Pirates: An Illustrated History

Pirates an Illustrated history is a book mostly about pirates. It also talks about Port royal. It also tells you a very detailed description on weapons that pirates used. It also tells you about the life as a pirate and also about how they invade other ships. This book would be great if you are looking for a book to learn about pirates in great detail and also if you need to do some sort of project on pirates. This book also tells you about famous pirates such as Backbeard, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Bartholomew Roberts or Black Bart, and quite a few others. This is a great book about pirates and should be read all the way through even if you need to know one thing. -Brian

At first glance,this book would appear to be one directed at young readers. This certainly is not the case.Its large size and only 144 pages with large illustrations ,maps and photographs on nearly every page gives that immediate impression.However;a quick read of the text on any page,will show that it is a very detailed book and is more indicative of an encylopedia and certainly not a cursory storybook for juveniles.In fact, for juveniles,it is much too detailed and certainly lacking as a story or adventure book about pirates. I was planning to read a book on piracy and wanted to brush up on that history; and when I saw this book;I thought it would be very helpful;and it certainly was. For such a book;I was surprised how much information it included,how well it was organized.It is definitely not a quick read and it will be very useful as a reference sourse when reading any history,historical novels or pure fiction about the "Golden Age of Piracy" (1691-1724) particularly,but not exclusively in the Americas.Of course piracy has been going on ever since man took to the seas in search for riches,exploration,new lands,or whatever and continues to this very day. The book does an excellent job of explaining the terms involved,the types and reasons for the ships inolved,the weapons used,what bounty was hoped for and what was done with it,what types of people were involved and how they were obtained,both voluntarily and otherwise, what governments were involved,why was it often permitted by governments,how did countries fight against it,what was life like for those involved ,both on ship,and ashore. Of particular interest is what we learn about how the discipline abord the ship was maintained,how the bounty was divided up and how swift and heavy handed justice was enforced and by whom. The book also gives a great amount of detail on individual names of personalities and ships and specific dates and locations of acts of piracy,the numbers of people involved,numbers killed and specific information on treasures,bounty of all descriptions, as well as what they did to and with the ships,towns and particularly people they raided. A better and more concise source of all this information would be hard to find. And then there are the wonderful illustrations. How else to explain them than "pictures being better than a thousand words". The maps are also interesting;but I must admit, it is a little difficult to associate some of the names and locations with present day.That would be overcome with a little additional effort and present day maps. Now,I feel much better informed to read about some Pirates,Buccaneers,Filibusters,Maroons,Cimarrones, and their Frigates,Corvettes,Galleys,Men-of-War,Schonners,Barquentines,Hoys,Crumsters,Sloops ;and the differences between them all.After all, you need to know a bit more about the sea than port and starbord ,fore and aft and a culass and a dirk when you read about pirates.