Buccaneer: The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler and Pilot Extraordinaire

Just finished reading BUCCANEER and I must convey what an amazing job MayCay did putting the manuscript all together.I knew Jack as a young man. I have been searching to see what ever happened to Jack as I had lost contact with him just after he was freed from the counterfeiting sentence; plus, I knew that he was in some sort of mess as a result of the smuggling issue from an LA Times article published in 1987.I only knew Jack for about 4 years before he disappeared from the So Cal scene and wondered all through my adult life what actually happened to Jack. After reading this book that question was answered and much more of an insight as to what made Jack so special comes out “loud and clear.” As a young man I saw these amazing qualities in Jack which did include the lust factor. It was fascinating to read Jack’s own words about how he discovered who he really was and how he made the sacrifices to achieve “his freedom” from society’s shackles.Yes, Jack did transport drugs, which was an unlawful act. And as the book stated the penalty for such would have been about an 8 year sentence. As I read the book I came to the conclusion the real story that comes blaring out is how Jack reconciled his role on this earth and what had troubled him in the early stages of life. He was able to come to grips with that during his 20 plus years behind bars. Just think how many of us have had similar thoughts about our lives and how so many never are able to really grasp the full meaning of their time on this earth.Readers will love the adventure aspect of this book and then be surprised to learn that Jack Reed was very much a true philosopher and an open and honest autobiographer. MayCay’s epilog is touching and real and gave Jack something very special to think about during his last days here on earth.A great read!Steve Lewis

Interesting line of stories that DEFINITELY contradicts what I had already read about the GO GO Days of Normans Cay. I find this account of the normal daily activity there a bit subdued compared to the story in "Turning the Tide" which I think may be easier to conceive. It sucks that the POS guy that ratted out Jacks whereabouts to DEA happened. I'm guessing they would have lived there for many more years in peace & happiness. Definitely a TRAVESTY...

My reading is usually an escape from the real world into nether worlds of dark fantasy where my imagination can become unbound by constraints of reality, and so therefore highly unusual for me to feel any passion for another person's life story. Call me self-centered, or say it's "all about me". "Buccaneer" sat on my dresser for almost a week after arrival before I finally looked past the cover! Something unique with the organization of this book quickly drew me further in, and within a very few minutes thereafter found myself hooked !Most of us know of drug smuggling only from our exposure to the media. This brilliant read takes us into the heart and soul of a true smuggler...and a true human being endowed with a heart and a soul. I'll be the first to admit that I found myself a bit envious to some (not all) elements of this man's lifestyle, and guessing most of us may feel that same yearn.This candid biography, was only made possible by a very special connection that somehow drew our smuggler and his selected biographer together!Brilliantly researched, organized, and written, MayCay Beeler has achieved what no other person could have possibly done without the dedication, tireless work, and most importantly...the personal chemistry required to produce such a fine read !

very interesting life story, although it could have been described in richer details e.g. as to flight maneuvers, the arrest and also prison time.

First, let me congratulate A. Fletcher for sussing out the essence of Jack Reed (charmer). I met Jack in 1962. We remained close friends until 1976, when he moved from Southern California to Utah (at the time, he was down on his luck, and living in a house I had rented for him, near my home in Lake Arrowhead). I'm a general aviation pilot - also a bush pilot - and Jack and I often flew together. He was, indeed, a fine pilot. Now, about the book: it consists mainly of what I assume are selected excerpts from Jack's writings (journals) while in prison. I say "selected" because there is no connective narrative; it is episodic. Another assumption is that Jack's narrative is unedited, either for content, or grammar and syntax. As noted in another review, the could-have-been should-have-been tale of the dope smuggling adventures of a "pilot extraordinaire" never materializes. We get instead a humdrum tale of a man who opted out of the humdrum of an ordinary life for a more adventurous life - which he consistently refers to as a higher quality of life - without any of the details or specifics of this adventurous life. Jack's tale is not the tale of a pilot. Jack's tale is Jack clearly attempting to cloak his involvement with Pablo Escobar, the most violent and vicious Columbia's drug lords, as some kind of quest for freedom. Jack was always a con man, and as most are, a charming one, and I am sure he conned himself into believing his story. Unfortunately, Ms. Beeler fell for it. She wasn't the first. I hope, as Jack wrote, that in his later years, he did indeed, find inner peace.