Bandits at Sea: A Pirates Reader

by C.R. Pennell (Editor), Kevin Delaney

Dispelling the romanticized myths surrounding pirates, Pennell's edited collection provides a corrective history of bandits at sea

The romantic fiction of pirates as swashbuckling marauders terrorizing the high seas has long eclipsed historical fact. Bandits at Sea offers a long-overdue corrective to the mythology and the mystique which has plagued the study of pirates and served to deny them their rightful legitimacy as subjects of investigation.

With essays by the foremost scholars on these countercultural "social bandits," as Lingua Franca recently dubbed them, this collection examines various aspects of the phenomenon in the three main areas where it occurred: the Caribbean/Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and East Asia. We come to understand who pirates were, as well as the socio-economic contexts under which they developed and flourished.

Comparisons between various types of piracy illustrate differences in practice and purpose between pirates of different areas; social histories, including examinations of women pirates and their historical significance and circumstances, offer similar insight into the personal lives of pirates from diverse regions. Far from serving as dens of thieves, pirate ships were often highly regulated microcosms of democracy. The crews of pirate vessels knew that majority rule, racial equality and equitable division of spoils were crucial for their survival, marking them as significantly more liberal than national governments.

Scholars, students and a general audience ever intrigued by tales and now truths of piracy on the high seas will welcome Bandits at Sea.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Pirates, College, Read For School, Historical

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, but (frankly), more than I needed to know about pirates. I want to keep the romanticism alive--not burst the bubble.

[Makenzy Veldboom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book read like an essay and was a dread to read. I’m sure if you squint there’s some fascinating topics discussed and a plethora of information… not my style of writing however.

[Jared Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting and informative a must read if you enjoy pirates and want to learn some of what life was like not just what Hollywood portrays

[Anna Lehmicke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I ever wanted to know about pirates and more. From first-hand accounts to historically significant articles, this book is a great resource for information that is fact, not fiction.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie, I did pick this up mainly for the chapters on Anne Bonny (and Mary Read), but the rest of the essays in this collection were helpful at dispelling some of the myths around pirates. The fact that its an academic work rather than written at the wider public may be a downer for some people, as they may find themselves bogged down in the writing. In my case, it only made me more interested and eager to read more on the topic.