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Blackbeard: A Life from Beginning to End

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Discover the remarkable life of Blackbeard...
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Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was the most feared pirate of the Golden Age—a towering figure who struck terror into the hearts of sailors from the Caribbean to the Carolinas. Most biographies seem to start and stop with that statement, but there was much more to the life of Blackbeard than that, and much more to learn about the man behind history’s most fearsome pirate legend.

From his stint as a privateer in Queen Anne’s War to his commandeering of a ship he dubbed the Queen Anne’s Revenge and his life of piracy that followed, this book takes us down the incredible trail Blackbeard blazed all the way to his final showdown with Robert Maynard. Here, you will find the life and legend of Blackbeard in full.

Discover a plethora of topics such asThe Queen Anne’s WarFrom Gentleman to PirateAll Aboard the Queen Anne’s RevengeThe Art of FearThe Blockade of CharlestonBlackbeard’s Final BattleAnd much more!
So if you want a concise and informative book on Blackbeard, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!

42 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2025

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21 people want to read

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Hourly History

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5 stars
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58 (33%)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Brooke (B for Books).
878 reviews32 followers
July 21, 2025
A tenacious legend who fought to his own death at age 38 off the coast of Ocra Coake Island VA, never backing down from his lifestyle. 1700s post-Queen Anne's War. Not much is known about Blackbeard's life. He wrote few diary entries that don't shed much light. In his early years he was from a privileged family and learned cultured ways of the time. Once he took to the seas, he never went back, even when he had multiple chance. The British Navy in Virginia issued a decree that pirates would be pardoned if they turned themselves in. He never did. What motivated him?


Blackbeard and his fellow pirates now had a clear choice: they could either accept the pardon, lay down their arms, and try to make an honest living, or they could continue to live as they always had, except now be hunted down as fugitives.
There is no question that Blackbeard had a streak of sadism in his heart. He seemed to enjoy scaring people, but there was also a purpose behind his use of fear and terror.


Even more than treasure, it seems that booze and women, and living a life free from social rules was what Blackbeard was after. He was an alcoholic sociopath. His sociopathic methods were to intimidate rather than kill or even harm. He was not known for murder. It's hot as sin in the summer, and he just wanted to stay drunk and fake-marry women who were willing for adventure.

from the only journal entry shared in this accound:

'Such a day, rum all out—our company somewhat sober. A damned confusion amongst us! Rogues a-plotting. Such a day took one, with a great deal of liquor on board, so kept the company hot—damned hot. Then all things went well again.” —Blackbeard

His death came about because he refused to surrender to the British even after his throat was slit. He continued wildly swinging his sword fighting for himself until the last blood drained from his body. They cut off his head and threw his body in the ocean. Now tell me his pirate ghost ass isn't swimming laps around that creepy island in Virginia.

I have been to Ocra Coake island and it is a magical and spooky place, legends and ghosts swarm, and there are supposed to be some great sea shells though I found better on the cape! The summers
Profile Image for F.
1,191 reviews9 followers
July 27, 2025
A little bit of pirate worship going on in this book, perhaps a carry-over from the recent movies that somewhat hero-ize them. The book does get around to pointing out they were likely riddled with STDs and other hazards of their unhealthy lifestyles most, like Blackbeard, dying fairly young.
Interesting account of Edward Teach but not, as admitted, solid history.
279 reviews
December 26, 2025
This is an extremely well-done short biography of the pirate Edward Teach, covering all the major events of his life. The biography doesn't waste any time in getting to the action, giving only the minimum of background necessary to understand what's going on. (Too often, the Hourly History series spends a quarter or more of the book focusing on historical context.) This biography makes an informative short read.
Profile Image for David Parker.
486 reviews9 followers
August 23, 2025
A legion larger than life

I knew very little about this man but piracy was probably a better calling than being a sailor. Pirates lived in a democracy and the captain was elected and thus could only rule by the faith of his crew. In the Royal Navy the captain was the absolute king as sea and did as he pleased.
The book lacked details of his 38 years of life.
444 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2025
I know this, by its nature, is a very short history of one of the most infamous pirates ever. But it almost seems like a history surrounding one event in his life. Since there is little real evidence of his life before going to sea, I had hoped for his exploits as a pirate to be discussed more thoroughly. The information given is very good. it just seemed too limited.
Profile Image for Barry Jenkins.
341 reviews5 followers
November 19, 2025
Poorly written story

This could have been, should have been a very interesting story of one of the most infamous pirates to sail the seven seas........but as very often occurs with this Hourly History outfit, it is poorly written and quite boring. As usual, no one has the temerity to list their name as the author of these often biased and usually boring stories.
269 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2025
A Pirate With Class

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book about the pirate known as Blackbeard. It offered a glimpse into the life of pirates and how many of them ended up in that line of work. Although Blackbeard was eventually killed in battle, he went down fighting.
3 reviews
July 31, 2025
poorly written

Poorly written, completely boring word choice and the lack on how the word works in the game makes the whole
3,958 reviews21 followers
July 27, 2025
This is a rousing tale of the brave pirate Blackbeard. It is fascinating that there is so little about his early and mid-life. Due to his educated speech and behavior, contemporaries believed he might be from Bristol, England's respectable merchant class. He was born in Bristol around 1680 CE and was likely named Edward Teach.

Early pirates were freebooters who served as auxiliary forces to regular military powers. During Queen Anne's War, from 1702 to 1713, piracy was at its peak. Blackbeard learned the ropes during this time. At the end of the war, privateers suddenly found themselves without jobs. To persuade the pirates to surrender, the British government announced that those who quit stealing by September 5, 1718, would receive pardons, thereby forgiving all their previous acts of piracy.

During the war years, Blackbeard became associated with Captain Benjamin Hornigold. At about the time of the British government pardons, Hornigold decided to retire. After some hefty wins on the seas, Blackbeard also took a pardon. But in a few months, the call of the waters drew Blackbeard back to stealing. He was killed on November 22, 1718.

Blackbeard was a fascinating character, standing at approximately 6'4 "tall. He tended to intimidate or scare his adversaries, rather than resort to brute force. He was such a dynamic figure that most feared him. This story is quite entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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