Fall captive to the code—the real-life buccaneer bylaws that shaped every aspect of a pirate’s life.
Pirates have long captured our imaginations with images of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers, eye patches, and buried treasure. But what was life really like on a pirate ship? Piracy was a risky, sometimes deadly occupation, and strict orders were essential for everyone’s survival. These “Laws” were sets of rules that determined everything from how much each pirate earned from their plunder to compensation for injuries, punishments, and even the entertainment allowed on ships. These rules became known as the “Pirates’ Code,” which all pirates had to publicly swear by. Using primary sources like eyewitness accounts, trial proceedings, and maritime logs, this book explains how each one of the pirate codes was the key to pirates’ success in battle, on sea, and on land.
I am a Los Angeles native with a PhD in history from King's College London (2017) specializing in pirates and public executions. I have written two books about pirates:
My third book, The Pirates' Code: Laws and Life on the Pirate Ship will be out in 2023. I am currently gearing up to finish my pirate novel during NaNoWriMo (2022).
When I'm not writing you can find me reading in coffee shops, teaching history, singing, seeing friends and family, playing with my dog (Pippin), and off on an adventure somewhere.
Pirates sit front and centre in the popular imagination. The Golden Age of Piracy, and the two seventeenth-century rounds leading up to it, features heavily in films, books, television series and video games; in fact, in every possible form of entertainment it has a solid, unmoving base, and interest in it has lasted far longer than the age of piracy itself. There is something appealing about the idea: notions of freedom, of romanticism, of daring deeds and hunts for treasure, of overturning the social order. And of egalitarianism and equality, based on the 'pirates' code'. Thanks to the recent rounds of pirate fiction, such as 'Black Sails' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean', we have a vague understanding of what this means: of lives lived in a 'democratic' fashion; of some sort of internal 'welfare state' where the injured and infirm are cared for by the whole; that every man - and some women - could be treated equally; that there was, indeed, honour among thieves. As such, the pirates' code has been elevated to almost Chartist standards, a precursor of our more open, socially mobile culture today.
In her new book 'The Pirates' Code', Rebecca Simon addresses this growing legend head-on. Pulling apart the four main extant versions of the pirates' code, she uses their various articles as starting points for eight thematic chapters: work, life and wages; punishment; health and safety; sex, sexuality, and relationships; weapons and battle tactics; food and drink; vices; and entertainment. Throughout each, she discusses the reality and application of each rule, expanding out to consider the wider implications, the reactions of the authorities and of the commonality, illustrating her points with gripping stories of individual pirates and their crews. All of the 'A-listers' are there: Edward Teach and Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Benjamin Hornigold, Henry Avery, William Kidd and Henry Morgan. But alongside them are the little people, the ones who haven't made such a massive dent in the popular consciousness but who have still left their mark on the annals of history, through ballads, newssheets, and court records. It is a thematic account made not just approachable, but infinitely human and positively juicy; it contains all the tales we would expect of Western piracy, and so much more.
For 'The Pirates' Code' doesn't just repeat the old legends; in some cases it blasts them into splinters. All the cherished notions that have been allowed to develop into truths - reactions to slavery, roles of women, sexuality, even walking the plank - are exploded, to be replaced by the more nuanced but equally intriguing reality. It is myth-busting par excellence, because it is not just based on opinion but on an impressive grasp of the extensive primary sources. Everything that can be used has: there are the usual court records of the eye-catching trials, the 'exposés' by Captain Johnson and Daniel Defoe. But also there are the often overlooked ballads, news reports, diaries and letters that prove beyond all (reasonable) doubt that legends are false or misrepresented. Simon holds a mastery of the sources that leaves the reader in awe.
If one could, perhaps, wish for more, it would be an inclusion of piracy in other parts of the world at that time. Nothing, for example, is mentioned of Eastern piracy, nor of the formidable pirates who dogged the waters there. This might be a little out of the period with which Simon is dealing, but in the seventeenth century the Barbary pirates loomed just as large in contemporary English minds as their home-grown versions, yet there is silence here also. Then again, this might be taking nit-picking a step too far. It does, after all, fall outside the general remit of the book: perhaps the thing that sets Western pirates apart and keeps them as folk heroes is the very existence of their pirates’ code.
Despite the myth-busting, Simon does not destroy this fascination. Instead, she adds to it. In ‘The Pirates’ Code’ she shows pirates in all their baffling complexity and individuality, and she rejoices in it. Their stories, beautifully told, are so much more wonderful than the standard legends allow. They inhabit the space between hero and villain, hunter and hunted, virtuous and immoral. They represent both the best and worst of us, and of the human condition. They absolutely deserve the attention – both positive and negative – that they’ve received since the seventeenth century. And the pirates’ code is, perhaps, no small part of the reason for this.
Overall this is a decent book, its informative and gives a good insight into piracy and pirates lives. But my main complaint is the writing, its repetitive and uncomfortable to read which made it a struggle to properly process.
I've learned a lot about pyrates in my life but the single most important lesson I learn over and over again is that they didn't steal treasure - they stole FRUIT.
they sailed all up and down the islands stealing fruit so they didn't get hungry and didn't get scurvy.
so pirates of the carribean shouldn't have been about cursed Aztec gold.
Interesting sociological book that explains in a structured way, based on actual pirate codes, the way of life of pirates during the golden age of piracy (late 17th to early 18th century). It is an easy and interesting read and also includes illustrations. One thing to be noted is that there are sometimes repetitions as some examples appear in multiple chapters, but this is not necessarily bad as there is a lot of info packed in this book. The go-to book if you want factual information about the life of pirates.
I read this book whilst sitting on a boat so this also added to the experience.
"The Pirates' Code" is a splendid historical study of the lives of pirates during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most people know pirates from popular entertainment such as: "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "Treasure Island". These works might contain some accurate facts, however they mostly contain fictionalised details. Using the Pirates' Code as a blueprint, Rebecca Simon provides a thorough overview of the life on board. I highly recommend this book because it provides a clear insight into the real life of a pirate and dismantle the dominant romantic ideas about it.
There is no shortage of popular history books about pirates, and the wildness and adventure of the 17th- and early 18th-century Caribbean is more than just myth and legend. However, this book makes it difficult to distinguish between myth and historical fact. The real issue may be that the sources are used primarily to support the romantic idea of the fair and free pirate, rather than to explore what the sources actually reveal.
Really easy read, full of interesting facts. It covers all topics concerning life aboard a ship - work, wages, punishment, health & safety, relationships, weapons, ships, battles, food, vices and entertainment. Each is well researched and full of historical examples. Chapters are the perfect length to make this a great bedtime reading.
This book is a truly brilliant dive into the life of pirates and an excellent choice both for experienced pirate enthusiasts and people who are interested in exploring the subject for the first time. There's truly something in it for everyone.
“The Pirates’ Code: Laws and Life Aboard Ship “ penetrates legend to uncover life and structure of Pirates’ existence. The Golden Age of Piracy is defined as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and a largely West Indies phenomenon, although extending throughout the Western Hemisphere and elsewhere. Just as it is said there is honor even among thieves, so pirates had codes by which they lived. Cognizant of the maxim, “If you will steal for me, you will steal from me”, Readers might be inclined to think piracy was an undisciplined industry and wonder why anyone would undertake it? Author Rebecca Simon devotes an Introduction, eight chapters and a conclusion to refute such presumptions.
Operations of pirate ships frequently were governed by “Articles”, similar to a modern partnership agreement. They defined rights of members of the company, set distribution of loot, infractions, and provided pirates will not be subject to the arbitrary wrath of the Captain but “shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and majority of the Company shall think fit.” Provision was made for compensation to pirates suffering serious injury while “working”.
Piracy had its attractions. They were better paid, better fed, were healthier, received better medical treatment and were offered a more promising path to economic advancement than naval or commercial maritime or other available careers. Even with all these perks, captives were sometimes lured by promises mercy and shares of the loot. Yes, it was a dangerous occupation and pirates were often hanged, but intervening wars did provide periodic opportunities for pardons. Think Andrew Jackson and Jean Lafite at New Orleans.
Chapters are devoted to food and drink, safety, weapons and battle tactics and entertainment and culture.
This work addresses many stereotypes of piracy. Condemned did walk the plank, but rarely, given the tight labor market for pirates. Contrary to legend, they distributed their treasure, not bury it. Tattoos were common, though more for identification of bodies than works of art. Pirates were an ethnically diverse group, with French, Dutch, English and black mingling among and fighting against each other. At their peak, they probably numbered in the low thousands.
I particularly enjoyed is the discussion of legends known by name, but, to me at least, little understood. The Flying Dutchman, known as a ghost ship doomed to sail the seas for eternity, may have its origins in a man-o’-war sunk off the Cape of Good Hope. The origins of “Davy Jones’ Locker” are more obscure, but theories are advanced. Of particular value for students of the colonial era in general is the explanation of distinguishing characteristics of the three types of colonies in British North America: Royal, such as Virginia, run by crown-appointed governors with legal structures mimicking those of England; Proprietary, such as Pennsylvania, established by land grants to wealthy investors to attract settlement for the production of goods; and Charter colonies such as Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, in which residents were tied to English law while having the freedom to create their own government.
With just 300 pages, this is an easy, but informative and entertaining read. It dispels some myths without striping pirates of their mythical lore. It makes its subjects real people, who lived real lives, without resorting to glamorization or condemnation. This work places pirates within their milieu, amidst the wars, colonies and commerce of their age. I recommend “The Pirates’ Code to readers seeking to understand the Golden Age of Piracy.
Many people may think of pirates as being somewhat chaotic and in favor of anarchy. The opposite is true, as Dr. Simon adeptly demonstrates in her latest book, The Pirates’ Code. Each crew of pirates devised their own set of rules under which they would sail, and these articles of agreement dictated what would happen to anyone who failed to adhere to them. Such codes also indicated how much each pirate received from plunder and how much compensation injured pirates were entitled to. The pirates and their codes under discussion here sailed during the most prolific period of piracy, 1650 to 1730. The earliest mention of such an agreement comes from Alexandre Exquemelin, a buccaneer and the author of The Buccaneers of America. Four other articles of agreement have come down to us. The first, which appeared in a colonial newspaper and an account of thirty-six men tried for piracy, belonged to pirates who sailed with the infamous Edward Low. The other three codes (published in Captain Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates) were from the crews of Bartholomew Roberts, George Lowther, and John Phillips.
After introducing readers to the Golden Age of Piracy and articles of agreement, Dr. Simon divides the rules into individual chapters in which she explores the purpose of each and how it impacts a pirate’s life. The first focuses on work and wages on a pirate ship, providing some comparisons to life in the merchant marine and navy. The second examines punishments; these pertain to both those the pirates suffer when in violation of the rules and what they inflict on captives. Chapter three concerns health and safety, while the fourth explores intimate relationships among pirates (male and/or female). Weaponry, fighting tactics, and safety are covered in chapter five. The subjects of food, drink, and vices are discussed in the sixth and seventh chapters. Entertainment and culture are explored in the final one. She concludes her study of the articles and pirate life with a look at how the pirates bring about their own downfall by the end of the era. Black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout the book, which also has a center section of color pictures. There are a select list of pirates that includes tidbits about each and a glossary. References, a bibliography, and an index round out the volume.
There are many books that focus on pirates and their lives at sea, but Dr. Simon brings a fresh perspective to this topic by examining them from the lens of their articles of agreement. She provides snippets from contemporary documents and eyewitnesses, be they pirates or victims, to showcase how aspects of the rules impacted what pirates did and how they lived. Specific pirates, some well-known and others who are not, are showcased to validate what is discussed under each rule. Throughout the book she emphasizes that these codes served specific purposes: to safeguard their environment, to minimize conflict among themselves, to maintain loyalty within each crew, and to provide protection from the hazards of working at sea. In other words, the goals of these articles were to gain wealth and stay alive.
The Pirates’ Code is informative, refreshing, and remarkable. It shines a light on a much-discussed topic while also bringing forth new material not found in previous books. Regardless of your level of knowledge of pirate lore, this volume is a treasure for any collection.
Rebecca Simon's third book about piracy does not disappoint, somehow straddling the divide between entertaining and intellectual. In a word, it is accessible, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.
What makes The Pirates' Code stand out among the sea of pirate books out there is the way it is organized. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific pirate code, and its content is themed accordingly. Chapter 1, for example, is based on Edward Low's code: 'The Captain shall have Two full Shares, the Master a Share and a half, the Doctor, Mate, Gunner, Carpenter, and Boatswain a Share and a quarter.' The chapter then goes on to explore Work, Life, and Wages on the Pirate Ship. Chapter 2 is about Punishment, Chapter 3 pertains to Health and Safety, and so forth. The text of each chapter is chock full of anything and everything that could pertain to such a theme, and the lure of the next chapter pulls you forward like any good page-turner should.
Some of the same historical facts reoccur from chapter to chapter, albeit from a different angle, as seen through the lens of the particular code being explored. Rather than feeling repetitive, reexploring the same stories or pirates from a different vantage fully immersed me in its lore and provided scaffolding. By the time I finished reading the entire book, I felt as though it coalesced into a comprehensive whole. It reads more like a thematic essay than a historic play-by-play, and therein lies its strength.
Above all, Simon holds true to her track record of debunking common misconceptions. Don't expect to be romanced into leading a pirate's life after reading this. Dead men may tell no tales, but popular literature has done its darnedest to make light of them. As this book conveys, there is indeed such a thing as honor among thieves. Yet thieves they were. In truth? Pirates were a bunch of smelly jerks. But don't take me word for it, matey. Read this book for yourself.
I have just entered my pirate historical phase and chose this book because I thought it would be a good jumping off point into the depth of pirate history due to this book focusing on understanding the Pirate Code and its implications. This book did just that for me, it was fascinating to learn about the true reality of pirates and their code. Now I don't have most of my pirate knowledge from fiction like Pirates of the Caribbean and Black Sails. I really enjoyed how the author introduced examples of different Pirates and their code in the introduction, then used the subsequent chapters to break down what each code meant. The chapters focused on wage and work, punishments on board ship, health and safety, sex, sexuality, and relationships, weapons, food and drink, vices, and culture. Each chapter did have some repeated topics, but I had no issue with that as learning about the same topic through a different lens made me feel like I was learning it all over again. The final part of the book was a brief look at the downfall of pirates at the end of the Golden Era. I wish this section would have been slightly longer, but I guess there are other books for that and it didn't really go with the overall purpose of the book, so I understand why the author kept it short and sweet. There are a couple minor complaints I have but I won't waste your time with those. This is an amazing book that should be read by all pirate enthusiasts.
Full of fascinating pirate-related facts and an analysis of why a life of piracy on the high seas was attractive despite the presumably off-putting risks of death in battle, maiming or capture and execution, the Pirates' Code is written by a real expert who's tackled a lot of the source material so you don't have to. The extensive footnotes reference lots of sources but it's written in a way that will appeal to the everyday reader. I loved the section on pirates' folklore and myth dealing with the Kraken, the Flying Dutchman and Davey Jones' Locker. My only niggle was that it could have done with a slightly more active editor as snippets of information were repeated a little too much to make for a fluid and totally engrossing read. Still, an entertaining and factual account of an eternally fascinating subject.
Published in 2023, 'The Pirates' Code' is an analysis of the life on board pirate ships during the so-called Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Much time is spent debunking myths, often with the added benefit of an explanation of how the myths concerned arose in the first place. The chapters cover different aspects of life as a pirate, with coverage varying according to whether the writer knows much about the area in question or not. All in all, it makes for an interesting take on the subject when most readers knowledge of the area will be twisted by the version given by popular media.
A fun, if brisk, first foray for me into the non-fiction world of Piracy. Keen to do away with the myths of Pirates while also happy to pay homage, Rebecca Simon succeeds in educating the reader in the reality of a unique class of people.
I do find it funny that while the author is happy to (correctly) lambast Stede Bonnet at every opportunity, his flag has ended up as the cover! I suppose for all his failures as a savvy dog of the sea, he had a good eye for graphic design
Lots of background info for the pirate fan. The writing was clunky -- lots of repetition and often poor segues between topics. Get a good editor for the next edition. Appendices are well done and a rich reference source.
yo, ho, ho. and a bottle of rum. not a bad book, but not a great one. ...and that concludes my shanty for the pirates' code. repetitive content. stories reused throughout the chapters. a lightly informative telling of life aboard a pirate ship.
This was an interesting and readable account of life as a pirate in the Golden age of piracy. The pirate articles, modified as 'the code' in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, is a common theme throughout the book. A good introduction into the topic of pirate history.
Interesting at points. Very repetitive both within and between chapters. It felt like it was stuck in the intro-body-conclusion format for the whole thing. Badly written - I honestly wonder if AI was involved.
This gave me just the right amount of information needed. Incredibly informative and great for anyone interested in learning about piracy. Easy to understand and has an abundance of examples and scenarios.