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Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship
There’s mystery in her history; there’s gold within her hold…
This vivid picture book takes readers through the swashbuckling tale of the Whydah . One of the most advanced sailing ships of the early 18th-century when she first set sail from London in late 1716, this vessel brought adventure, wealth, and doom to all who sailed on her.
The Whydah was christened after the West African trading post of Ouidah. Commissioned as a slave ship, the Whydah was built with a deep cargo hold to pack in her human cargo, African captives bound for sale to Caribbean planters. The Whydah would make only one such voyage, before being captured by pirates off the Bahamas in February 1717. She fell into the hands of captain Sam Bellamy who soon replaced the English flag with the Jolly Roger.
Fate had still more in store for the Whydah . During one of the worst nor’easters ever recorded, she sank off Cape Cod on April 26, 1717. Packed with plunder, she was lashed to pieces by the storm and sank rapidly. There were few survivors.
The sea swallowed the Whydah along with her treasure, yet the fascinating saga of this storied ship was far from over. Centuries later, underwater explorer Barry Clifford, raised on legends of the sea around Cape Cod, set out to find the wreck. His quest literally led him into the history books, and he located the first authenticated pirate ship ever in 1984. Illustrated with dramatic color artwork by Greg Manchess, and awash with Ken Garrett’s dazzling photographs of the artifacts raised by Barry Clifford, this book captures the golden age of piracy in all its glory. Real Pirates will delight rambunctious pirates-at-heart and armchair treasure hunters alike.
Thanks to Barry Clifford, the multifaceted story of the ship that lay hidden in a watery grave for more than 250 years can now be told. Driven by a lively narrative and illustrated with such stunning photography, this book is pure gold.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
This vivid picture book takes readers through the swashbuckling tale of the Whydah . One of the most advanced sailing ships of the early 18th-century when she first set sail from London in late 1716, this vessel brought adventure, wealth, and doom to all who sailed on her.
The Whydah was christened after the West African trading post of Ouidah. Commissioned as a slave ship, the Whydah was built with a deep cargo hold to pack in her human cargo, African captives bound for sale to Caribbean planters. The Whydah would make only one such voyage, before being captured by pirates off the Bahamas in February 1717. She fell into the hands of captain Sam Bellamy who soon replaced the English flag with the Jolly Roger.
Fate had still more in store for the Whydah . During one of the worst nor’easters ever recorded, she sank off Cape Cod on April 26, 1717. Packed with plunder, she was lashed to pieces by the storm and sank rapidly. There were few survivors.
The sea swallowed the Whydah along with her treasure, yet the fascinating saga of this storied ship was far from over. Centuries later, underwater explorer Barry Clifford, raised on legends of the sea around Cape Cod, set out to find the wreck. His quest literally led him into the history books, and he located the first authenticated pirate ship ever in 1984. Illustrated with dramatic color artwork by Greg Manchess, and awash with Ken Garrett’s dazzling photographs of the artifacts raised by Barry Clifford, this book captures the golden age of piracy in all its glory. Real Pirates will delight rambunctious pirates-at-heart and armchair treasure hunters alike.
Thanks to Barry Clifford, the multifaceted story of the ship that lay hidden in a watery grave for more than 250 years can now be told. Driven by a lively narrative and illustrated with such stunning photography, this book is pure gold.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 4, 2025
I'm not mad at it for the kid's book that it is, but I do wish there was more.. it's cool, it's interesting, the pictures are great, but there's a lacking here and I'm not sure what.
June 9, 2015
This is the Nat Geo Kids edition of the adult book of the same name, both of which were designed to accompany our two National Geographic traveling exhibits of artifacts of the Whydah (pronounced WIH-duh, not WHY-duh), and our permanent exhibit in Provincetown on Cape Cod. We did not make this Kids edition with the intention of having overwhelming historical & archaeological data; I would recommend the adult version if you'd like more pictures and info. I also recommend Barry Clifford's other two books about the Whydah: THE PIRATE PRINCE, which was written in the 1990's, and EXPEDITION WHYDAH written in the 2000's.
May 21, 2015
Before reading this book I'd never heard of the Whydah so this was a really interesting look into a facet of history I knew very little about. Lots of information and pictures kept this book from getting dry or dull in the least, and the end with a look at how shipwrecks are studied and researched made me want to go and learn more about this whole project. What a cool book that accomplishes exactly what it was set out to do!
February 16, 2012
Pirates!! I had to read this book for work (oh my life is so difficult sometimes). This follows the story and the fate of the pirate ship, the Whydah. Originally a slave ship, Captain Sam Bellamy took her for his own, before she was wrecked off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717.
She was discovered in the 80's by the author, Barry Clifford. Underwater archaeology, ftw!
She was discovered in the 80's by the author, Barry Clifford. Underwater archaeology, ftw!
February 5, 2013
Really interesting read on the whole--just cut through the longish parts. The idea of a slave ship, turned pirate ship, that sank off the coast of MA loaded with treasure, and then the man who researched and recovered her and her treasure was really captivating for my 7-year old. Lends itself to many opportunities for good discussion.
July 16, 2008
This was a fun and interesting read about the discovery of the Whydah wreckage off Cape Cod. The authors did a wonderful job of providing the historical context of the ship and its crew. I would have liked more chapters on the excavation and artifacts and remains they discovered.
January 11, 2012
This is actually extremely short, considering how much information there is to convey on the subject. It is perfect for a younger audience, but I think that even they could have used more information and more pictures about what was found and what the ship would have been like.
October 26, 2012
About a slave ship that turned into a pirate ship.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews