"From Roman times, pirates were known as hostis humani generi, "enemies of the human race." This special definition distinguished pirates from all other criminals and meant they could be hunted down across the earth without consideration for borders or extradition treaties. This at least was the international rhetoric, but reality in colonial America was a different story." "When Rhode Island gentleman - and infamous pirate - Thomas Tew began his notorious career in the early 1690s, it was with the official sanction of Bermuda Governor Isaac Richier. When he returned to Newport in 1693 loaded down with "a prince's ransom worth of stolen gold, silver, and sundry goods," he was given a hero's welcome and met at the dock by Rhode Island Governor Samuel Cranston, who presented him at Newport society dinners and made him the toast of the town. Later, for a fee of 500 pounds sterling, Cranston gave Tew another license to "harass the French." In 1694, looking for backers for yet another pirating voyage, Tew traveled to New York, where he was met by Governor Benjamin Fletcher and was "highly caressed by His Excellency, in a coach and six horses, and presented with a gold watch to engage him to make New York his port at his return."" "Nor was Thomas Tew the only pirate to enjoy the support of governors, leading citizens, and merchants. Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Henry Every - almost every infamous scoundrel of the "Golden Age of Piracy" (roughly 1660 to 1725) - did their plundering under the sponsorship and protection of England's colonial governors in the Americas. And virtually every governor was on the take. Pirates entertained merchants and their families aboard ships in New York Harbor and auctioned booty from the docks of Virginia's port towns." "Combining true tales of derring-do with revelations he unearthed from forgotten government archives in England, the Carolinas, Rhode Island, Jamaica, and elsewhere, Douglas Burgess demonstrates how this flaunting of England's prerogatives helped shape the American character and American notions of independence."--BOOK JACKET.

Fall captive to the code—the real-life buccaneer bylaws that shaped every aspect of a pirate’s life. Pirates have long captured our imaginations with images of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers, eye patches, and buried treasure. But what was life really like on a pirate ship? Piracy was a risky, sometimes deadly occupation, and strict orders were essential for everyone’s survival. These “Laws” were sets of rules that determined everything from how much each pirate earned from their plunder to compensation for injuries, punishments, and even the entertainment allowed on ships. These rules became known as the “Pirates’ Code,” which all pirates had to publicly swear by. Using primary sources like eyewitness accounts, trial proceedings, and maritime logs, this book explains how each one of the pirate codes was the key to pirates’ success in battle, on sea, and on land.

The Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious Buccaneers and Colonial America Was classical piracy an earlier version of state-sponsored terrorism? Here's the story of how almost every well-known buccaneer of the “Golden Age of Piracy” enjoyed active sponsorship from England's governors in the American colonies- setting a pattern of official disobedience to the Crown that would ultimately contribute to the American push for independence. Relying on rare primary sources discovered in government archives in England, the Carolinas, Rhode Island, Jamaica, and elsewhere, Burgess combines true tales of derring-do with groundbreaking research in this fascinating history.

Pirates didn’t just break the rules, they rewrote them. They didn’t just reject society, they reinvented it. Pirates didn’t just challenge the status-quo, they changed everyf*ckingthing. Pirates faced a self-interested establishment, a broken system, industrial scale disruption, and an uncertain future. Sound familiar? “I’d rather be a pirate than join the navy.”—Steve Jobs Pirates stood for MISCHIEF, PURPOSE, and POWER. And you can too. Be More Pirate unveils the innovative strategies of Golden Age pirates, drawing parallels between the tactics and teachings of legends like Henry Morgan and Blackbeard with modern rebels, like Elon Musk, Malala, and Banksy. Featuring takeaway sections and a guide to building your own pirate code 2.0, Be More Pirate will show you how to leave your mark on the 21st century. 1. Rebel — Draw strength by standing up to the status quo. 2. Rewrite — Bend, break, but most importantly, rewrite the rules. 3. Reorganize — Collaborate to achieve scale, rather than growth. 4. Redistribute — Fight for fairness, share power, and make an enemy of exploitation. 5. Retell — Weaponize your story, then tell the hell out of it. Whatever your ambitions, ideas and challenges, Be More Pirate will revolutionize the way you live, think, and work today, and tomorrow. So what are you waiting for? Join the rebellion.

Thirteen of the most intriguing buccaneers in the history of piracy, all connected somehow to the Carolinas. New edition has an all-new chapter on Blackbeard, as well as updated information on some of the other pirates, and new sections such as: The Truth About Piracy, How To Talk Like a Pirate, a list of pirate movies, a pirate quiz, and more.

The Pirate Encyclopedia, as the essential companion for scholars, students, and a general audience intrigued by tales and facts, offers the most complete body of data available on the legitimacy of more than 7.000 adventurers as subjects of investigation.

This study examines Defoe’s three-volume Robinson Crusoe series in the light of the ‘banter’ style he developed as a pamphleteer. That heavily ironic style had brought him renown but also put him in the pillory. The present study explores for the first time Defoe’s complaint that readers and pirate abridgers misread his tale of the would-be trader Robinson Crusoe. Using Discourse Analysis and Relevance Theory to examine the early abridgements of Volume I and Defoe’s subsequent two volumes, this study argues that Defoe’s greatest success is also a peculiar failure.

A humorous look at how famous people got caught, including Joan of Arc, Blackbeard, Al Capone, and more! From the award-winning team that brought you How They Croaked and How They Choked. Outlaw, assassin, art thief, and spy, these fourteen troublemakers and crooks--including Blackbeard the pirate, Typhoid Mary, and gangster Al Capone--have given the good guys a run for their money throughout the ages. Some were crooked, some were deadly, and some were merely out of line--but they all got Caught! as detailed in this fascinating and funny study of crime, culture, and forensic science. FEATURING HISTORY'S MOST WANTED: Joan of Arc, Sir Walter Raleigh, Caravaggio, Blackbeard, John Wilkes Booth, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Mata Hari, Typhoid Mary, Rasputin, Vincenzo Peruggia (Mona Lisa thief), Bernard Kuehn (Pearl Harbor spy), Anna Anderson (Anastasia impersonator), and Al Capone

Drawing on new research, this fascinating volume looks behind the myths to offer detailed insights into the real lives and activities of pirates—for better or worse—during the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean, from the mid-17th century to 1720. Over the past decade, research in Spanish, French, and Dutch archives, as well as in traditional English repositories, has resulted in a clearer picture of the activities and lives of the pirates who roamed the seas during the "Golden Age of Piracy" from 1650 to 1720. That is the picture shared in Daily Life of Pirates. The book describes how pirates actually lived, touching on their food and drink, their hideouts, and their humor. It also examines their ships, weapons and seamanship, their plunder—and their use of torture. The book's detailed coverage is made possible by newly uncovered interrogations of pirates and by official depositions given by their victims, both of which provide insights that go well beyond simple recountings of famous exploits. The result is a tantalizing, true picture of pirates' daily lives that reveals many surprising facts, such as the reality that most of their time was spent upon land as actual piracy was a seasonal occupation.

Stories of famous pirates from around the world are retold in this fast-moving series; Each book includes an analysis page in each chapter that helps the kids understand what is real and what might have been fictionalized over time; Each book provides a concluding chapter that recounts for the kids whether the pirate is more legend or mostly truth.