Piracy: The Complete History

by Angus Konstam

When we think of pirates we conjure up images of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, or even fictional pirates such as Long John Silver, Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow. These historical characters all... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1846032407
• ISBN13: 9781846032400
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK)
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Adventure

Felt as if I was sailing the seven seas, not having to leave my back yard.

The True Story of Piracy

If you want a thorough, well researched book on the history of piracy -- this book is for you! This book is very detailed and contains such surprising information such as the fact that many beloved historical legends such as Sir Francis Drake, were actually pirates, with secret government approval. I didn't realize how many governments sanctioned piracy with a "wink" and publicly denied involvement. This continues today. World history is filled with piracy, from the Vikings (a type of pirate) to the bucaneers of the Caribbean. When Sir Francis Drake and his ship "The Golden Hind" captured Spanish galleons off the coast of Panama in 1579 the plunder amounted to almost 1/2 the annual income of the British crown. Queen Elizabeth I was a secreat shareholder in the venture. Well, well...not the history they taught in high school, is it? This book goes way beyond the Hollywood version of pirates. It gives the true story: brutal, fascinating and real!

Especially recommended for nautical and military history libraries

Piracy has been around from the time the first boats entered the ocean, and pirate expert Angus Konstam offers a thorough survey of piracy from ancient to modern times. His survey offers more of a military approach than the usual light history, probing strategy, separating fact from fiction, and tracing piracy's development through the centuries. Especially recommended for nautical and military history libraries, the depth of coverage and research exceeds most competing books popularizing the history of piracy.