Under the Black Flag

“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.”-- 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. Praise for “[A] lively history . . . If you''ve ever been seduced by the myth of the cutlass-wielding pirate, consider David Cordingly''s -- “Engagingly told . . . a tale of the power of imaginative literature to re-create the past.” -- “Entirely engaging and informative . . . a witty and spirited book.” -- “Plenty of thrills and adventure to satisfy any reader.” --

Auteur

David Cordingly was for 12 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 and the renowned author of the definitive book on pirates, Under the Black Flag, as well as Seafaring Women and Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander. Cordingly lives with his wife by the sea in Sussex, England.

Texte du rabat

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."