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The Most Evil Pirates in History

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The scourge of the high seas, these are fifteen of the most ruthless, bloodthirsty cut-throats ever to set sail

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2006

8 people are currently reading
140 people want to read

About the author

Shelley Klein

42 books14 followers

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5 stars
19 (16%)
4 stars
34 (29%)
3 stars
44 (38%)
2 stars
14 (12%)
1 star
3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for A.E. Chandler.
Author 5 books247 followers
Read
October 24, 2022
Assertions in this book should be taken with a few grains of salt. Having an introductory chapter devoted to historiography would have been helpful.
Profile Image for Veronikah.
259 reviews58 followers
September 14, 2015
An incredible read. A must-have for all pirate-lovers!!


This book is a quick-down-to-the-point read and it doesn't romanticize pirates and piracy at all.

It's a succinct and interesting take on nine famous pirates' lived and, despite the de-romanticization of it, it made me love pirates even more.
I loved learning about the good, the bad and the ugly of these men and women.

We also get some general info on pirate codes and such in the beginning, which is as informational as it sounds (ie: very)


Basically, a great addition to your pirates shelf ;)
28 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2008
Yarr, this be the booty given to me be me matey Eric and his wench, Alexis, for ye olde holidays. It be fascinatin' thus far, with tales of me brethren, the scurrrviest dogs what ever sailed the seven seas. Avast, I'll be updatin' me opinion of this dastardly tome when I be done takin' in its meanin'. Arrrrr!
Profile Image for Amy.
118 reviews
July 25, 2011
Nothing new. Klein is missing several key historians in her bibliography. The writing itself is nothing to merit notice. Klein's research appears to be superficial. Not for the well-read pirate aficionado.
Profile Image for Bea.
68 reviews
May 23, 2023
Picked this shit up at my local library for the price of a single dollar. Given that I’m writing a book with a couple of pirate characters, it was a good read that gave me a better insight towards pirate life/how certain notorious people began their piracy careers. However, I would say that the title is a bit of a misnomer, as most of the mentioned pirates aren’t very evil at all, but the book still provided a helpful, beginner insight into what it looks like to be a pirate. Also, I think the author is allergic to proper comma placements.
Profile Image for Adam.
71 reviews
December 16, 2017
Ciekawa książka opisująca dzieje najsłynniejszych piratów okresu od XVI do XIX wieku. Poszczególne postacie ukazane są w kolejności chronologicznej, co daje możliwość zauważenia zmian w życiu pirackim w poszczególnych czasach. Dla zainteresowanych tematem.
Profile Image for Carlos Ribeiro.
127 reviews
December 2, 2024
Livro com pequenas biografias de alguns dos piratas mais famosos de sempre: Black Beard, William Kidd, Anne Bony, Calico Jack, etc…
Adoro este período da história.
Muito bom livro e um grande trabalho de investigação.
Profile Image for Rachel.
62 reviews2 followers
April 2, 2014
I was expecting more from this book. The first few Pirates, couldn't see how they were "evil" more-so than anyone elce. I think 9 of the Pirates the author talked about were evil in the things they did, otherwise they were just thevies.
Profile Image for Wendi Ballew.
220 reviews
June 28, 2015
7/10 Stars. A brief history of some of the most infamous pirates in history.
Profile Image for Kadri.
405 reviews18 followers
July 6, 2017
I didn't get into this book at all.
It did, however, destroy my romantic image of the pirate life...
1 review
Read
April 21, 2016
i think this book is going to be cool
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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