The History of Piracy

by Philip Gosse

Written by an eminent authority on pirate lore and literature, The History of Piracy is one of the most important books on the subject. Tracing the rise of piracy from its ancient beginnings to its ultimate demise, it leads readers down an exciting path of fortune, fame, and folly.
Within this exhaustive volume on the pirate "profession," readers will encounter an unforgettable cast of plundering characters — eccentric, dramatic, but always human. Here are the maritime brigands who challenged even the most powerful nations on the high seas. From the Vikings to the Elizabethan corsairs to the buccaneers of the West, discover who these pirates were, what they did, and, ultimately, why they disappeared. A landmark in picaresque history, this classic provides penetrating detail on the world's seafaring outlaws, including their morals, codes of honor, and taboos. It's sure to satisfy the modern reader's enduring fascination with pirates and their lives.
Included in this edition are four maps and seventeen illustrations from the volume's original printing.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Pirates, Historical, Reference, Research

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Philip Henry George Gosse (1879-1959), was a writer and physician. He was the son of Sir Edmund Gosse and grandson of Philip Henry Gosse.

Reviews

[Mateusz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok. Some stories are really interesting. Some of them are really boring.

[Heideblume · Rating 2 out of 5]

Se cercate una narrazione appassionante a tema pirati, questa non lo è. Eppure, stando alla prefazione di Valerio Evangelisti, quello di Philip Gosse, per quanto impolverato, è l'unico titolo a cui vale la pena prestare attenzione per via dell'accurata ricerca storiografia e la ricchezza delle fonti di prima mano, con poche o inesistenti digressioni narrative.
Non ho idea di quante stelle dare. È ricco di informazioni ma si perde in infodump irrilevanti risultando oltremodo noioso. In questi casi che si fa? Lo si penalizza per la forma o lo si premia per i contenuti? Credo che un indifferente "it was ok" sia la soluzione più diplomatica.

[Calayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si eres un poco friki de la piratería vas a disfrutar, y mucho, de este libro.

Lo más bonito ha sido descubrir experiencias históricas como la comuna de Libertatia en Madagascar, me parece muy potente el discurso y la práctica de este grupo de piratas, a los que bien podíamos imitar hoy en día en busca de una sociedad más justa.

Además de la historia de la piratería en genérico el libro está plagado de pequeñas biografías de piratas destacad@s. Aunque muchas las conocía, hay otras como las de la señora Ching que he descubierto por primera vez y me han parecido brutales. (LA SEÑORA CHING MERECE UNA NOVELA, UNA SERIE O ALGO PARFAVAAR)

[Wayne Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author begins, “To write a complete history of piracy from its earliest days would be an impossible undertaking….What the following pages attempt to do is to show what conditions, geographical and social, preceded the rise of piracy, to trace its periodical rises and declines, its forms and fortunes, to depict the more outstanding members of its profession, and finally to show how national organization, backed by the steamship and the telegraph, brought it to an end.” The book has seventeen chapters, plus an Epilogue, divided into four main sections: “The Barbary Corsairs,” including the Barbarossas; “The Pirates of the North,” such as the Vikings, Hanseatics, and English Corsairs; “The Pirates of the West,” such as the Buccaneers of North America; and “The Pirates of the East,” from Africa, India, Arabia, Japan, China, and the Malay Archipelago.

Author Philip Gosse is identified as “an eminent authority on pirate lore and literature.” I picked The History of Piracy up in “The Pirates of the Caribbean” gift shop when we visited Disney World last year. It is well written, and the stories are told in a lively, informative, and comprehensive fashion. A few curse words are used, primarily in quotations. Even three cases of female pirates are covered. Some famous pirates, such as Blackbeard (Edward Teach) and Captain William Kidd are given their due, but others like Jean Lafitte are barely mentioned. The book will not appeal to everyone, but anybody interested in pirate history, or history in general for that matter, will enjoy it. There are seven Appendices, quoting documents from the days of “The Classical Pirates” of ancient Greece and Rome to a 1929 newspaper article on “Modern Chinese Pirates.” Also found in Dover’s reprint are seventeen black-and-white illustrations and four maps from the volume’s original publication.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of piracy in general around the world, and surprisingly modern in tone considering its original publication was in the early 20th century. Although no one era or group is covered in depth, with a truly global approach that includes the far east, the book serves as a good basis for further reading.

[Damiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storia della pirateria, scaricato gratuitamente tramite l'iniziativa Solidarietà digitale, è un resoconto molto dettagliato, che offre un grandioso quadro d'insieme dell'intera storia della pirateria, corredato con foto e testimonianze d'epoca. Il libro è molto interessante, perfetto per chi volesse approfondire il tema, ma l'ho trovato a tratti pesante e un po' noioso.

[Alessandro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Difficile credere che un libro del genere possa essere così noioso, eppure...

[Zur · Rating 2 out of 5]

W sumie może bardziej 2.5? Ot taka ciekawostka.

[Walt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book I have read to date on pirates. This is an overview, not just of the famous pirates on the Spanish Main; but also includes ancient, Medieval, Barbary, and Asian pirates as well.

[Temucano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Existe una traducción al español más antigua en la colección Austral de Espasa Calpe (1947), separada en dos volúmenes: "Los piratas del oeste - Los piratas del oriente" y "Los corsarios berberiscos - Los piratas del norte". Habiendo leído el primer tomo, me gustó la forma de relatar las vicisitudes de cada pirata, sus motivaciones, las presiones de los Estados, las diferentes batallas, y sobre todo los dispares destinos que finalmente les tocó en suerte. La primera parte del Caribe trata sobre el tradicional pirata de isla Tortuga o Jamaica en busca de galeones españoles, mientras en la segunda recorre Medio Oriente, pasando por Madagascar, singular colonia pirata, hasta llegar al lejano Oriente donde cada pirata es más extravagante que el anterior, siendo la cúlmine del libro la extraordinaria señora Ching, personaje histórico de cuento (para adultos eso si).

Ideal seguir las historias en mapas: el Caribe, Madagascar, la costa arábiga, la costa Malabar se despliegan en cada correría. Ya caerá el segundo, y apenas pueda subo esta edición.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

O carte pe care aproape că o uitasem, dar de care mă leagă dragi amintiri, citind dedicația de pe pagina de gardă: "1 iunie 1976 - odată cu buletinul de identitate sperăm să te lași de "piraterii" de note și să pui mâna serios pe carte. Mama, Tata". Între noi fie vorba, pe atunci rupeam munții cu învățătura, la ce mi-a folosit este cu totul și cu totul altceva.

Vorbind strict despre volumul de față, este clar că se dorește mai mult o carte istorică decât un roman de aventuri, de aceea este și mai greu de citit. Pe de altă parte, în caz că doriți la un moment dat să știți mai multe despre, de exemplu, pirații din Malabar și net-ul nu funcționează, nici că se putea o sursă mai la îndemână...

[Lanfear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro interesante para los que quieran saber algunas curiosidades sobre piratería, y aunque es bastante largo, también es inconexo y además las primeras 200 no me han parecido muy alentadoras para seguir leyendo. Lo más importante para mi es que podría haberse extendido un poco con Anne Bonney y Mary Read, y tampoco se menciona a Teach apenas, ni tampoco a Vane.

[Dave Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

This is a classic romanticized look at the history of pirates. It came out in 1932 and does not meet the current standard of academic rigor, but is nonetheless very informative and entertaining.

[Mikołaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Napisana jak książka na swoje czasy, dość sensacyjnie i dużo tu opisów i nie do końca przystaje do nowoczesnych pozycji historycznych (które mają jakiś edytorów i redakcję).

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I recommend to anyone with an interest in pirates. It spans all the way from the ancient era to the last century, and includes pirate lore and history from all over the world. Also included are chapters on the Golden Age of piracy and the more famous pirates. I've read many books on the subject, but this remains my favorite.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entretenida, muy bien documentada y reveladora. En más de un sitio descubrimos cómo España se mantiene como uno de los pocos estados europeos que no contrató a piratas para atacar a sus vecinos. El resto, desde Francia a Inglaterra, pasando por los Países Bajos, todos lo hicieron. El autor jamás lo dice explicitamente, pero queda claro en más de una ocasión.

[Joseph Wermes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great.