How History S Greatest Pirates Pillaged Plundered And Got Away With It

Who were the world’s most successful pirates, and why? “Interesting and very readable . . . Little clearly knows his subject well.” —International Journal of Naval History More than just simple retellings of tried-and-true stories of buccaneers on the high seas, this book focuses on pirating tactics of the 1500s through the 1800s to give an in-depth view of how pirates functioned through history. Stories of the thirteen most famous pirates as they raid major ships and pillage coastal villages reveal how the pirates approached such invasions—and how they managed to elude authorities and sometimes whole navies. In addition, vivid firsthand descriptions recreate the excitement, fear, and fury of the most famous raids by these outlaws of the ocean. Delving deep to show piracy’s profound impact on trade, politics, military strategy, culture, and individual lives, the book sifts truth from myth, carefully reconstructs the geopolitical context of each story, and analyzes the tactics that brought the pirates glory, or led to their downfall. Also included are archival images gathered from around the world by the author, a former Navy SEAL and consultant on maritime security.

Jolie Rouge is a swashbuckling tale of adventure and historical fiction where the fantastic exploits of Pirate Captain Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722) and Haitian Voodoo set the stage for a group of college friends who find themselves at the mercy of a band of modern-day pirates of the Caribbean. Will the unlucky friends make their escape, or will they simply vanish into history in the remote Western Atlantic hinterlands? Only the turn of these pages will tell I hope you enjoy the story!

Discover the “fascinating and outrageously readable” account of the roguish acts of the first pirates to raid the Pacific in a crusade that ended in a sensational trial back in England—perfect for readers of Nathaniel Philbrick and David McCullough (Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God) The year is 1680, in the heart of the Golden Age of Piracy, and more than three hundred daring, hardened pirates—a potent mix of low-life scallywags and a rare breed of gentlemen buccaneers—gather on a remote Caribbean island. The plan: to wreak havoc on the Pacific coastline, raiding cities, mines, and merchant ships. The booty: the bright gleam of Spanish gold and the chance to become legends. So begins one of the greatest piratical adventures of the era—a story not given its full due until now. Inspired by the intrepid forays of pirate turned Jamaican governor Captain Henry Morgan—yes, that Captain Morgan—the company crosses Panama on foot, slashing its way through the Darien Isthmus, one of the thickest jungles on the planet, and liberating a native princess along the way. After reaching the South Sea, the buccaneers, primarily Englishmen, plunder the Spanish Main in a series of historic assaults, often prevailing against staggering odds and superior firepower. A collective shudder racks the western coastline of South America as the English pirates, waging a kind of proxy war against the Spaniards, gleefully undertake a brief reign over Pacific waters, marauding up and down the continent. With novelistic prose and a rip-roaring sense of adventure, Keith Thomson guides us through the pirates’ legendary two-year odyssey. We witness the buccaneers evading Indigenous tribes, Spanish conquistadors, and sometimes even their own English countrymen, all with the ever-present threat of the gallows for anyone captured. By fusing contemporaneous accounts with intensive research and previously unknown primary sources, Born to Be Hanged offers a rollicking account of one of the most astonishing pirate expeditions of all time.

For thousands of years, pirates have terrorized the ocean voyager and the coastal inhabitant, plundered ship and shore, and wrought havoc on the lives and livelihoods of rich and poor alike. Around these desperate men has grown a body of myths and legends—fascinating tales that today strongly influence our notions of pirates and piracy. Most of these myths derive from the pirates of the “Golden Age,” from roughly 1655 to 1725. This was the age of the Spanish Main, of Henry Morgan and Blackbeard, of Bartholomew Sharp and Bartholomew Roberts. The history of pirate myth is rich in action, at sea and ashore. However, the truth is far more interesting. In The Golden Age of Piracy, expert pirate historian Benerson Little debunks more than a dozen pirate myths that derive from this era—from the flying of the Jolly Roger to the burying of treasure, from walking the plank to the staging of epic sea battles—and shows that the truth is far more fascinating and disturbing than the romanticized legends. Among Little’s revelations are that pirates of the Golden Age never made their captives walk the plank and that they, instead, were subject to horrendous torture, such as being burned or hung by their arms. Likewise, epic sea battles involving pirates were fairly rare because most prey surrendered immediately. The stories are real and are drawn heavily from primary sources. Complementing them are colorful images of flags, ships, and buccaneers based on eyewitness accounts. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The Pirate Encyclopedia, as the essential companion for scholars, students, and a general audience intrigued by tales and facts, offers the most complete body of data available on the legitimacy of more than 7.000 adventurers as subjects of investigation.

Stories of famous pirates from around the world are retold in this fast-moving series; Each book includes an analysis page in each chapter that helps the kids understand what is real and what might have been fictionalized over time; Each book provides a concluding chapter that recounts for the kids whether the pirate is more legend or mostly truth.

Stories of famous pirates from around the world are retold in this fast-moving series; Each book includes an analysis page in each chapter that helps the kids understand what is real and what might have been fictionalized over time; Each book provides a concluding chapter that recounts for the kids whether the pirate is more legend or mostly truth.

Rebels, rulers, scientists, artists, warriors and villains Women are, and have always been, all these things and more. Looking through the ages and across the globe, Anita Sarkeesian, founder of Feminist Frequency, along with Ebony Adams PHD, have reclaimed the stories of twenty-five remarkable women who dared to defy history and change the world around them. From Mongolian wrestlers to Chinese pirates, Native American ballerinas to Egyptian scientists, Japanese novelists to British Prime Ministers, History vs Women will reframe the history that you thought you knew. Featuring beautiful full-color illustrations of each woman and a bold graphic design, this standout nonfiction title is the perfect read for teens (or adults!) who want the true stories of phenomenal women from around the world and insight into how their lives and accomplishments impacted both their societies and our own.