Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates

David Cordingly

Harcourt Brace, 1997 - History - 296 pages

"This is the most authoritative and highly literate account of these pernicious people that I have ever read." -- Patrick O'Brian

Pirates are so much a part of legend that it is easy to forget they actually existed. UNDER THE BLACK FLAG tells their story in a rollicking account of the golden age of piracy that is packed with history, anecdote, and above all adventure. Here are the true stories of such bloodthirsty legends as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, Anne Bonny, and the fearsome Mary Read. And here are rousing descriptions of what ships pirates sailed, what punishments they exacted, what they really wore, and how they flourished--or perished. From the smoky havoc of shipboard battle to the loneliness of a fugitive's life at sea, this spellbinding narrative vividly brings the brutal world of pirates to life.

Contents

• Wooden Legs and Parrots: 3
• Plundering the Treasure Ports: 26
• Sir Henry Morgan: 42

About the author

David Cordingly was for twelve years on the staff of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, where he was curator of paintings and then head of exhibitions. He is a graduate of Oxford. He lives with his wife and family in Sussex, England.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates; A Harvest book; From the heart, Joyce Landorf Heatherley
• Author: David Cordingly
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Harcourt Brace, 1997
• ISBN: 0156005492, 9780156005494
• Length: 296 pages
• Subjects: History / General; History / Maritime History & Piracy; History / Military / Naval; Sports & Recreation / Water Sports / Boating; Sports & Recreation / Water Sports / Sailing