Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime Piracy

Cindy Vallar, Editor & Reviewer
P.O. Box 425, Keller, TX  76244-0425

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Within these pages of Pirates & Privateers, you'll find articles on all aspects of maritime piracy from ancient times to modern day. Pirate Articles is an annotated list of all the articles I've written. Pirate Links is an annotated list of the best web sites that specialize in piracy and life at sea from early days through the Age of Sail. The Book Review pages house the reviews on the latest fiction and non-fiction pirate and maritime books for children and adults. Other highlights include specialized bibliographies, piratical places to visit, pirate dates in history, piracy quotes, and information about The Rebel and the Spy, my current novel-in-progress that started me on the path of piracy.

If you'd like to be notified when I post a new article, as well as to read the latest pirate-related news that doesn't appear here, subscribe to the Pirates and Privateers Newsletter. If you'd like to read a sample of my newsletter before you subscribe, click here. Subscribers never miss out on the latest happenings at Pirates and Privateers.

As always, if you have a question about pirates, please write and ask. If you'd like me to write about a particular pirate or subject, let me know. One cautionary note to those searching for genealogical information. Historical records about pirates are rare. Much of what is known comes from government records, including court trials, and the few first-person accounts written during a particular time period. This information rarely contains details pertinent to what you need to identify and/or learn about ancestors. The simple fact is that the vast majority of pirates' names remain unknown. I cannot answer this type of question, so rather than contact me, you should check genealogical depositories and websites, as well as national archives.

A special note to teachers and students: Answering questions and locating information is something I love to do. If you need help with a project or report, please contact me. Should you use any of my articles or reviews, please let me know and remember to include the proper citation. The majority of material contained within this website is copyrighted.

Fair winds and following seas,

Cindy
also known as The Pirate Lady

 

(Site updated 2 August 2010)
 

Pirate Quote of the Month Captain Davis, though he had four shots in diverse parts of his body, yet continued running towards the boat, but being closely pursued, a fifth shot made him fall, and the Portuguese being amazed at his great strength and courage, cut his throat that they might be sure of him. They were resolved to show the Frenchman their Black Flag, and if that would not do, they must seek out elsewhere. Accordingly they boldly ran up alongside of the sloop, with their piratical colours flying, and told them, if they did not strike immediately, they would give them no quarter; which so intimidated the Frenchmen that they never fired a gun. – from Captain Johnson's A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates

August Article Johnson vs. Defoe Will the Real Author Please Stand? Since its publication, A General History of the Pyrates has been a key resource for anyone searching for information about pirates in the first quarter of the 1700s.  While its author was named, he remained a mystery for more than two centuries. John Robert Moore, a college professor, claimed Captain Charles Johnson was actually Daniel Defoe. But was he?

Upcoming Appearances

	Denton Writers League The British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars 10:30 - 11:30 am Saturday, 14 August 2010 Emily Fowler Library Denton, Texas
	Denton Writers League Bringing Pirates to Life 10:30 - 11:30 am Saturday, 11 September 2010 Emily Fowler Library Denton, Texas
	Cross Timbers Chapter National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Privateers of the Revolution 9:30 am Saturday, 23 October 2010 Flower Mound, Texas
	If you would like the Pirate Lady  to speak to your group, please contact me. For information on upcomings workshops, click here.

For additonal appearances, visit Thistles & Pirates.
 

News, Events, & Exhibits

News	Events
Pirates and Privateers Review As a subscriber to Sea History, I enjoy reading each issue from first page to last. Imagine my surprise when I came across this snippet in Peter McCracken's "Maritime History on the Internet" column in the Summer 2010 issue. Cindy Vallar provides a welcome balance to the silliness of most historical piracy web sites. Vallar has been writing and reviewing pirate and maritime fiction for many years. Her web site . . . content is quite impressive. On her "Pirate Articles" page, she provides an engaging and intelligent new article each month about some aspect of piracy, from pirate lingo and literature to pirate clothing and vessels. Thank you, Mr. McCracken! Real Pirates and the Science of Shipwrecks Rice University's Glasscock School of Continuing Studies is offering this course on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm beginning on 21 September through 9 November 2010 in Houston, Texas. Click the link above for more information and to register. New Pirate Museum Pat Croce is closing his Pirate Soul Museum in Key West, Florida. In early November he will open the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. Search for Schools Teaching Pirates Peter Rodgers, who teaches at Swanwick Hall School in England, would like to correspond with teachers who have integrated pirates into their curriculum. His students are 13 to 14 year olds and the subjects being taught at French, German, and Spanish. If anyone wishes to share with Peter, please contact me and I'll put you in touch with him. Lost Book Chapter Jamaica Rose and Captain Michael of No Quarter Given invite you to read one of the chapters cut from their forthcoming book, The Book of Pirates. (My review of this book appears next month.)	Dead Men's Tales Walking Tour 13 May - 19 September 2010 Newport, Rhode Island 9th Maritime Heritage Conference 15 - 19 September 2010 Baltimore, Maryland Gold Coast Pirate Faire 18 -19 and 25 - 26 September 2010 Lake Casitas, Ojai, California High Seas Rally 31 October - 7 November 2010 Departs from Port Canaveral, Florida Western Caribbean Cruise
Pirate Exhibits Pirates, Privateers and Buccaneers 20 March - 19 September 2010 South Carolina State Museum Columbia, South Carolina Pirates 15 May - December 31 2010 The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, North Carolina Pirates: The Last Scourge of the Gulf 29 May - September 2010 Indian Temple Mound Museum Lazarus Education Center Fort Walton Beach, Florida	Maritime Exhibits Boats that Built Britain 8 May - 21 November 2010 National Maritime Museum London, Great Britain Trireme Olympias Late Spring - Early Summer 2012 New York, New York

Visitors' Reviews Awesome site. -- Liz D., Miami, Florida What an interesting website you have about James Forten. -- Louisa Watrous, Mystic Seaport

The Articles

Being a Pirate (or How to be one)
History of Piracy
Modern Piracy
Notorious Pirates (or Who was who)
Piracy Around the World
Pirates and Literature
Privateers
Wooden Sailing Ships

The Links

Activities for Young Pirates
Archaeology
Education
Exotic Ports of Call
History
Modern-day Piracy
Notorious Pirates
Pirate Literature
Piratical Books Online
Ships and Sailing
Treasure Troves
 

The Bookaneer

Latest Reviews
Five-Star Reviews
Books for Young Pirates
Books for Apprenticed Pirates and Young Adults
Fiction Books for Adults
Nonfiction Books for Adults
 

Special Resources

Pirate Adventures
Fun places for pirates in need of rest & relaxation
(Updated May 2010)

Barbary Corsairs Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on the Barbary Corsairs

Canadian Piracy Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on piracy and privateering in Canada

Modern Piracy Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on piracy today
(Updated August 2010)

Pyrate Surgeons Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on pyrate surgeons and medicine at sea in the Age of Sail

The Age of Sail
Examines merchant ships, maritime commerce, and seaports

Before the Age of Sail
Examines ships prior to the seventeenth century
(Updated May 2010)

Wooden Sailing Ships
Inside look at a wooden ship

Pirate Limerick Cemetery
Compliments of Catalina the Pirate and Friends

Piratical Dates
Events in history related to pirates and the world in general
(Updated August 2010)

Pirates and Privateers Site Map

 

The majority of the artwork on these pages is copyrighted by the artists.
To obtain permission for their use please go to ClipArt.com.

The backgrounds used on Pirates and Privateers are from WebGround.
 
 

The Rebel and the Spy

The Rebel and the Spy, my current Novel-in-Progress, centers around Jean Laffite and the Battle of New Orleans.  Below are links to places depicted in the novel and a resource list for those seeking information on Jean Laffite, Pirates, Ships in the Age of Sail, the Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson, and many other subjects.

Jean Laffite's Haunts

New Orleans and Piracy Resource List
 

Each month I alert readers to the posting of my latest piracy article and book reviews, new additions made to the site, and interesting tidbits about piracy. If you'd like to receive the Pirates and Privateers monthly newsletter, just complete the form below.

Note to subscribers: If you fail to receive your newsletter, it's possible that your e-mail provider returned it to me for one of several reasons: they deem it to be junk mail; your mailbox is over quota; access to your account is denied; or you changed e-mail addresses and forgot to notify me of the change.  Contact me and we'll try to solve the problem.  If your newsletter bounces two months in a row and you don't contact me, I just delete you from the subscriber list.

© 2000-2008 Cindy Vallar

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