Pirates & Privateers: Books for Adults~History: Piracy

Cover Art: Piracy and
Privateering
in the Golden
Age
Netherlands

Piracy and Privateering in the Golden Age Netherlands
by Virginia W. Lunsford
Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, ISBN 1-4039-6692-3, US $65.00

The sea was an integral part of Dutch history and culture, especially from the late 16th century through the 17th. Those who waged war against other countries, such as Spain, in defense of the Dutch Republic played a vital role in establishing the country’s independence. Although laws existed to draw the line between piracy and privateering, reality wasn’t always so clear cut. The Sea Beggars -- “a ragtag assemblage of Dutch aristocrats, ultra-Calvinists, and riffraff” -- were a prime example of those warrior mariners who strayed between legal and illegal seizures of ships.

Divided into three parts, this book examines the complexity and ambiguity of how the Dutch treated pirates and privateers from their country as well as those from other countries. The first section examines the laws and activities defining plundering and what society thought of these men and what they did. Part II examines the cultural aspects of national identity, the economic effects of piracy and privateering, and the importance of maritime life and trade to the survival of the Netherlands. The interpretation of maritime laws and the disparity in meting out punishment are analyzed in the final section of the book. Also of value are the glossary, chapter notes, and appendices, which include privateer instructions, income earned, privateer captures, and sailors captured by Algerian corsairs.

This comprehensive and scholarly examination sheds light on a topic long neglected, in part because of a devastating fire in 1844 that destroyed much of the archives of the Dutch Admiralty. As in other countries, the Netherlands enacted stringent laws that defined what constituted piracy and privateering, but their implementation strayed into murky waters. Lunsford expertly navigates what documentation still exists to provide readers with a better understanding of how men who skirted the law could become heroes rather than villains. She captures the essence of this dilemma from the outset with the tale of Claes Compaen, a privateer who becomes an infamous pirate, then rejoins society as a law-abiding citizen. She also introduces readers to naval heroes, privateers, and pirates of the Netherlands, including the infamous Rock Brasiliano.

The Pirate Code: From Honorable Thieves to Modern-Day Villains
by Brenda Ralph Lewis
Lyons Press, 2008, ISBN 978-1-59921-455-9, US $19.95 / CAN $21.95

This book presents the history of piracy from ancient times through today. In between those two periods, the author examines Vikings, Barbary corsairs, and Caribbean pirates. Black-&-white illustrations accompany much of the text, and quotations from primary source materials are interspersed throughout the narrative. Boxes highlight particular items tied to subjects presented in the text.

Source information for quotations is provided, but isn’t always complete. There are no footnotes and the bibliography lists only ten resources. While the book contains many facts not included in other piracy books, there are also a few questionable facts. For example, the author writes, “They were Ishaq, Aruj, Ilyas, and the most famous of them and apparently the youngest, Khair ad Din (c. 1480-1546), who was known to Europeans as Barbarossa or Red Beard.” Aruj was known by this moniker long before Khair ad Din, who dyed his beard red to honor his dead brother and thus acquired the name Barbarossa, just as his brother had. Lewis also claims young boys on pirate ships were given the task of setting “fire to their own ship” once pirates acquired another vessel. Although there were a few boys amongst pirate crews, they were a rarity, and she fails to provide documentation to support this claim of them firing a ship – a fact I’ve never come across in a decade of researching pirates.

Another questionable aspect of the book is the misplacement of the chapter on pirate democracy. It precedes the chapters on the buccaneers of the 17th century and the golden age of piracy, yet it discusses Bartholomew Roberts, John Phillips, George Lowther, and a few others from the 18th century.

Readers also need to be aware that there are a few gaps in what is incorporated into this book. When discussing Asian piracy, Lewis makes no mention of the pirate confederation under Cheng and Cheng I Sao’s leadership in the early 19th century – a force so powerful it nearly destroyed the Chinese imperial navy. Yet the chapter on ancient piracy is one of the most readable and well presented overviews readers will encounter.

If you’re looking for a useful starting point to learn about piratical history, The Pirate Code is worth reading.

Pirate Nation: Elizabeth I and Her Royal Sea Rovers
by David Childs
Seaforth, 2014, ISBN 978-1-84832-190-8, UK £25.00 / US $48.95

During the final decades of the 16th century, piracy blossomed among the English. This was due, in part, because the queen and many of her advisors supported – sometimes surreptitiously, sometimes openly – and profited from these ventures. There were a few exceptions (most notably William Cecil, Lord Burghley, the royal treasurer), but these men couldn’t stop Elizabeth from her pursuit of enriching the royal coffers, which were in need of funds, and using the men who would become known as her Sea Dogs to England’s advantage.

This book examines the situations, people, country, politics, and law during this time period and how they affect England both internally and externally. It is divided into twelve chapters, which clearly show how state sponsorship of the sea rovers expanded the reach of England and forged new maritime enterprises. Within these chapters readers meet such “celebrities” as John Hawkins, the first to venture into the slave trade; Francis Drake, the first to circumnavigate the world; Martin Frobisher, who fails to find either the Northwest Passage or treasures similar to the riches of Spain; and Walter Raleigh, who backs several of the earliest colonial ventures to the New World. While these names most readers will recognize, Childs also includes some of the lesser-known sea rovers, such as George Clifford, the third earl of Cumberland. He also discusses families that control local regions and immerse themselves in piracy, such as the Killigrews, but which are rarely focused upon in English histories. He also demonstrates the inequities of the justice system of the time. The third chapter includes information on the Golden Hind, Desire, Dainty, Scourge of Malice, and the Royal Navy. The fourth chapter provides a fascinating exploration of the evolution of guns (cannon) and their use on ships.

Childs includes a table comparing the weaponry on four ships, and such tables are sprinkled in other chapters as well. Throughout the book, he incorporates quotations from contemporary documents to enrich the narrative. The following is a list of the eleven documents included in the appendices:

Letters of Reprisal and Bonds for Good Behaviour, 1591-95
Commission issued by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Cumberland, 28 March 1595
John Donne, “The Storm” and “The Calm,” 1600
Inventory of Malice Scourge, 1600
Estimated Costs of Equipping a Pirate Vessel
Authorisation to Equip a Vessel of War under the Admiralty of Zealand, 1582
Tennyson, “The Little Revenge, A Ballad of the Fleet”
Cargo Unloaded at Seville, 1593
The Appraisement of Prizes
Notes from State Papers Concerning Piracy, 1578
Complaints of the Dutch Concerning English Piracy, 1589

References within the main text refer readers to these documents when the information in an appendix is pertinent to the material in the chapter. In addition, the author includes exchange rates not only for the period, but also for the present year. References, a bibliography, notes, and maps are found at the end of the book, which is indexed. There are also three sections of black-&-white photographs depicting portraits, ships, weaponry, places, charts, and equipment of the period.

While many nonfiction books include an introduction or preface to orient the reader, Childs chooses to immerse the reader directly into the thick of the story, which may leave some readers a bit disoriented at first. Those who venture further into the book will find a well-rounded, provocative exploration of this period in English history. By including defects and failures alongside merits and successes, he shows the complexity of Elizabeth and her reign, providing readers with better insight as to why she pursues the path she does and how her decisions guide England toward becoming a powerful maritime nation. Childs makes clear that Elizabeth is not the only person of power who becomes involved in piracy, that it is an occupation in which many of the aristocracy participate in varying degrees.

Pirate of the Far East, 811-1639
by Stephen Turnbull
illustrated by Richard Hook
Osprey, 2007, ISBN 978-1-84603-174-8, US $17.95 / CAN $23.00 / UK £8.39

Part of Osprey’s “Warrior” series, Pirate of the Far East introduces readers to Asian pirates, with particular emphasis on the wokou or wako. This volume describes these sea raiders, their daily life, the elements of their raids, and how their victims attempted to defend themselves. Three specific examples of the wako in battle are also presented. Information about museum exhibits featuring piracy, other resources to consult, and an index round out this book. A significant number of maps, paintings, photographs, and scrolls illustrate Pirate of the Far East.

This is a concise, easy-to-read introduction to a subject often ignored in pirate history, even though Asian pirates predate the more infamous Caribbean rogues by centuries. Both the author and illustrator show how those of the Far East differ from later western pirates through example and description. For those interested in a region where piracy still intrudes into the safe navigation of the world’s waterways or those who wish to broaden their knowledge of history, I heartily recommend this book.

The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire
by Susan Ronald
HarperCollins, 2007, ISBN 978-0-06-082066-4, US $26.95 / CAN $33.95

Divided into four parts, The Pirate Queen begins with Elizabeth’s ascent to the English throne on the death of Bloody Mary. She soon learns that her half-sister has bankrupted the royal treasury and with the kingdom in peril from outsiders – in particular the Catholic Philip, King of Spain – Elizabeth sets in motion policies to defend her country and people and to replenish her coffers.

This book is primarily about the relationship between the queen and her Sea Dogs, and how she successfully “fuse[d] the colossal and diverging egos of her gentlemen and merchant adventurers while enforcing her personal will for the protection and security of England.” Within its pages the reader meets Richard Hawkins, Martin Frobisher, Francis Drake, and Walter Raleigh, among others. Ronald’s source material for the book includes a myriad of primary and secondary resources, as well as thousands of letters that Elizabeth and her pirates exchanged. There are two appendices – Doctor John Dee’s essay on “The Petty Navy Royal” and a typical report on the “Flotilla of New Spain” – a glossary, bibliographical essay and suggested readings, and a substantial index.

Readers seeking a biography of the Virgin Queen should look elsewhere, for there are only brief mentions of her life in this book. Those desiring to learn more about the Sea Dogs and their rise to power need look no further, for this is a comprehensive introduction to them and their adventures. It is also a rare, yet readable, look at the chess moves, failures, and successes that laid the foundation for England to become an empire and eventually rule the seas.

A Pirate’s Life in the Golden Age of Piracy

by Robert Jacob
DocUmeant Publishing, 2018, ISBN 978-1-937801-91-5, US $49.99
Also available in other formats

This hardback book resembles a chronological encyclopedia, of which the majority (forty-one of the sixty chapters) recounts the history of piracy during the golden age. The remainder focuses on aspects of pirate life. Three chapters introduce the subject before the author subdivides the most prolific period in pirate history into four time segments: The Buccaneers 1640-1670, The Buccaneer Pirates 1670-1702, Pirates and Privateers of the War of 1702-1713, and The Pyrates 1714-1722. He also focuses on three particular pirates, whom he identifies as classic representatives of the men who hunt during this time span: Henry Morgan, Blackbeard, and John “Bartholomew” Roberts.

Jacob correctly points out that during these eighty-two years, political support and society’s acceptance of these marauding men and women does not remain static. The same holds true for why they go on the account. This is a time of flux, where one year pirates may be deemed acceptable comrades, but the next they are seen as enemies to be eradicated.

Among the many people and topics discussed in the history section are Christopher Myngs, François L’Olonnais, Henry Morgan’s lawsuit pertaining to the English translation of Alexandre Exquemelin’s The Buccaneers of America, Port Royal, Petit Goave, Michel de Grammont Le Chevalier, Laurens Cornelius Boudewijn de Graaf, William Dampier, Thomas Tew, Governor Benjamin Fletcher, Robert Searle, Marcus Hook, William Snelgrave, Howell Davis, and many more. Some of these can be found in most pirate histories, but others are either merely mentioned or not included at all. The lifestyle section covers such aspects as tools of the trade (ships, weapons, navigation), treasure, food, captives, and textiles.

Scattered throughout this volume are seventy-three pictures and maps. Jacob also includes sidebar notes to point out important dates, key points, and specific people, or to define unfamiliar words. There are no footnotes or endnotes to identify source material quotations and statements. Nor is there an index, which makes it difficult for readers to locate specific information. He does, however, include a glossary and bibliography.

Lack of consistency and clarity are two aspects that readers will notice as they read this book. For example, sometimes ships’ names are italicized; sometimes they are not, even in the same paragraph. Several times the text says that a particular subject will be discussed later in the chapter; in actuality, the discussion takes part later in the book, which breaks the narrative’s flow and makes it difficult for readers to know where the particular subject matter continues.

There are a number of missing words and misspellings and “many” and “most” are overused. While newspaper articles are a great source of information for cultural aspects of the period, they must be taken with the same grain of salt in which the author objects to the use of Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of Pyrates as a reliable resource. Newspaper editors embellished stories the same way Johnson did, yet Jacob seems to take the articles at face value. Another questionable source is The Pirates Own Book; in fact, Jacob states that “It appears to be accurate.” (125) In actuality, this resource is just as questionable in its historical accuracy as Johnson’s book is.

Jacob believes that Edward Thache and Edward Beard are two acquaintances who went to sea, but that Thache died and Beard adopted his name as his alias. If any evidence exists to support this highly speculative hypothesis, Jacob doesn’t provide it. There are a few factual errors. For example, two men who were aboard Whydah at the time of her demise did survive the wreck. Contrary to the author’s belief that “Black” as a name is related to the pirates’ black flags (229), (as in Black Sam Bellamy) the adjective actually refers to the person’s swarthy appearance. Jasper Seagar and Edward England are not the same person.

Jacob is an historical reenactor, whose pursuit of history and historical accuracy led him to write this book. This research shines through in the amount of material that he provides, although some readers may prefer a greater focus on pirate life than the history of these sea rovers, especially since that was a primary reason for his writing this volume. Aside from providing readers with a well-rounded picture of the time period, he also explores what may have motivated the pirates to do what they did. There are times when he inserts his own thoughts into the recounting; these appear in a different font from the main text so readers can easily separate fact from opinion.

This volume's value lies not in being a book for reading night after night, but in the abundance of information contained within nearly 500 pages. Overall, with the above caveats in mind, this is a good resource for those in search of a comprehensive volume on pirate history during the buccaneering and golden piracy eras.

Meet the author

The Pirate’s Pocket-book
edited by Stuart Robertson
Conway, 2008, ISBN 978-1-84486-077-70, UK £9.99

Five chapters explore some aspect of Caribbean piracy from the mid-17th through the early 18th century. The first concentrates on the buccaneers, from their origins through William Dampier. Among the particular rogues featured are François L’Olonnais, Bartolomeo el Portugue, Rock the Brazilian, and Henry Morgan. Chapter two explores the golden age, introducing readers to the likes of Henry Avery, William Kidd, Alexander Dolzell, Samuel Bellamy, Woodes Rogers, Alexander Selkirk, and Charles Vane. Edward Teach, Stede Bonnet, Richard Worley, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read appear in the third chapter, “Heroes and Heroines: The Heyday of Piracy in American Waters.” Chapter four is devoted to Bartholomew Roberts, while the fifth chapter focuses on George Lowther, Ned Low, and the suppression of piracy. It ends with a look at Jean Laffite and pirate victims. A bibliography, glossary, and index round out the tome.

This book isn’t your typical history book. It is primarily contemporary accounts – some written by these sea raiders, others from newspapers and broadsides – combined with a narrative that sets up each passage and provides continuity from start to finish. Illustrations, both color and black-&-white, complement the book. Some excerpts come from secondary sources written by Captain Charles Johnson and Charles Ellms. The problem with including these is that both combine fact and fiction, and only those familiar with pirate history will know which is which. For example, in Ellms’s The Pirates’ Own Book some information provided on Jean Laffite is inaccurate. The typeface is small, which makes it difficult to read.

The first sentence of the introduction – “Where the majority of men will go about their business lawfully, there will always be members of society who take a different path” – encapsulates the history of maritime piracy yet succinctly defines a pirate in terms that equally define any person who breaks the law. Although the romantic imagery of pirates is mentioned, this book adheres more to examining pirates without rose-colored glasses.

Alluring as the pirate’s profession is, we must not forget that it had a seamy side, and was by no means all rum and pieces-of-eight. There is something repulsive to a generous nature, on page 9 for example, in roasting men because they will not show you where to steal hogs.

For those whose budgets don’t permit them to purchase British Piracy in the Golden Age: History and Interpretation, 1660-1730 edited by Joel H. Baer, this is a wonderful addition to any pirate library.

Cover Art:
Pirates? The
Politics of
Plunder

Pirates? The Politics of Plunder, 1550-1650
edited by Claire Jowitt
Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, ISBN 0-230-00327-3, US $65.00

This book is not your ordinary exploration of piracy. Rather it attempts to put pirates into the context of their time period so we understand how people of the 16th and 17th centuries see them. Are they political or sexual radicals? Do they disrupt trade and culture as much as history says? Or are they mere players in a changing world where religion and politics are often inseparable? The ten scholarly essays also explore how one country’s privateers are another country’s pirates. These questions are answered by examining primary literary documents and books. Not only is the cultural phenomenon explored, but so are the pirates in different regions, including Ireland, the Americas, the Barbary States, Spain, and England. The essays also discuss how national politics and particular interest groups shape how people see pirates.

Divided into three sections, this collection first defines piracy and then examines various perspectives with particular emphasis on politics and cultural works, and how pirates impact society after they die.

1. ‘Hostis Humani Generis’ – The Pirate as Outlaw in the Early Modern Law of the Sea. Christopher Harding, a law professor at the University of Wales, examines the legal perception of piracy between 1550 and 1650. He compares how we define piracy today with how it was defined in the past, before pirates are seen as criminals against all mankind.

2. The Problem of Piracy in Ireland, 1570-1630. John C. Appleby, who lectures in history at Liverpool Hope University College, discusses the upsurge in piracy in Ireland, including social and economic aspects, and how England responds to the problem.

3. Piracy and Captivity in the Early Modern Mediterranean: The Perspective from Barbary. Nabil Matar, an English professor and head of the Humanities and Communication Department at Florida Institute of Technology, provides a unique look at Barbary piracy – not from the perspective of Christian victims, but through the eyes of Muslim victims. He explains who the Muslim captives are and how their accounts have survived.

4. Crusading Piracy? The Curious Case of the Spanish in the Channel, 1590-95. Matthew Dimmock, a lecturer in English at the University of Sussex, takes a little-known narrative and looks at methods of plundering as well as issues dealing with holy war and religious and national identities. In doing so, he offers insights into politics, mercantilism, theology, and national concerns in England, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire.

5. Acting Pirates: Converting A Christian Turned Turk. A lecturer at the University of Reading, March Hutchings specializes in early modern theatre and drama in performance. His essay discusses the connection between piracy and religion by looking at a play about John Ward, a Christian who “turned Turk” and becomes a successful Barbary corsair. Hutchings's focus is on the staging of the play and how acting and conversion helps us understand the play.

6. ‘We are not pirates’: Piracy and Navigation in The Lusiads. Bernhard Klein, a reader in literature at the University of Essex, sheds light on the charges and denials of piracy in an epic poem from Portugal about Vasco da Gama as he explores the African and Indian coasts.

7. Virolet and Martia the Pirate’s Daughter: Gender and Genre in Fletcher and Massinger’s The Double Marriage. Lucy Munro, a lecturer in English at Keele University, on the other hand, looks at the links between gender and piracy in a play that incorporates a female pirate and involves her in issues dealing with politics and tyranny.

8. Sir Francis Drake’s Ghost: Piracy, Cultural Memory, and Spectral Nationhood. Mark Netzloff, Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, explores the various images of Drake that exist during his lifetime and how these conflicting images are used for competing political ends.

9. Scaffold Performances: The Politics of Pirate Execution. Claire Jowitt is an English professor at Nottingham Trent University, who explores the behavior of and words spoken by pirates prior to their executions as they pertain to politics, either supporting or undermining the government.

10. Of Pirates, Slaves, and Diplomats: Anglo-American Writing about the Maghrib in the Age of Empire. An English professor at the University of York, Gerald MacLean goes beyond the time parameters of this book to discuss how American literature, written soon after independence, appropriates Elizabethan images of piracy and attitudes toward Barbary Corsairs to influence America’s foreign policy with Algiers.

There is much to learn here, although the scholarliness of the essays, at times, makes it difficult to comprehend what the authors are saying. Many of the documents examined and the accounts related aren’t found in other works. It is an excellent examination into how the world views piracy from a variety of perspectives from 1550 to 1650. The weakest chapter, as regards inclusion within this tome, is the last because it strays outside the historical framework of the book. Readers with either a particular interest in this time period or literature will find much to satisfy them, as long as they understand this is a scholarly work. The notes and selected bibliography allow readers to further explore varying aspects of piracy and early literature.

Pirates: The Truth Behind the Robberies of the High Seas
by Nigel Cawthorne
Arcturus, 2019, ISBN 978-1-78950-844-4, US $9.99 / UK £7.90
Also available in other formats

Since the first trading boats traveled by sea, piracy has plagued mankind. As early as 694 BC, an Assyrian king attempts to suppress the marauding, but still it continues. More than one man, including Miguel de Cervantes, suffers because of pirates. Whether in the past or today, these sea rogues endanger passengers and seamen alike, yet of all the various time periods in which it has been rife, piracy reached its zenith from the west coast of Africa to the Spanish Main, from Canadian waters to the South Seas during the 17th and 18th centuries. This historical period, often referred to as the “golden age,” is the focus of this book.

Unlike many volumes on these pirates, this one opens with the victims. It includes some firsthand accounts, such as those experienced by victims of George Lowther, or Aaron Smith – a man who tangled with pirates twice, was forced to accompany one group, and was tried three times for piracy.

From there, the book delves into privateering and the buccaneers. This period begins with Jean Fleury’s astounding capture of Spain’s treasure-laden ships – an event that confirmed rumors of fantastic wealth and spurred other countries to explore for these riches. According to the subheading within privateering, those of England are featured. Yet half the chapter focuses on the French Huguenots, while the remainder concentrates on the exploits of Sir Francis Drake, concluding with a snippet about the Dutch, especially Piet Heyn.

Other chapters examine Port Royal, the weapons and ships of the pirates, what life was like for one of these marauders, the lure of oriental riches, tactics, and attempts to stop piratical depredations. The usual suspects can be found within these pages – Bartholomew Roberts, William Kidd, and Blackbeard to name a few – as well as lesser-known ones, such as Charles Gibbs, Robert Waal, and François le Clerc (better known as Pie de Palo or Peg Leg). Mention is also made of two primary sources: Captain Johnson’s A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates and Alexandre Exquemelin’s Bucaniers of America.

This is a highly readable introduction to piracy. The majority of the presented information is factual, although source citations are omitted for the most part. Readers should be aware that there are occasional statements that aren’t true or supported by facts. For example, not everyone believes that Daniel Defoe and Captain Johnson are one and the same; in fact, there is supporting evidence to suggest someone else as the author. Or that Blackbeard frequently strangled and tossed his female victims overboard; in reality, there is little historical evidence to support such violence, although he was a master of intimidation. A third example is the blanket statement that the majority of pirates were homosexuals without any supporting documentation to back up this claim.

In spite of these caveats, Pirates is an entertaining and informative romp through the golden age of piracy. Additional kudos to the author for giving victims first priority in this account, when many volumes often give them secondary or even lesser attention. Combined with a list of titles for further reading, an index, and occasional pictures, Pirates is also a good jumping off point for readers who want to dip their toes into the history of sea marauders before diving deeper.

Meet the author

Pirates of Maryland: Plunder and High Adventure in the Chesapeake Bay
by Mark P. Donnelly and Daniel Diehl
Stackpole Books, 2012, ISBN 978-0-8117-1041-1, US $10.95
Also available as other formats

Pirates of Maryland is a collection of accounts on various pirates and privateers throughout the state’s history. From colonial times onward, Baltimore has been an important maritime port. During the first fifty years of the 18th century, it was one of the top five ports in the American colonies. Pirates tended to hunt in Caribbean waters during the winter, and then sail north to harass and/or trade with colonists after temperatures warmed. Their activities in this geographical area concerned the time frame of the 1620s through 1815.

The length of this volume prohibits an in-depth study of Maryland’s piratical and privateering history, but the authors have selected ten stories to share with readers. Their introduction provides a brief overview on piracy as it related to the colonies. The men whose stories are discussed in more detail are as follows: William Claiborne, Richard Ingle, Roger Makeele, William Kidd, Richard Worley, Joseph Wheland Jr. and the Tory Picaroons, Privateers of the Baltimore Hero, George Little, Joshua Barney and the Battle of Bladensburg, and Captain Thomas Boyle of Fells Point. The majority of the chapter on Little comes directly from the man’s own account as a privateer during the War of 1812. The book also includes a glossary and a bibliography.

This is an interesting volume, but it’s not always clear what the men do that constitutes piracy, especially in the early years of the colony. They may have been charged with piracy, but from the information provided, they come across more as raiders, profiteers, and rebels during contentious historical events. Claiborne is an example of this, and while the record shows that he is charged with piracy and murder, some of these events take place during a border dispute with Virginia – a time more reminiscent of war, rather than the true definition of piracy. The inclusion of Captain Kidd is also a surprise, but the evidence presented pertains to a man who may have worked with Kidd, rather than the captain himself.

The title is something of a misnomer since the book includes privateers, men licensed to prey on enemy shipping during times of war. While the inclusion of Barney is appropriate for a book on privateers, the episode related here is not of that time period. Rather it concerns his service during the War of 1812 when he is a member of the US Navy.

In spite of these shortcomings, Pirates of Maryland provides a good overview of piracy and privateering. It’s a fast-paced read with dollops of facts not always included in other volumes. For the lay reader who just wants to learn about the pirates associated with the state and/or the privateers who helped defend the country during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, this is a good place to start.

Pirates of the Florida Coast: Truths, Legends, and Myths
by Robert Jacob
DocUmeant Publishing, 2022, ISBN 978-1-950075-59-1, US $34.95
Also available in other formats

The author, a longtime historical reenactor and living history interpreter, decided to incorporate pirates into his repertoire. In the process of researching this topic, he discovered histories rife with discrepancies and a lack of information on aspects of piratical life, such as clothing, weaponry, and food. To counteract this, he turned to writing about pirates. His initial quest with this second book was to shine a light on the history of those scurvy knaves with ties to Florida during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. What he unearthed was twofold. First, only a few pirates actually visited the region before 1750, and second, few of the stories were actually factual in nature.

Florida originally belongs to Spain and the first known privateer to attack St. Augustine is Francis Drake in 1586. His illegal counterpart is a man named Robert Searle, who attacks the Spanish city in 1668. Other historical pirates with actual ties to Florida include Andrew Ranson and Henry Jennings. The latter’s connection is tied to the Spanish treasure fleet that sank in coastal waters in 1715 during a hurricane. Among the later pirates that are included are William Bowles and his Muskogee pirates, Jean Laffite, and Louis-Michel Aury. Also discussed are Commodore David Porter and the Moskito Squadron, which is tasked with hunting pirates. Perhaps the best known of the legendary pirates is José Gaspar, a fictional pirate who is feted each year.

This account of piracy and piratical legends unfolds in twenty-four chapters. Illustrations and maps are included, as are a glossary, bibliography, and index. Side bars point out important facts and dates. In an effort to provide background and a more complete understanding of what is happening historically, Jacob incorporates passages from his first book, A Pirate’s Life in the Golden Age of Piracy. (Only those who read the two books back-to-back will notice the repetition.) In those instances where he is unable to substantiate information using documentary evidence, he shares the stories and then discusses their accuracy.

What emerges as a result of this in-depth investigation is a book that provides an abundance of information on pirates, the majority of whom have little to no ties to Florida. Examples of this include the chapters “Did Captain Kidd Visit Florida?”, “Did Blackbeard Visit Florida?”, and “Calico Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny’s Honeymoon in Florida.”

It is evident to anyone who reads this book that Jacob did a lot of research. He writes in a clear and interesting manner, although not all of his stated facts are accurate. On page 55, he writes: “152 of Roberts’ crew were captured alive and brought back to England to stand trial.” In actuality, the trials of these pirates are held at Cape Coast Castle in Africa, where the majority of those convicted are hanged. Only seventeen are returned to England and this occurs only after they are tried. A second example pertains to Jean Laffite. He does not build a pirate base at the barrier islands at Barataria. Pirates and smugglers have frequented Grande Terre and Grand Isle since before the time of Blackbeard. What Laffite does iss to organize them into an efficient force to be reckoned with. Also concerning are that the author consistently misspells Francis Drake’s first name and he overuses the word “many.”

In spite of these weaknesses, this is an interesting addition to pirate history that is geared toward lay readers. Jacob presents these scoundrels in a manner that incorporates the whole of history, rather than exhibiting them in a void. It is refreshing to find a book that dispels legends and myths about certain pirates while at the same time providing historical details about others.

Meet the author

Cover Art:
Pirates of the
North
Atlantic

Pirates of the North Atlantic
by William S. Crooker
Nimbus, 2019, ISBN 978-1-4930-5136-6, US $18.95 / UK £14.95
Also available in other formats

Many accounts of piracy focus on the period in which these sea marauders are the most prolific (1650 to 1730) and in the region where they are most prevalent (the Caribbean). Crooker shows that this is neither their only hunting ground nor the only time when they prowl. They also ply their “trade” in the North Atlantic along America’s eastern seaboard. He introduces readers to pirates of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries who leave indelible footprints on history, with particular emphasis on those whose attacks take place in Canadian waters.

Some of the pirates included in this volume are well-known: Edward Low, Blackbeard, William Kidd, and Bartholomew Roberts. Others are lesser-known but still conspicuous for one reason or another: John Phillips, Edward and Margaret Jordan, Samuel Hall, Thomas Pound, Peter Easton, and Henry Mainwaring. A trio of incidents are remembered for what occurred on ships – Saladin, Mary Celeste, and Zero – rather than for the pirates themselves. A fourth chapter involves a piratical mystery on Canada’s Isle Haute and the maritime historian and pirate raconteur, Edward Rowe Snow.

This is the second edition of the book, which was originally published in 2004, and includes a glossary, occasional illustrations, and a bibliography but no index. As the back cover claims, this is “a thrilling collection of stories,” yet it is not without a few imperfections. Crooker presents the myth of Blackbeard having thirteen wives as fact. He states that the Royal Navy’s encounter with Bartholomew Roberts takes place in the West Indies; in reality, it occurs off the west coast of Africa. The chapter on Thomas Pound, who pretends to be a pirate to free an imprisoned governor and ends up becoming an actual pirate, is a bit confusing to follow. While the mystery of the Mary Celeste still fascinates readers, this chapter provides no evidence of piracy; one sentence near the end merely mentions that rumors and suspicions exist.

Even so, Pirates of the North Atlantic is one of the rare accounts of piracy in northern waters available today. It also provides information on the gruesome deeds of Canadian pirates, who are mostly ignored by other authors. Crooker entertains and informs readers with accounts of greed, mutiny, murder, barbarity, and a touch of romance.

Cover
Art: Pirates
on the Coast
of Peru
1598-1701

Pirates on the Coasts of Peru, 1598-1701
by Peter T. Bradley
Independently published, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4092-0251-6, US $38.01
Also available in other formats

Most students of pirate history know of the English buccaneers who venture to the west coast of the New World to hunt for Spanish treasure in the 1670s. Few are aware that the first piratical incursions into this region began with the Dutch in 1598, and ended with French traders in 1701. Emeritus Professor of Latin American History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Bradley is eminently qualified to write on this subject. He explains in his introduction that there are several primary purposes for these incursions into Spain’s New World empire: “outright piracy (for personal gain), privateering (licensed by a monarchy), contraband trade or merely reconnaissance and exploration.” (1) Not all of the encounters discussed here fall within the realm of piracy as it is generally defined, but the victims of these assaults consider them pirates.

The eight exploits discussed here are:

The First of the Dutch: Mahu and van Noort (1598-1601)
The Defeat of the Peruvian Squadron by Joris van Spilbergen (1614-17)
Jacques l’Hermite, the ‘Nassausche Vloot’ and the Blockade of Callao (1623-26)
The Expedition of Hendrik Brouwer: A Project for Colonial Settlement (1642-43)
John Narborough and the Mysterious Don Carlos (1669-71)
Sharp and Company: The First of the Buccaneers (1679-82)
English and French Buccaneers: The Second Wave (1683-89)
The End of an Era and the Opening of a New Phase: The Last of the Buccaneers, John Strong Privateer, and the Arrival of French Traders (1689-1701)

This volume includes four maps, a glossary and list of abbreviations, and a detailed index. Footnotes appear on the pages where the citation occurs and provide either additional information on the source material or insight into the subject. Within the chapters, readers will find tables that delineate the ships involved in the various exploits, comparing their tonnage, armament, crew, and captains.

The majority of histories on Caribbean pirates focus on the West Indies, the east coast of Latin America, and Panama. This is why this study on their intrusion into the viceroyalty of Peru – Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama today – is significant. The book also examines what lures these men to the region and the dangers they face, for the New World offers challenges many haven’t encountered before. Equally important is the inclusion of countermeasures that the Spanish undertake or propose to prevent these intruders from succeeding in their endeavors. The scope and breadth of this study make this volume a worthy addition to the history of this region, as well as piracy and exploration since some of these men eventually publish their journals for the general populace.