During the early 19th century, as Spain’s empire in the Americas began to unravel, the Caribbean became a battleground for privateers, pirates, and imperial powers.

Join us for an online book talk with author Glenn M. Stein as he discusses his latest work, “Bloody Waters: The Zaragozana and Cuban Piracy in the 1820s.”

In “Bloody Waters,” Stein draws on groundbreaking archival research from eight countries to uncover the dramatic history of Cuban piracy during this turbulent era. Centered on the pursuit and capture of the infamous pirate captain Cayetano Aragones aboard the schooner Zaragozana, the book traces the rise and fall of piracy along Cuba’s coasts through vivid storytelling, newly uncovered historical evidence, and striking visual materials.

Stein will present the research behind the book and explore the political, maritime, and social forces that shaped one of the Caribbean’s most fascinating and often overlooked chapters of history, the Age of Sail. Following the presentation, Amanda Moreno-Schroeder, Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair and director of the Cuban Heritage Collection will moderate a live audience Q&A.

About the Presenter
Glenn “Marty” Stein is a polar and maritime historian, having sailed in the Arctic, to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and many Antarctic destinations. Stein has researched maritime and polar history since 1975, and regularly publishes in journals, magazines, and online. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Canadian Geographical Society, life member of the American Polar Society, member of the Orders and Medals Research Society in the United Kingdom, and the Life Saving Awards Research Society in the United Kingdom.

The author of over 70 articles and papers, Stein’s award-winning book, “Discovering the North-West Passage: The Four-Year Arctic Odyssey of H.M.S. Investigator and the McClure Expedition” (McFarland, 2015) was launched at the Library of Congress.

“Bloody Waters: The Zaragozana and Cuban Piracy in the 1820s” (McFarland, 2026) represents groundbreaking research into the history and genealogy of the hunters and the hunted of Cuban piracy. The narrative follows swashbuckling action, tense trials, and somber executions, chronicling the attempt to end the scourge.