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

This rollicking account of the golden age of piracy is packed with vivid history and high seas adventure. David Cordingly, an acclaimed expert on pirates, reveals the spellbinding truth behind the legends of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, the fierce female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and others who rode and robbed upon the world's most dangerous waters. Here, in thrilling detail, are the weapons they used, the ships they sailed, and the ways they fought - and were defeated. Under the Black Flag also charts the paths of fictional pirates such as Captain Hook and Long John Silver. The definitive resource on the subject, this book is as captivating as it is supremely entertaining. Pirates have become so much a part of story and legend that is easy to forget they actually existed in the flesh. Their roving lives left behind little in the way of historical record; thus our image of them is derived from a smattering of fact overlaid with three centuries of ballads, plays, epic poems, and films. But how does our conception of pirates compare with the reality, and why has such a romantic aura become associated with murderers and thieves? Pursuing that question, Dr. David Cordingly, former head of exhibitions at England's National Maritime Museum, has mined a wealth of original sources - eyewitness accounts, court documents, national archives, and more - to create the most authoritative and definitive account of the great age of piracy since the 1724 bestseller The General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates. Under the Black Flag explodes many closely held myths and replaces them with a truth that is more complex and every bit as fascinating. Here are the real stories of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Henry Morgan, along with lesser-known but equally noteworthy pirates such as Henry Avery (who captured an emperor's treasure fleet but died penniless) and the cross-dressing women Anne Bonny and Mary Read. From the havoc of battle to the isolation of life at sea, Under the Black Flag makes tangible the day-to-day existence of pirates. How they attacked, how they governed themselves, what they wore, what ships they used, why they flourished in the years around 1720, and what brought their reign of terror to an end - all is revealed in this rousing and revisionist history.

For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at England's National Maritime Museum has combed original documents and records to produce a most authoritative and definitive account of piracy's "Golden Age." As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. "walking the plank" is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex and often bloodier. of photos. Maps.

“This is the most authoritative and highly literate account of these pernicious people that I have ever read.”—Patrick O'Brian “[A] wonderfully entertaining history of pirates and piracy . . . a rip-roaring read . . . fascinating and unexpected.”— Men's Journal This rollicking account of the golden age of piracy is packed with vivid history and high seas adventure. David Cordingly, an acclaimed expert on pirates, reveals the spellbinding truth behind the legends of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, the fierce female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and others who rode and robbed upon the world's most dangerous waters. Here, in thrilling detail, are the weapons they used, the ships they sailed, and the ways they fought—and were defeated. Under the Black Flag also charts the paths of fictional pirates such as Captain Hook and Long John Silver. The definitive resource on the subject, this book is as captivating as it is supremely entertaining. Praise for Under the Black Flag “[A] lively history . . . If you've ever been seduced by the myth of the cutlass-wielding pirate, consider David Cordingly's Under the Black Flag .” — USA Today, “Best Bets” “Engagingly told . . . a tale of the power of imaginative literature to re-create the past.” — Los Angeles Times “Entirely engaging and informative . . . a witty and spirited book.” — The Washington Post Book World “Plenty of thrills and adventure to satisfy any reader.” — The Philadelphia Inquirer Pirates have become so much a part of story and legend that is easy to forget they actually existed. Their roving lives left behind little historical record; thus our image of them is overlaid with three centuries of ballads, plays, epic poems, and films. But how does our conception of pirates compare with the reality, and why has such a romantic aura become associated with murderers and thieves? Author Cordingly, of England's National Maritime Museum, has mined a wealth of original sources--eyewitness accounts, court documents, national archives, and more--to create the most authoritative and definitive account of the great age of piracy: how they attacked, how they governed themselves, what they wore, what ships they used, why they flourished in the years around 1720, and what brought their reign of terror to an end.--From publisher description For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at England's National Maritime Museum has combed original documents and records to produce a most authoritative and definitive account of piracy's "Golden Age." As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. "walking the plank" is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex and often bloodier. 16 pp. of photos. Maps. From the Hardcover edition. ϡ쯦랠 Examines the popular image of pirates in modern times, to discover where the image came from, and compares it with the real world of pirates, who were more often murderers and thieves than romantic heros A revisionist history of the golden age of piracy draws on original archive records to provide a realistic study of pirates and their lives that refutes many of the myths about the era