher: Boston, Charles E. Lauriat Company, 1931. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10 x 8 inches.
Pages: xi, 322 pages.
Binding: Near fine publisher’s original blue cloth binding with gilt titles to the spine and decorative blind rules to the boards (hinges fine - as shown). The book retains its very good original illustrated dust jacket, (price unclipped, showing only light edge wear and minor signs of age) under a protective removable mylar cover. Upper edge gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, light foxing visible to the outer page edges as shown). The pages remain otherwise clean and well-preserved.
Illustrations: Illustrated with numerous photographic plates and maps, including striking images of Pacific vessels, island communities, and historical scenes relating to the life and exploits of the notorious trader and adventurer “Bully” Hayes.

Estimate: (USD $400–500).

The book: Published in 1931, Bully Hayes: South Sea Pirate is one of the most vivid accounts of the life of William “Bully” Hayes, a controversial nineteenth-century trader, adventurer, and alleged pirate who operated throughout the islands of the Pacific. Drawing from archival sources, maritime records, and contemporary accounts, Basil Lubbock reconstructs the dramatic career of Hayes, whose activities ranged from legitimate trading ventures to darker enterprises such as gun-running and labor trafficking.

The narrative unfolds against the richly detailed backdrop of the South Pacific during the age of sail, when isolated islands, colonial ambitions, and maritime trade routes created a world of opportunity for daring—and often unscrupulous—figures. Lubbock’s work remains one of the most engaging historical portraits of the period, blending biography with maritime history.

Illustrated with maps and historical photographs, including a striking chart of the Pacific Ocean and images of island life and seafaring vessels, the book captures the atmosphere of the late nineteenth-century Pacific frontier. Copies retaining their original dust jackets are increasingly sought after by collectors of maritime history.

The author: Basil Lubbock (1876–1944) was one of the foremost maritime historians of the early twentieth century. Renowned for his authoritative studies of sailing ships and maritime trade routes, Lubbock produced a series of influential works including The China Clippers, The Colonial Clippers, The Western Ocean Packets, and The Log of the Cutty Sark. His writings combine meticulous research with an engaging narrative style, preserving the history of the great sailing vessels and the men who commanded them during the final decades of the age of sail.