Pirates: The Truth Behind the Robbers of the High Seas

by Nigel Cawthorne

Pirates have an almost mythical status in the public imagination - we think of rogue heroes riding the high seas and 'X marks the spot'. But this image is flawed at best.

Using contemporary sources, Nigel Cawthorne turns the spotlight on the reality of pirate life, revealing the truth behind the legends. It gives us an insight into infamous the men and women who plundered ship and shore, including Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and Mary Read. We learn of the hazy distinction between pirates and state-approved privateers who were used to maintain empire, as well as the Port Royal pirate base in Jamaica - known as the 'wickedest city in the world'.

Including details of various pirate exploits, as well as their weapons, ships and unhappy victims, this fascinating read will divide fact from slippery fiction.

Genres: History

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2020

About the author

Nigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".

One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.

Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).

Reviews

[Ana on the Shelves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you like pirates? Do you want information about them? Well this book has a lot of it. A lot!
Too much of it indeed, with no breathing room for the reader and a writing style that is as dry as it could be.
At the end you find an extensive list of books to further your reading on the topic yet no bibliography list.
“Pirates” by Nigel Cawthorne was a fair attempt that unfortunately needed more polishing.

[Zandt McCue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good example of how not to write a book. It's not that the contents are particularly bad. It's that everything is shoved down your throat to an extent that you, as a reader, don't have any breathing room. I did learn some new information when I could focus but it was incredibly hard to invest myself in a book like this. People don't like textbooks for a reason.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hoped this would serve as a nice little refresher of the salient facts about pirates and piracy I learned in uni, but it turned out to be a meandering and poorly edited mishmash of anecdotes.

First and foremost: there is no bibliography or notes so as far as I can tell nothing has been sourced. There is a further reading section though, so perhaps future readers would be better off picking from that list and skipping this book entirely.

This little book also would not be hurting for a good round of editing. Some new paragraphs are missing the initial indentation, there are a fair number of spelling and grammatical mistakes, and the numbering makes no sense. A single sentence often includes both numbers (ie: 200) and written numbers (ie: two hundred) with little to no rhyme or reason as to why. Perhaps I'm just being picky here, but I found it very distracting. The only exception to this weird numbering method was, of course, dates.

It might be okay as an introductory summation of piracy's more popular and well-established characters and topics, but for anyone looking to really learn something about this amazing topic, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Arcturus Publishing for an advanced copy of this history of piracy and tales of the Brethren of the Coast.

One of my favorite computer games growing up was a game called Syd Meier's Pirates!. In the game you played a young man whose family has been stolen away, and the character must travel to the Caribbean to get back at his family, get revenge on the man who did this all, and to make lots of money, and retire respectfully. Of course the character does this by becoming a pirate, seizing cargo, raiding towns, killing anything that gets in the way. That's the way pirates are usually portrayed in films, men wronged taking to sea for vengeance. The truth is of course far different. The men who went pirating would have loved to have retired respectfully, but they would leave a very large wake of destruction. And there were a lot of men, in both business and government who would support piracy, until it became too costly. Nigel Cawthorne in Pirates: The Truth Behind the Robbers of the High Seas gives an overview of these men who made the shipping lanes so deadly, detailing their crimes and for most of them their punishments.

The book begins with a history of piracy starting from ancient times with descriptions of Greek pirates, later pirates in Tripoli, before traveling to the time and place we know piracy so well, the Spanish Main and the Golden Age of Piracy. Spanish gold, treasure fleets, spices, material, anything that could be resold, repurposed or used to by grog and companionship. And of course respectability. Readers learn of the various alliances, letters of marque, pirate kingdoms, fleets, and of course corruption. Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, Captain William Kidd all make appearances, as well as less known pirates like Roc Brasiliano, Stede Bonnet and others.

The book covers all the major raids along with the major players, along with weapons, different kinds of ships, tactics and of course a lot of the captures and executions of pirates. Life at sea is covered, as well as stories of those who got away, or even worse marooned. There is a lot of history covered, from the alliances and wars between the French, English, Dutch and of course the Spanish. Cawthorne also covers the vast amounts of abetting and enabling that merchants, governors and even countries took part in as money corrupts everything around it. And the book features plenty of swash and buckling. There is nothing new or revelatory, the writing is good, the narrative moves well and is entertaining. A very good primer for someone new to the world or pirates, and would like to know more.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look, I get this is meant to be a pop retelling of the history of Golden Age pirates. Honestly, that's all I wanted. However, I did expect a bit more evidence and concrete history in a book that is marketed in the history section of the book store.

Some of it I know is nitpicky (and a dumb thing to take issue with), like spelling the names of places wrong (it's Saint John, NB. Saint's Johns is in Newfoundland) or throw away sentences (Pocahontas was like ten and she and John Smith were not 'lovers'). It's not that getting these little things wrong is the worst, but it seriously makes me question whether or not I should trust the author on anything bigger- it's a red flag when they can't get easily Google-able facts straight.

There's also the bigger problem of the fact that it's clear that there was only one main/primary source used. It's the General History of the Pyrates (sidenote- the evidence that Dafoe wrote it is circumstantial at best and not agreed on. The fact he just stated it as point of fact without explaining that fact is also an issue), which obviously duh. It's not that he uses it, but that he reports on the contents of it so uncritically. Like, the General History gives no sources as to where it got its information and it seems highly unlikely that the writer of it was able to learn all these very particular facts of all these different pirates/events (Mary Read in particular stuck out to me- her 'life story' is recorded here and then others ran with it). Historians agree it was totally embellished, and I find just repeating the stories without even mentioning that is another red flag when it comes to trying to tell a 'real history' story.


Even outside the historical stuff, it doesn't work well as a book either. The organization isn't great and mislabeled a lot (an example the chapter that is specifically talking about Port Royal as a whole is basically just Henry Morgan's exploits). It also gives so many little details that aren't important enough to be in a summary, which means the actual narrative gets lost in the reeds. It's repeative and hard to even absorb what you're reading.

[Kellye Filer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pirates
Nigel Cawthorne
Arcturus Publishing

Using contemporary sources, Nigel Cawthorne turns the spotlight on the reality of pirate life, revealing the truth behind the legends. It gives us an insight into the infamous men, and women, who plundered ship and shore, including Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and Mary Read. We learn of the hazy distinction between pirates and state-approved privateers who were used to maintain empire, as well as the Port Royal pirate base in Jamaica - known as the 'wickedest city in the world'. Including details and various accounts of ‘at sea’ and ‘on shore’ exploits, this swashbuckling read will divide fact from slippery fiction, and shivering your timbers.
The ‘life of a pirate’ is often misunderstood, misrepresented, and with some historical untruths; therefore lending creed to the tales that catered to some of the fear, the greed, and the legendary heroism and romantic rapture that is a ‘Pirate’. The mercenary nature of most piracy and its strong links to the nation states that dominated the world in its heyday, is examined by the shifting allegiances of both pirates and privateers, which the dominating main motive is simply driven by profit.
The book spans the history of piracy starting from the ancient Greek pirates and carries you through to the prime of the pirate decades. It covers all the major raids, the major pirates and players, the weaponry, the tactical courses and captures, the executions of pirates, and of course the vessels and ships. The full life at sea is covered, along with some the more famous mutinies, raids, wars, and alliances. Along with the vast amounts of abetting and enabling the merchants and governors, and even countries that took part in the corruption of everything that is piracy.

I would very much like to thank NetGalley and Nigel Cawthorne and Acturus Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest and unbiased review and feedback on Pirates.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pirates. Early adopters of a democratic environment? Rogue heroes riding the high seas, hiding treasure along the way? Zealous patriots of their country? Or were they cruel, merciless individuals who lived outside the law?

Pirates have fascinated me since I was young. I’ve enjoyed films starring Errol Flynn, such as Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk. Of course I knew they were glamorous stories, and the truth was somewhat darker. I picked up this book, interested in learning more details about the life pirates led.

While other books about pirates have included notes and source materials, I was disappointed that this one did not. It seems the author drew much of his information from the 1724 A General History of Pyrates, which I thought was considered unreliable due to its mixture of fact with fiction. The book does contain a list at the end of other books to read, so there is that.

The narrative of the book felt all over the place. It would introduce a pirate, only to describe a different pirate that either influenced, fought with, or was a contemporary of the first pirate mentioned. I kept having to go back and remind myself of the pirate I was reading about.

If all you’re looking for is an overview of pirates and are not interested in where the author got his information, this might be the book for you. I received a copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Korey Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

TL;DR: This book needs an editor

I am currently struggling through this book. It badly needs an editor. There are basic spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that confuse the narrative.

The author shotguns anecdote after anecdote at the reader with little context in between. Consequently it is difficult to keep track of who is doing what and where.

Sub-chapters, contextual maps, footnotes and
several more editing passes would elevate this from an interesting but frustrating read into a great resource for someone interested in the topic. Additionally, the prose is very utilitarian and remote. It seems to lack any interest or conviction when re-telling the tales of piracy during the age of sail.

Where the book shines, and what is keeping me reading, is when the author takes the time to relay an anecdote of piracy with a little more detail and when the words of the characters are actually injected into the prose. One memorable passage about Henry Morgan included an exchange with a Spanish commander.

[Stfnie]

DNF. I was enthusiastic, even though the rating is very low. But every sentence is new facts with dates and names and the author chose not to dive deeper into particular people’s story (like Pizarro invading and overthrowing the Inca’s) and I think that’s a miss. The facts are interesting, but I will never ever remember anything of it, because it’s all dates and names and names of ships and lands and on to the next one without painting a picture I can truly hang the information on, to retain for later remembrance. I didn’t mind the quick writing and could follow well enough, I think it kept me reading for as long as I did, but I started thinking ‘why am I reading this if I can’t remember it?’ I think I’d rather try books that dive deeper into particular happenings, so I can see the full picture.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice, glossed over introduction to pirate history. I picked it up for exactly that reason, since I know virtually nothing about the history of pirates. I just recently learned that everyone's favorite Disneyland ride Pirates of the Caribbean was based off of Port Royal, and I had no idea what that was or where.
I especially liked this little book because it makes me want to read more in depth about this period in history. This was a perfect start.

[Ken · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is essentially a haphazard collection of barely related anecdotal stories about Pirates. Anyone who is familiar with pirate lore will learn nothing from this book, and anyone who is new to Pirates will be lost in the frantic confusion of the stories. I couldn't finish it.

[Querida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, because I love pirates and learning more about them. However this felt like a bunch of information all shoved into a book with no flow. It made it hard to follow and though there were some parts I really enjoyed, overall it was a difficult read.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these quick, rainy-day reads, however this one in particular was very poorly proofed. Lots of typeset errors. Otherwise fun.

[vonnegut · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an introductory book it could have been organised better

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the first trading boats traveled by sea, piracy has plagued mankind. As early as 694 BC an Assyrian king attempts to suppress the marauding, but still it continues. More than one man, including Miguel de Cervantes, suffers because of pirates. Whether in the past or today, these sea rogues endanger passengers and seamen alike, yet of all the various time periods in which it has been rife, piracy reached its zenith from the west coast of Africa to the Spanish Main, from Canadian waters to the South Seas during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This historical period, often referred to as the “golden age,” is the focus of this book.

Unlike many volumes on these pirates, this one opens with the victims. It includes some firsthand accounts, such as those experienced by victims of George Lowther or Aaron Smith – a man who tangled with pirates twice, was forced to accompany one group, and was tried three times for piracy.

From there, the book delves into privateering and the buccaneers. This period begins with Jean Fleury’s astounding capture of Spain’s treasure-laden ships – an event that confirmed rumors of fantastic wealth and spurred other countries to explore for these riches. According to the subheading within privateering, those of England are featured. Yet half the chapter focuses on the French Huguenots, while the remainder concentrates on the exploits of Sir Francis Drake, concluding with a snippet about the Dutch, especially Piet Heyn.

Other chapters examine Port Royal, the weapons and ships of the pirates, what life was like for one of these marauders, the lure of oriental riches, tactics, and attempts to stop piratical depredations. The usual suspects can be found within these pages – Bartholomew Roberts, William Kidd, and Blackbeard to name a few – as well as lesser-known ones, such as Charles Gibbs, Robert Waal, and François le Clerc (better known as Pie de Palo or Peg Leg). Mention is also made of two primary sources: Captain Johnson’s A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates and Alexandre Exquemelin’s Bucaniers of America.

This is a highly readable introduction to piracy. The majority of the presented information is factual, although source citations are omitted for the most part. Readers should be aware, however, that there are occasional statements that aren’t true or supported by facts. For example, not everyone believes that Daniel Defoe and Captain Johnson are one and the same; in fact, there is supporting evidence to suggest someone else as the author. Or that Blackbeard frequently strangled and tossed his female victims overboard; in reality, there is little historical evidence to support such violence, although he was a master of intimidation. A third example is the blanket statement that the majority of pirates were homosexuals without any supporting documentation to back up this claim.

In spite of these caveats, Pirates is an entertaining and informative romp through the golden age of piracy. Additional kudos to the author for giving victims first priority in this account, when many volumes often give them secondary or even lesser attention. Combined with a list of titles for further reading, an index, and occasional pictures, Pirates is also a good jumping off point for readers who want to dip their toes into the history of sea marauders before diving deeper.