The History of Pirates

by Angus Konstam

Book Overview

Traces the history of piracy from ancient Greece to the present, and describes the exploits of Black Beard, Captain Kidd, Bartholomew Roberts, and Benito de Soto. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558219692
• ISBN13: 9781558219694
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.1" x 12.1"

Customer Reviews

A very well rounded review of pirate biographies

This book is heavy on the illustrations. That being said, it is NOT necessarily light on information. In particular, I was VERY pleased with how well balanced the very subject of pirate biographies was treated. There are sections of the book dedicated to each major geographical region, as well as to different time periods. It lightly glosses over the subjects of ships, weaponry, practices, flags, and strongholds (for better coverage of these things, try Benerson Little's Sea Rover's Practice), but gives a great deal of general biographical information on many different famous pirates from the Indian Ocean, Far East, Caribbean, and even on back into the "Ancient World." For general reference in a well-balanced delivery, with plenty of attention given to other-than-Caribbean and other-than-late-17th-century piracy, I recommend no other book more.

A powerful visual impact

Angus Konstam's HISTORY OF PIRATES uses works from the Mariners' Museum in Virginia to provide a powerful visual impact. Piracy from ancient to modern times is surveyed in a series of maps, images, and discussions that cover specific events, regions, and pirates. Plenty of historical and political background to the events place each in perspective and provide an excellent survey of mariner events of the times. There are other pirate histories on the market - but none with the commitment to visuals of HISTORY OF PIRATES.

Part of My Pirate Library

This is probably my second favorite book on pirates (Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly is first on my list). However, this is a high quality overview of the history of pirates from earliest recorded times onward. Konstam breaks it down by era, from the ancient world on, with discussion of the periods, famous names and regions. While the textual content is well written and researched. the graphic content is probably even more impressive. The inclusion of maps and period images make this an entertaining as well as informative read. P-)

Pirates from ancient raiders to modern guerillas

Angus Konstam takes us through a general history of piracy on the seas, from the ancient raiders of Babylonia and Greece to the modern-day guerillas in speedboats armed with AK-47 assault rifles in the south China Sea. Each chapter is well illustrated with period paintings and photographs, with particular focus on the "Golden Age of Piracy" in the 16th and 17th century when galleons and merchant brigs carried gold, jewels, sugar, cotton, and rum from the Spanish Main to the American colonies and Europe.Well written and easy to read, each page is printed on glossy paper and clean typeface, with illustrations to help convey the mood of the book. Its an entertaining history of piracy (and if a book isn't entertaining, then why read it?). It may not have the depth of some of the more scholastically-oriented books available, but this book is a good place to start when building your library.Overall, a good book to have around.

A great survey of pirates -- Historical and Hollywood.

Published in association with the Mariners' Museum in Virginia and use maps, photos and color illustrations throughout to make for histories which are lively and probing, History Of Pirates covers the reality of pirates, comparing this reality to traditional Hollywood myths and surveying both early and modern pirating history around the world.