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A review by deearr
The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth Behind Pirate Myths by Benerson Little
5.0
Curiosity got the better of me with this book. I wanted to know what kind of pirate myths the author planned to debunk. After all, I’ve been around long enough to have a halfway decent knowledge about pirates.
Or so I thought. Benerson Little is a recognized expert on this subject, having published four books, written magazine articles, and appeared on television commenting on piracy. “The Golden Age of Piracy” is extremely well-researched, and contains more information than I expected.
There are the stories one might expect, telling us all about Blackbeard or Captains Kidd or Morgan. There are many other captains and pirates he mentions, but more fascinating are the myths he exposes, “facts” I had grown up with and had embraced as true. I won’t spoil a good read by telling them to you, but some of the subjects include:
Buried treasure
Walking the plank
Pieces of eight, and what they were worth when making purchases
How pirates fought, and the weapons they used
Those epic sea battles between two ships
And much more!
Mr. Little entertains as well as explains, so this is not a dry read. When an answer is not clear, readers are provided with facts as the author attempts to lead us to a logical conclusion (such as the debate over why a pirate flag is called the “Jolly Roger,” as well as some of those other pirate sayings such as “Shiver me timbers!”).
Anyone with an interest in history or the golden age of piracy (1655 – 1725) should take the opportunity to read this book. Wonderfully written, generously footnoted, and complete with an extensive bibliography, this book contains a wealth of knowledge and is also a lot of fun to read. Five stars.
Or so I thought. Benerson Little is a recognized expert on this subject, having published four books, written magazine articles, and appeared on television commenting on piracy. “The Golden Age of Piracy” is extremely well-researched, and contains more information than I expected.
There are the stories one might expect, telling us all about Blackbeard or Captains Kidd or Morgan. There are many other captains and pirates he mentions, but more fascinating are the myths he exposes, “facts” I had grown up with and had embraced as true. I won’t spoil a good read by telling them to you, but some of the subjects include:
Buried treasure
Walking the plank
Pieces of eight, and what they were worth when making purchases
How pirates fought, and the weapons they used
Those epic sea battles between two ships
And much more!
Mr. Little entertains as well as explains, so this is not a dry read. When an answer is not clear, readers are provided with facts as the author attempts to lead us to a logical conclusion (such as the debate over why a pirate flag is called the “Jolly Roger,” as well as some of those other pirate sayings such as “Shiver me timbers!”).
Anyone with an interest in history or the golden age of piracy (1655 – 1725) should take the opportunity to read this book. Wonderfully written, generously footnoted, and complete with an extensive bibliography, this book contains a wealth of knowledge and is also a lot of fun to read. Five stars.