A History of Pirates

by Charlotte Montague

The public have been in love with the more romantic aspects of pirate life ever since Errol Flynn first climbed the rigging for the film Captan Blood, in 1935. The hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean series, starring Johnny Depp, shows that swashbuckling sells and the recent resurgence of sea crime in the waters off Somalia, with the dramatic hijacking of huge oil tankers like the MV Sirius Star, and the MV Maersk Alabama, has only served to heighten our fascination. But what do we know about the real Captain Jack Sparrows of yesteryear? Who were they? Where did they come from? And what heinous and daring acts did they perform on the path towards riches and infamy? A History of Pirates delves into the real lives of the men and women whose seafaring adventures have become legendary. It explores the criminal careers of some of the most fascinating scoundrels and scallywags ever to sail the seven seas, including Blackbeard, the Barbarossa Brothers, Captain Kidd, Anne Bonney and Mary Read.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Reference

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Charlotte Montague is an author specializing in maritime history. Her father was a naval office, and as a child, she travelled the world with her family. She travels for most of the year, but returns frequently to her home, a remote 18th century cottage close to a famous smuggler's cove on the Cornish coast.

Reviews

[Can Richards]

This book is a really good entry-level text on the history of piracy, covering most of the main initial bases - famous pirates/privateers/corsairs, glossaries of slang and jargon and facts about life aboard the ship, modern piracy and the image of pirates in pop culture - while being in academically accessible language for comfortable reading (and, also, a comfortably large font). One doesn't have to be steeped in academia to understand it, it's not a dry read, and I actually originally bought this book while in high school.

It's likely not the be-all-end-all text on piracy, but gives a solid foundation and a good jumping point to research further and delve into more specific terms or aspects.

Some of my only critiques is that, despite making sure to include several non-European/non-white pirates, it still reads as a little Eurocentric at times, particularly in the Modern Piracy section where the author implies an assumption that the reader is also European or American; as well as the somewhat iffy choice of prose used when describing an actual black pirate (Black Caesar) by stating that the word "black" in his name not only described his actual skin, "but also his soul", which uncomfortably invokes the "light=good, dark=bad" system baked into prose.
Also, as a queer person, the way she writes about how Mark/Mary Read and other such pirates "dressed as men" and how they defied gender roles reads as uhhhh... very much through a Cis Straight Lady lense. I don't know if Ms Montague knows any gay people. The accounts of Read/Bonney missed out on some details I already knew, and I think it would've been more interesting to delve into the sort of gender-y aspects of it through a queer lense, ya know?

The text itself, while academically accessible, also at times feels a bit sensationalised.

Otherwise, as I say, a solid foundation for anyone at any level of academics wanting to know more about pirates, and generally engaging as a read.

[Btari · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun... For the first few chapters. A compilation of pirates' biography, which was an entertaining read while commuting. But I got so bored at the chapter of modern piracy, because...well, the chapter didn't feed me the 15th-17th century pirate fantasy. Although these are based on historical data, the lives of each pirate was explained narratively.

[Patricia Ash-Vildosola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good general history

[André · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed learning about the most famous pirates and privateers, but there could be more information about pirates' life at sea.

[Whitley Foreman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A summary of the most notorious pirates in history - really enjoyed it!

[Michael Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it contains many interesting facts, the book never amounts to much more than a collection of pirate-related Wikipedia articles. Fine for a broad overview, but definitely aimed at a teen/ young adult reader.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I was impressed with this book since I wasn't expecting it to be any good, but it turned out to be a good surprise, and you've got to love it when something you thought to be bad turns out to be pretty good!

The personal stories of several pirates are told in a carefree and succinct manner, letting you get a glimpse of what their life was like behind the glamour. I also loved the final part where the author puts everything in perspective, it turns out that without really thinking about it we admire the ancient pirate tells without taking into consideration how brutal they were, not even our modern day piracy can match the scale and savagery present in the past. It shows how the centuries have the power to turn tyrants into Heroes.

I won't hide that I've read this book as a preparation for the upcoming video game Assassin's Creed Black Flag, and I don't think there is much more to be said about pirates except curiosity for the lives of a few more interesting pirates and seeing them acted in the video game.

[Daniel O'Brien · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't make it far through A History of Pirates. I seem to have some sort of aversion to books that purport to be non-fiction but talk in sensationalised language and do not have a single reference for the, at times, outlandish claims they make. On top of that the prose felt like something from a bad tv documentary. I'd not recommend this book to anyone.