PIRATES

Throughout history, humankind's imagination has been captivated by the marauders of the high seas. Today, the commonly held vision of pirates is an extremely romanticized one. Many imagine a fearless swashbuckler, with one eye covered by a black patch, leaping fearlessly around his ship, defeating foes, and burying captured treasure. But the realities of pirate life are even more fascinating and sometimes even more unbelievable, than the fantasy. Pirates explores this captivating world as it has existed for the last five thousand years, describing what pirates' lives were really like and presenting some of the most successful, ruthless, and scandal-ridden pirates of all time. It begins with the history of piracy, and explores the fascinating world of swashbuckling, from its roots in the ancient world, through its golden age in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, to today. It describes what a pirate's life was really like, including the laws, customs, and battle tactics, and presents the stories of some of the most successful, ruthless, and scandal-ridden pirates of all time. Danger, romance, and intrigue mark this inquiry into the history of piracy, which cuts through myth and legend to present a colorful, handsomely illustrated chronicle of this often romanticized "profession." Out Of Print. Condition: Very Fine/As New.