Pirate Books

Bold in Her Breeches: Women Pirates Across the Ages  by Jo Stanley. Edited by the coordinator of the Women and the Sea network at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Ms. Staley’s book discusses Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Grace O’Malley and Cheng I Sao. Many of the essays also discuss the economic and social realities that forced these women into such a perilous occupation.

Booty: Girl Pirates on the High Seas by Sara Lorimer, Susan Synarski (Illustrator).  An illustrated book about women piracy FOR ADULTS--and about time, too! Includes coverage of little known female brigands, habits, dress, and customs.

Iron Men, Wooden Women : Gender and Seafaring in the Atlantic World, 1700-1920 (Gender Relations in the American Experience) by Margaret S. Creighton (Editor), Lisa Norling (Editor). Explores gender relations, women in the development of the New England whaling trade, and the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

The Pirate Trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read by Tamara Eastman and Constance Bond. Good treatment of a subject so wrapped in myth and mystery it’s often difficult to tell what’s the truth.  Contact the publisher, Fern Canyon Press, if you have trouble finding this.

Women Pirates : And the Politics of the Jolly Roger by Ulrike Klausmann, et al. Essays on three thousand years of women pirates — from the Amazon’s to today’s anarchists. A far reaching book, bound to sate all your historical questions about women on the high seas.

Women Sailors and Sailors' Women : An Untold Maritime History by David Cordingly.  Mr. Cordingly's latest work, while not strictly devoted to pirates, includes the Anne Bonny / Mary Read story from the perspective of their role as lovers (Bonny as Calico Jack's lover, and Mary Read as Bonny's lover).

Seafaring Women by Linda Grant De Pauw.  This short book covers few piratical women, but lots of seafaring women. Mostly anecdotal in nature.

The Atrocities of the Pirates  by Aaron Smith, Robert S. Redmond. The true story of Aaron Smith, captured in 1822 by pirates and forced to act as navigator for the brigands. He was eventually captured and tried for piracy in England. Written from his journals by his great-great grandson, Redmond, who is a former member of Parliament.

Bandits at Sea: A Pirates Reader by C. R. Pennell (editor). Publisher's Weekly said "With titles like 'Black Men Under the Black Flag' and 'The Practice of Homosexuality Among the Pirates of China,' the 16 scholarly essays of Bandits at Sea: A Pirates Reader deliberately set out to explode myths and stereotypes.  C. R. Pennell . . . has gathered foremost experts on these most romanticized of murderous predators, some of whom are shown to have had sophisticated anti-statist and class conscious ideas about what they were doing."  Anti-statist and class conscious?  Hmm, sounds to us like another romanticized view from a uniquely Marxist perspective.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea : Merchant Seamen, Pirates, and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750 by Marcus Rediker. A study of the socio-economic forces at work in the history of Anglo-American seafaring. Some mythologizing about piracy that smacks more of Disney than of Marx, but an interesting study.

The Blood-Red Arab Flag : An Investigation into Qasimi Piracy 1797-1820 by Charles E. Davies.  A highly recommended book on Persian Gulf piracy of old.

The Buccaneers and Marooners of America : Being an Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Certain Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish Main by Alexander O. Exquemelin. One of the greatest books on Caribbean piracy written at the time it was occurring (1682). A must for those researching the field.

Eyewitness: Pirate by Richard Platt. The popular series turns its attention to things piratical.

A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates by Daniel Defoe and/or Captain Charles Johnson. Great source material and the first mentions of Mary Read and Anne Bonny. It remains the touchstone for all research about Caribbean piracy in the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries. A veritable pirate’s directory — you’ll find all your favorites here, and a few you’ve never heard of.

A History of Pirates by Angus Konstam. Another excellent book on the why’s and wherfore’s of piracy by a museum curator. Many pictures. Also by Angus Konstam: 

The Jolly Roger: The Story of the Great Age of Piracy by Patrick Pringle.

The Life, Adventures, and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton by Daniel Defoe. Finally in print again!

Patterns of Pillage: A Geography of Caribbean-Based Piracy in Spanish America, 1536-1718 by Peter R. Galvin. An intriguing new study that demonstrates that geographical points and patterns of shipping determined where—and when—pirates attacked.

Piracy in the Ancient World: An Essay in Mediterranean History by Henry Arderne Ormerod. A fairly serious study.

Piracy in the Greco-Roman World by Philip de Souza. One of the few books to cover this part of piracy.

Piracy, Slavery, and Redemption : Barbary Captivity Narratives from Early Modern England by Daniel J. Vitkus (Editor).  Concerning the capture of white men who were forced into piracy by Barbary pirates. This is the first time these old records have been published.

Pirates in the Caribbean :1493-1720 by Cruz Apestegui. A Spain-centric take on piracy in the West Indies.

Pirates of the Carolinas by Terrance Zepke.  Blackbeard & the usual gang.

Pirates on the Chesapeake : Being a True History of Pirates, Picaroons, and Raiders on Chesapeake Bay, 1610-1807 by Donald G. Shomette.

Pirates and Privateers : New Perspectives on the War on Trade in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (Exeter Maritime Studies) by David J. Starkey (Editor), E. S. Van Eyck Heslinga (Editor), J. A. d Moor, J. A. De Moor (Editor), E. S. Van Eyck Van Heslinga (Editor).

Pirates and Privateers of the Americas by David F. Marley.  An alphabetical listing of all known pirates. Special order (& expensive).

Pirates, Privateers, & Rebel Raiders of the Carolina Coast by Lindley S. Butler.

The Pirates of the New England Coast, 1630-1730 by George Francis Dow, John Henry Edmonds.  Edward Low, Captain Lowther, Harris, Sprigs and Fly are chronicled in these pages.

The Pirates Own Book : Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers by Charles Ellms, Research Society Marine. A reprint of a rare 1837 volume, still in the original 17^th and 18^th century vernacular (which can be slow going), this is the stories of pirates in their own voices — including Anne Bonny. Credited as a primary source for historians.

Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy by Frank Sherry. A piracy primer.

The Speedwell Voyage: A Tale of Piracy and Mutiny in the Eighteenth Century by Kenneth Poolman.  This is the first restored account of the 1718 Speedwell tragedy, upon which Coleridges’ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is based. Richly detailed, omitting none of the harshness that this fierce captain deserves. Poolman knows this subject inside and out.

Terror at Sea: True Tales of Shipwrecks, Cannibalism, Pirates, Fire at Sea, and Other Dire Disasters in the 18th & 19th Centuries edited by Barbara Darrah Smith. This is all primary source, so the language is antique, but a valuable resource all the same.

Under the Black Flag  by David Cordingly. Mr. Cordingly was curator of the pirate exhibit at the British Museum. After I read this book, I completely re-wrote all the historical sections of Captain Mary, Buccaneer! Also by David Cordingly:

Atlas Of Shipwrecks & Treasure by Nigel Pickford. Maps and information on hundreds of shipwrecks plus a special section on pirates and privateers. Not as comprehensive as it could be, but a fun coffee-table book.

Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas 1500-1750 by Kris E. Lane. An overview.

Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas by John S. Burnett. Written by a victim of modern piracy, Burnett surveys current trends in piracy and makes some frightening predictions about future terrorist attacks.

From Pirates to Drug Lords: The Post-Cold War Caribbean Security Environment (Suny Series in Global Politics) by Michael C. Desch (Preface), Jorge I. Dominguez (Editor), Andres Serbin (Editor)

Jolly Roger With an Uzi: The Rise and Threat of Modern Piracy
by Jack A. Gottschalk, Brian P. Flanagan, Lawrence J. Kahn [U.S. Naval Institute].  Although this report is about 4 years out of date at this point–and anything after the attacks of Sept. 11 concerning terrorism is ancient history–this is still a good start to research on modern piracy and its concerns.

The Law of Piracy by Professor Alfred P. Rubin.  Concerns modern piracy law and the ways in which it is ineffective.

Maritime Terror: Protecting Your Vessel and Your Crew Against Piracy by Jim Gray, Mark Monday, Gary Stubblefield.  Here’s a book that is very handy for all you aspiring round-the-world sailors! Tips by Navy SEALs and other professionals in thwarting pirate attacks on ships. The modern pirate is very bold, very technically savvy. . .and likely got all your particulars from a foreign government port authority.

Walking the Plank: A True Adventure Among Pirates by Stephen Kiesling.  While not actually about piracy, this book describes the modern-day scam of funding searches for pirate treasure. Yes, some searches have been successful, just like some people actually win the lottery (but it’s never you, is it?). The book details one notable scam that hoodwinked Jacqueline Onassis, E. F. Hutton and a large number of other people.

The Life and Adventures of Capt. John Avery. the Successful Pirate by Anonymous.

Blackbeard, Terror of the Seas by Jean Day, Douglas W. Campbell (Illustrator), Virgil H. Day Jr. (Editor).

Blackbeard the Pirate : A Reappraisal of His Life and Times by Robert Earl Lee.

Blackbeard & the Carolina Pirates by Shirely Carter Hughson.  Only some of this book is devoted to Blackbeard.

Anne Bonny by Chloe Gartner.  Biography based on well-researched oral history in South Carolina.

Granuaile: Life and Times of Grace O'Malley c 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers.

Captain Kidd and the War Against the Pirates by Robert C. Ritchie.

The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd by Richard Zacks. A book setting the record straight about Captain Kidd: family man, British tar, maligned unfairly by history.

The Tryal of Capt. William Kidd for Muther and Piracy edited by Don C. Seltz

The Memoirs of Jean Laffite by Jean Laffite, Gene Marshall (Translator).

Jean Laffite : Prince of Pirates by Jack C. Ramsay Jr.

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Bandits at Sea: A Pirates Reader by C. R. Pennell (editor). Publisher's Weekly said "With titles like 'Black Men Under the Black Flag' and 'The Practice of Homosexuality Among the Pirates of China,' the 16 scholarly essays of Bandits at Sea: A Pirates Reader deliberately set out to explode myths and stereotypes.  C. R. Pennell . . . has gathered foremost experts on these most romanticized of murderous predators, some of whom are shown to have had sophisticated anti-statist and class conscious ideas about what they were doing."  Anti-statist and class conscious?  Hmm, sounds to us like another romanticized view from a uniquely Marxist perspective.

Rum, Sodomy and the Lash : Piracy, Sexuality, and Masculine Identity by Professor Hans Turley.  Not for those who don’t care to think about what happens in one-sex environments.

Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition : English Sea Rovers in the Seventeenth-Century Caribbean by Barry Richard Burg.  Not for those who don’t care to think about what happens in one-sex environments.

Anne Bonney and Mary Read by Mace Taxco.  A somewhat "history light" romantic novel of these two characters.

The Barbary Pirates by C. S. Forester. Please note that this links you to a "pirate edition" of Forester’s classic. Go to the "marketplace" or "Z-Shops" and get a better edition which pays royalties to the Forester estate.

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini. A must have!

Also by Sabatini:

Captain Mary, Buccaneer by Jacqueline Church Simonds. Captain Mary and her pirate crew fight their way across the Caribbean creating a financial empire and founding the free nation of Cache Island. Captain Mary also juggles the demands of her three lovers: Dr. Alphonse Coulances, a French doctor and traitor; the first mate, a former slave and master pilot named Petronius; and Elaina Mayhew, at first a hostage to be ransomed, but later, so much more! Loosely based on the women pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read.  Recommended by No Quarter Given, Historical Novels Review. Joan Druett (She Captains and Hen Frigates) said "Simonds is a strong writer."  Find out more...

The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics) by Alexandre Dumas. If you don’t have this in your home library, do it now!

Dead Man's Chest: The Sequel to Treasure Island by Roger L. Johnson.  Recommended by the Midwest Review of Books.

The Devil's Captain by Frank Sherry. A fictional tale of the pirate "Black" Bart Roberts.

Gasparilla: Pirate Genius by James F. Kaserman. A novel about the Floridian pirate José Gaspar. As his legitimate career in the Spanish navy unravels, he is forced to become the ruthless pirate Gasparilla.

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes. Sort of a "Lord of the Flies" goes to sea. Mordantly funny at times—but creepy.

Porto Bello Gold : A Prequel to Treasure Island (Classics of Nautical Fiction) by Arthur D. Howden Smith. Yet another wanna-be Stevenson chimes in.

Sea Star: The Private Life of Anne Bonny, Pirate Queen by Pamela Jekel.  A light and frothy read, not terribly historically accurate.

The Sweet Trade by Elizabeth Garrett is a fictional re-telling of the real female pirates Anne Bonny & Mary Read. Here the "girls" come alive as best friends from different walks of life and adventurers. A fun historical romance with very fine period details.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. If you haven’t read this one, you don’t know what pirate literature is. A great adventure story, timeless in its scope. A must for any pirate fan. The N.C. Wyeth illustrations are wonderful.

The Widow Maker by C.C. Colee.  More of a romance than a piratical adventure. Recommended by No Quarter Given.

The Witch from the Sea by Lisa Jensen.  Wonderful, fast reading adventure of one girl’s coming of age whose travels lead her into the company of pirates. It is in their well-described milieu, she finds her heart. Author Joan Druett (She Captains and Hen Frigates) said, "Better than Diana Gabaldon– The Witch from the Sea is that rare creation, an historical romance with guts as well as glamour. Wild-spirited Tory is an irresistible character." "Reads like Jane Eyre goes to Treasure Island and becomes Moll Flanders," says novelist Jacqueline Church Simonds (Captain Mary, Buccaneer). Recommended by Booklist, Romantic Times, No Quarter Given, The Write Lifestyle, and Romance Reader.  Find out more...

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl [Soundtrack] Klaus Badelt

Posters

Games

Action Figures

Disney Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End Adventure Play Pack: A Pirate's Tale Adventure Play Pack (Board book) by Tisha Hamilton

The Guardship: Book One of The Brethren of the Coast by James L. Nelson.  About this book, Patrick O'Brien said: "There are few greater pleasures than reading a book about a world that is not our own but that is concerned with a perfectly recognizable society with almost identical emotions--in this case the American Colonies of the very early 18th century and the sea off their coasts--and the pleasure is very much increased when the writer is a master both of his period and of the English language."  That's one heck of a recommendation in our book!

Blackbirder: Book Two of The Brethren of the Coast by James L. Nelson.   Nelson's second swashbuckling adventure featuring pirate-turned-privateer Thomas Marlowe.  If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.

The Pirate Round: Book Three The Brethren of the Coast by James L. Nelson.  Some say this is the best of the series.  You can be sure that if you liked the other two books, you have to read this one too!

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by Louis A. Meyer  Grade 6-8 (some sexuality) Orphaned at 8 during London’s brush with the Black Death, Mary must live life on the streets. But when her gang leader is killed, she puts on his clothes, cuts her hair and signs on the HMS Dolphin as “Jack.” Clashes with pirates and a marooning give this a thrilling feel. Also by Meyer: