Swashbuckling Scoundrels

This book examines pirates throughout history--both as real-life figures and as fictional characters. Readers will separate pirate fact from pirate folklore and learn what motivates real-life acts of piracy in the modern world.

You might be a fan of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. But did you know that real-life pirates were even more daring and charismatic? For example, Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, reportedly kept a lit fuse under his hat, creating a frightening haze of smoke around his head. William Fly, convicted of piracy in 1726, had to show his executioner how to tie the noose that went around his neck at the gallows. Pirates are outlaws who commit crimes at sea. Throughout history they have attacked cargo-laden ships to pillage gold, silver, human slaves, and valuable foodstuffs. Twenty-first-century pirates take crews hostage and demand ransoms. Some even siphon off petroleum from tanker ships. The world of pirates is one of violence and economic desperation. Yet over the centuries, pirates have acquired a reputation as rugged adventurers and heroes. Novelists, playwrights, cartoonists, and screenwriters have created a wide range of tales showing pirates as noble and even lovable figures. Swashbuckling Scoundrels introduces readers to real-life pirates—medieval Viking raiders, Caribbean buccaneers, black pirates, female pirates, and modern-day pirates—as well as famous fictional characters such as Long John Silver and Mary "Jacky" Faber of the Bloody Jack series of novels. See how historical and fictional pirates compare and why we thrill to tales of daring outlaw pirates.

Action-packed stories of pirates, treachery, and buried treasure have excited and fascinated readers ever since Treasure Island became an instant bestseller in 1883. But are these tales partly fact or totally fiction? What do we know about the real pirates of yesteryear? Who were they, and where did they come from? And what is the reality behind the myth? Pirates and Privateers delves into the real lives of the men and women whose brutal journeys of adventure have become legendary. It explores the true story behind those tempestuous times, and reveals the ruthless violence of notorious seadogs such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan, and the Barbarossa Brothers, plundering their way across the seven seas in search of riches and infamy.

Every kid knows that pirates talk funny, swing a big sword, and seek buried treasure—don’t they? What do we really know about Blackbeard, Madame Cheng, Sir Francis Drake, and other men and women of pirate history? What drove them to sail the high seas? What were their bad habits, favorite foods, and silly quirks? And did they actually talk like that? A lively style, lots of surprises, and solid research have made the Lives of . . . series of collective biographies popular with both kids and adults. Now the series returns, spanning the globe with profiles of the nineteen most notorious pirates in history.

Feel like the weight of the galaxy is on your shoulders? Thinking about joining the dark side? To restore your inner peace with the Force, look no further than the timeless Star Wars Little Golden Books! This inspirational collection features illustrations of epic scenes from the entire Star Wars saga. It’s the perfect gift for Star Wars and Little Golden Book fans of all ages.

How a classic tactical game got made, told by the developers themselves.