Description

This book describes the life of a pirate of the early 18th century - the heyday of the 'Golden Age of Piracy'. It charts the way these men (and a few women) were recruited, how they operated, what they looked like and what their prospects were. In the process the book attempts to strip away many of the myths associated with piracy, to reveal the harsh realities of life beyond the normal bounds of society. The book draws on decades of research into the subject, and pulls together information from a myriad of sources, including official reports, contemporary newspaper reports, trial proceedings and court testimony, last words on the scaffold, letters, diaries and period scandal sheets. Other sources include archaeological evidence, and relevant objects and artefacts from museum collections on both sides of the Atlantic. In other words the book will reflect the last word in pirate research, making it beneficial to both the serious pirate historian and the novice apprentice.

Table of Contents

Introduction /Chronology /Recruitment /Skills /Appearance /Conditions on board /The Pirate in combat /Plunder /A Pirate's life /Fate /Collecting/Museums/Re-enactment /Bibliography /Glossary /Index

Product details

Published Sep 20 2011
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 64
ISBN 9781849084970
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 30 b/w; 33 col
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Warrior
Short code WAR 158
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Angus Konstam

Angus Konstam is a Fellow of the Royal Historical…

Author

David Rickman

David Rickman is the exhibits coordinator for the…

Illustrator

Giuseppe Rava

Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took…

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