Pirates of the British IslesFrom Blackbeard, to the pirates' pirate, Black Bart, this book encapsulates the true story of the 'golden age of piracy' and how it ended. Pirates are usually thought of as dashing, freedom loving rogues with contempt for the law and its minions. The mythical hero of the golden age of piracy (c.1660-c.1730) lived for the moment, so goes the myth, and the devil take the consequences. Joel Baer shows how false a notion this really is and how aware freebooters were of the law. Baer reveals how, whenever possible, they attempted to walk a fine line between sanctioned privateering and outright piracy. Pirateers, as they were sometimes called at the time, were often spectacularly successful at this game, exploiting legal loopholes, corrupt officials, and the shifting sands of international relations to legitimize their actions. Joel Baer tells the story of this age through the lens of seven British freebooters. The author details their exuberant and murderous lives, their crimes, and 'prizes', and how the Admiralty forced through Parliament new laws that ultimately defeated them. |
Contents
Abbreviations | 6 |
More Used to the Pike than the Book 28 ཨཱས | 52 |
I am a Man of Fortune | 91 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
A.O. Exquemelin aboard accused Admiralty Adventure America Bahamas Bartholomew Roberts Bartholomew Sharp Bell Library Bellomont Bonnet Book Portland British Bucaniers buccaneers Cape Captain Charles Johnson Captain Kidd captured Caribbean century Charles Ellms coast colonies command commission convicted Coruņa court crew crimes cruise CSPA death defendants East India Company enemy England English Every's evidence Execution faid Fancy felony fleet force Ganj-i-sawai George gold Governor guns hanging Henry Morgan History Illustration indictment Island Jamaica John judges jury justice Kidd's King Lord Madagascar Modyford mutiny Panama Panama City piracy piracy trial pirates plunder prisoners privateers prize prosecution Puerto Bello Pyrates London Quedah Merchant Rackam returned Roberts Roberts's Round the World Royal Fortune sailed seamen Seitz ship slaves sloop Spain Spanish Stede Bonnet Swallow Thatch Thomas took trade Trott Tryals University of Minnesota Voyage Round warships West Indies William Dampier William Kidd witnesses Zee Roovers Amsterdam