David Cordingly Libros

For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at England's National Maritime Museum has combed original documents & records to produce a most authoritative & definitive account of piracy's Golden Age. As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. walking the plank is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex & often bloodier. 16 pages of photos. Maps.

The image of the pirate is one that has never failed to capture the imagination, but behind the melodramatic portrayals of such villains as Long John Silver, with wooden leg and eye-patch, lies a much harsher reality. This book is the first port of call for anyone keen to separate the fact from the fiction.

Piracy has long attracted ruthless individuals seeking fortune. For young men, it provided an escape from monotonous shore jobs, offering excitement, treasure, and the allure of adventure, including wine, women, and travel. However, it was a perilous pursuit; most famous pirates, like Blackbeard and Kidd, had brief careers lasting only two to three years, and few, such as Morgan or Drake, lived long enough to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. Historically, piracy has existed since ancient times, with Phoenician merchant ships targeted in the Mediterranean during the second millennium B.C. In Greece, Aegean islands were home to generations of pirates, and in 78 B.C., Julius Caesar was famously held for ransom by them. The discovery of vast gold treasures by Spanish conquistadores in the New World ignited two centuries of buccaneering, marking the Golden Age of Piracy. Meanwhile, the riches of the East led to the emergence of formidable pirates in the South China Sea, known for their numbers and brutality. Piracy has never fully disappeared; it persists along the coasts of Brazil, West Africa, and notably in the Malacca Strait, where the world's highest concentration of merchant shipping continues to attract these ancient marauders.

Examines the popular image of pirates in modern times and compares it with the real world of pirates, who were more often murderers and thieves than romantic heros.

A wonderful illustrated history of pirates from the sixteenth century until present.