King of the Vagabonds

A chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe—London street urchin turned legendary swashbuckling adventurer—risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox—and Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent a contentious continent through the newborn power of finance.

The Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson’s award-winning series, spans the late 17th and early 18th centuri…