Book excerpt: Jean Lafitte, the famous buccaneer, terrorized the Gulf of Mexico during the early 1800s from his hidden base in Louisiana's swamps at Barataria Bay. His battles with the law were legendary: when Governor William Claiborne of Louisiana offered a reward for Lafitte's capture, the pirate offered an even larger reward for the governor! But when the British approached Lafitte during the War of 1812, asking for his help in their invasion of Louisiana, the pirate instead joined forces with Andrew Jackson and helped rout the enemy at the Battle of New Orleans. Lyle Saxon chronicles Lafitte's colorful life and examines some puzzling questions about the famous rogue. Where was Jean Lafitte born? Did he really participate in the French Revolution? What was his part in the plot to rescue Napoleon? And where is his treasure hidden? Separating fact from legend, Saxon paints an entertaining and realistic portrait of a truly remarkable figure in American history. Book jacket.