"Энди Макнаб. День независимости (engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

there were two big news stories -war with the French, and pirates. They
harassed the coast for decades."
She hesitated for a moment, embarrassed.
"I got you this." From under her coat she produced a carefully wrapped
gift, tied with shiny blue ribbon. She beamed.
"Go on, then, open it. It won't bite."
I removed the ribbon as delicately as I could.
A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most Notorious
Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.
She could barely conceal her delight as I flicked through the pages,
pausing at each illustration.
"It was first published in 1724. I had to get this edition from a
little place in New York. I know it's not the Middle Ages, but there's a
whole lot about ships from New England being boarded en route to London. I
knew you'd like it. And, besides, it's to remind you of everything I've been
boring you about just now."
I closed the book.
"You haven't been boring me. I loved every word of it."
We got back into the car and drove to Gregory Street. The house had
been in the family for years. Built in 1824, it was originally a fisherman's
cottage overlooking the sea. Various extensions and rebuilds over the years,
probably during the Golden Age she was talking about, had turned it into a
spacious family home. A wooden pineapple was nailed above the front door as
a sign of welcome. They were all over the place in this part of the world. A
couple of hundred years ago, sailors returning from long voyages would place
a pineapple by their door to show they were back and people were welcome to
come and visit. I would normally have made some quip about that, but thought
better of it today.
She swung the car into the gravel led driveway and headed towards a
white Taurus parked in front of the annexe, next to my covered-over Yamaha
600 motorcycle.
Carrie didn't seem too concerned.
"I thought Mom wasn'texpecting anyone until Saturday. Oh, well, I'll go
see if she remembered to put out the cookies and coffee. Got to look after
the guests!"
As we got closer I could see Massachusetts plates. The vehicle was so
clean and sterile it had to be a hire car.
She parked beside it and we both got out. She threw her keys at me over
the roof. Tell you what, why not take a shower and I'll be right back? And
make sure you shave. We have some catching up to do." There was a smile
before she nodded at the annexe.
"Go."
Excited, she ran back down the drive towards the front of the house as
I went into the annexe. It was huge, much bigger than the last house I'd
lived in, and tastefully furnished in dark wooden furniture that had been in
the family for generations. I always felt as if a photographer from Homes
and Gardens would appear at any minute to take pictures of me reclining by
the log fire. I didn't spread myself around too much, though. I didn't have
much to spread.
She had made a big effort for my homecoming. There were flowers, and a