In this remarkable debut novel, John Steinbeck, the esteemed author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath, brings to life the enigmatic tale of Sir Henry Morgan — a legendary pirate from the 1600s whose adventures spanned the coasts of Cuba and mainland Latin America, leaving a lasting mark on the ravaged lands of Panama. Treading the line between history and fantasy, Steinbeck weaves an enthralling swashbuckling narrative of a buccaneer's search for fame, fortune, and romance by conquering Panama, the "cup of gold," and possessing the beautiful woman called La Santa Roja. The glimpses of Steinbeck's genius within this work, which was published to mixed reviews in 1929, foreshadow his emergence as one of the twentieth century's most celebrated and critically acclaimed authors.