Our Interview with Author Robert Jacob

With a lifelong passion for history and a commitment to historical accuracy, award-winning author and lecturer Robert Jacob has been actively involved in living history portrayals, including the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, Mountain Man, Western Gunfighter, and Pirates, for over 50 years. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, Robert completed his master’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University and entered the US Marine Corps. As a military occupational specialty instructor, Robert earned the designation of Master Training Specialist and later became Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment at the same school. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Jacob retired to Florida in 2013. While researching pirates, Robert realized that much of the historical record was contradictory and incorrect. He compiled his research in_A Pirate’s Life in the Golden Age of Piracy_. Fans attending book signings and festivals in Florida inspired him to write _Pirates of the Florida Coast: Truths, Legends_, _and Myths_. His third book, _Blackbeard: The Truth Revealed_, is the definitive publication on the world’s most famous pirate. In 2023, Robert was inducted into the International Pirate Hall of Fame. The renowned author’s engaging presentations and book-signing events are sought after by community organizations, festivals, libraries, and museums nationwide. Locally, Robert is a regular presenter at the Tampa Bay History Center, Saint Petersburg Museum of History, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Academia Hernando, and he is the past president of the Florida Authors and Publishers Association.