From Patriot to Pirate: The Outlaw Life of Sam Mason by Dr. Carter F. Smith is a wildly entertaining romp through late 18th-century Western colonial and post-Revolutionary America. While the brilliant but roguish Samuel Mason was the epitome of 'the good, the bad, and the ugly', he is quintessentially American. Revolutionary Patriot, horse thief, frontiersman, judge, tavern keeper, justice of the peace, criminal gang leader, and river pirate-Mason was a factotum before the word was invented. Dr. Smith knows his history and has written a great swashbuckling tale of the early American frontier and the blurry gray lines that separate the heroic and lawful from the criminal.

Samuel Marquis, bestselling and award-winning author of Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal

A truly riveting story about river piracy and land piracy along the Mississippi. Based on trial transcripts, criminal reports, and saucy stories from the 'hearsay' side of things, Carter F. Smith and his research team successfully pieced together the life of Sam Mason as one of the lesser-known outlaws of the 18th century, doing full justice to his dazzling character as that of a 'noble bandit' (I'm sure his victims, in particular Colonel Joshua Baker, would disagree though). And on top of all that, there are copious travel and tasting notes waiting for all those who want to follow in the footsteps of Sam Mason (figurately speaking, mind you!) to see what he saw and to eat what he ate (I might just try the bramble pie...).

Peter Lehr, author of Pirates: A New History, from Vikings to Somali Raiders; Senior Lecturer, University of St Andrews, Scotland

Samuel Mason and his gang threatened USA westward expansion at the turn of the nineteenth century. We are indebted to Carter F. Smith for meticulously unearthing Mason's complex story, along with the stories of the people he robbed. Readers will come away from this book with a richer understanding of the limits of federal authority during the Early Republic. Smith nicely situates Mason and riverine piracy alongside Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana Purchase, and other familiar figures and events.

Chris Magra, author of Poseidon's Curse; The University of Tennessee, USA

With his background as a criminal investigator and expertise in military-trained gang members, Carter F. Smith brings a unique perspective to tracking down an early American criminal: Samuel Mason, a Revolutionary War veteran turned river pirate. Yes, pirates plagued the rivers of the new American nation, just as they had infested the seas of an earlier era. Smith introduces readers to a little-known aspect of America's earliest days.

David Head, author of The Golden Age of Piracy and co-editor of A Republic of Scoundrels; University of Central Florida, USA