Within these
pages of Pirates & Privateers, you'll
find articles on all aspects of maritime piracy from ancient
times to modern day. Pirate Articles is an annotated
list of all the articles I've written. Pirate Links
is an annotated list of the best web sites that specialize
in piracy and life at sea from early days through the Age of
Sail. The Book Review pages house the reviews on the
latest fiction and non-fiction pirate and maritime books for
children and adults. Other highlights include specialized
bibliographies, piratical places to visit, pirate dates in
history, piracy quotes, and information about The Rebel and the Spy, my
current novel-in-progress that started me on the path of
piracy.
If you'd
like to be notified when I post a new article, as well as to
read the latest pirate-related news that doesn't appear
here, subscribe to the Pirates
and Privateers Newsletter. If you'd like
to read a sample of my newsletter before you subscribe, click here. Subscribers never miss
out on the latest happenings at Pirates and
Privateers.
As always,
if you have a question about pirates, please write and ask.
If you'd like me to write about a particular pirate or
subject, let me
know. One cautionary note to those searching for genealogical information.
Historical records about pirates are rare. Much of what is
known comes from government records, including court trials,
and the few first-person accounts written during a
particular time period. This information rarely contains
details pertinent to what you need to identify and/or learn
about ancestors. The simple fact is that the vast majority
of pirates' names remain unknown. I cannot answer this type of question, so
rather than contact me, you should check genealogical depositories
and websites, as well as national archives.
A special note to
teachers and students: Answering questions and
locating information is something I love to do. If you need
help with a project or report, please contact me.
Should you use any of my articles or reviews, please let me
know and remember to include the proper citation. The
majority of material contained within this website is
copyrighted.
Fair winds and following seas,
Cindy
also
known as The Pirate Lady
(Site updated 26
July 2014)
 August Article
 Pirates
and Death
A perusal of the Oxford
English Dictionary provides eight
definitions for “death.” In its simplest form
it is “the act or fact of dying; the end of
life; the final and irreversible cessation of
the vital functions of an animal or plant.”
Yet death is more complicated than that, for
one’s demise may be quiet and peaceful, or
brutal and cruel. How one dies is far more
telling, because it provides those still alive
with clues to the final moments of how that
person expired. Was it a simple exhalation of
one’s last breath, or was the person
assassinated, beheaded, crucified, hanged,
massacred, shot, or slaughtered? Pirates
encountered death in a variety of ways, but
they also snuffed out the lives of others.
They viewed death differently than most,
because reality had shown them life was short
and rarely sweet. This article explores
pirates’ encounters with death, both as
instigators and victims of the Grim Reaper.
Pirate
Quote of the Month
The
Buccaneer’s
Farewell
by E. H.
Visiak
Farewell,
old son ! on Springer’s Key,
There is a
treasure hid for ye :
I can’t
take it along of me
On to the
seas of death.
I’ve made
my voyage, I’ve had my day ;
I ain’t
afeared what parsons say :
There’s
worser craft what sail away
Bound for
the seas of death.
There's
worser rogues in Church and State
That cringe an' crawl an' whine an' prate --
And kick a poor old crippled mate
Into the seas of death.
|
The Bonnie
Bookaneer's
August
Book Reviews
|
Upcoming
Appearances
 |
If you would like the Pirate
Lady
to speak to your group,
please contact
me.
For information on upcomings
workshops,
click
here.
|
For additonal appearances, visit Thistles & Pirates.
Pirate and Maritime News
Seaside
Saturday: Caribbean Piracy
On 16
August, I'll be appearing at
Moody Garden's Discovery
Pyramid to talk about
buccaneers, golden age
pirates, and Jean Laffite.
9:00
AM
Jean Laffite, Enigma
and Legend
(Member
Event)
Smuggler.
Privateer. Hero. Spy.
Pirate. All these
nouns describe Jean
Laffite, bos
of Barataria and
"governor" of
Galveston. Nearly 200
years after he and his
men helped General
Andrew Jackson defend
New Orleans from a
British invasion. We
explore the man, the
legend, and the
mysteries surrounding
his life and death.
11:00
AM
A Rogue's Gallery
of Caribbean
Pirates
Ask
a handful of
people to name a
famous pirate and
the most likely
response would be
"Blackbeard."
Edward Teach,
alias Blackbeard,
was a legend in
his own time, but
he was not the
only pirate to
hunt for treasure
in the Caribbean.
In the mid 17th
century,
buccaneers preyed
on Spanish ships
and towns, while
pirates of the
18th-century's
golden age of
piracy became the
enemies of all
mankind. Learn
who's who among
these dastardly
villains.
1:00
PM
"A Merry Life
and a Short
One"
This
was the motto of
Bartholomew
Roberts, one of
the most
successful pirates
in history. It
might well be a
short one, since
pirates knew death
awaited them if
caught. But was a
pirate's life
truly merry? And
why did men, and a
few women, become
pirates? Once they
did, what was life
like for them?
Explore a pirate's
life during the
golden age of
piracy.
If you're
visiting Galveston Island,
Texas, I hope you'll come
visit and listen. For the
whole family. And while
you're there, why not tour
the visiting exhibit Real
Pirates: The Untold
Story of the Whydah.
|
Pirate
Republic Festival
The
first annual Pirate Republic
Festival will be held on Woodes
Rogers Walk in the heart of Downtown
Nassau, Bahamas from 31 October 2014
through 2 November 2014. I will be
one of several special guests
featured at the festival. Although
times and details are still to be
set, I will be speaking on maritime
piracy, the Age of Sail, and the
British Royal Navy on both Saturday
and Sunday. I hope pirate fans
around the world with help come
celebrate the pirates and their
history on what was once the
notorious pirate haven of New
Providence during the Golden Age of
Piracy. Further details will
be posted here as they become
available.
Fran
Silverman recently interviewed
me for her Blog Talk Radio
program, Fraternizing with
Fran. We discuss pirates,
privateers, and much more.
T. W. Kirchner, author of Pirates
Off the Deep End, is giving
away three autographed copies of her
middle-grader novel. Last day to
enter the drawing is 22 August 2014.
Dr. Patricia O'Brien's
discussion at The Library of
Congress. Her current work focuses
on the histories of Australian
imperial relations in the colonies
of Papua and New Guinea, New Zealand
colonial relations with Samoa and
British colonialism, privateers and
indigenous contact in the Caribbean.
She is the current Kislak Fellow for
the Study of the History and
Cultures of the Early Americas at
the Kluge Center. In addition, she is a Visiting
Associate Professor at Georgetown
University. She speaks about the
buccaneers, including William
Dampier, and piracy in the Pacific
with particular emphasis on Guam.
|
Pirate & Maritine Events &
Exhibits
|
Events
Motley
Tones
Pirates
Are Coming Festival
1-3 August 2014
Bald Head Island, North Carolina
Beaufort
Pirate Invasion
8-9 August 2014
Beaufort, North Carolina
South
Port Pirate Invasion
19-20 September 2014
Southport, North Carolina
Downtown
Cary Farmer's Market
4 October 2014
Belhaven, North Carolina
Pirates
& Wenches Fantasy Weekend
8-10 August 2014
Rock Hall, Maryland
Seaside Saturday: Caribbean
Piracy
Discovery
Museum, Moody
Gardens
Jean Laffite at 9:00 am (Members event)
A Rogue's Gallery of Pirates at 11:00 am
A Pirate's Life at 1:00 pm
16 August 2014
Galveston, Texas
10th
Maritime
Heritage Conference
17-21 September 2014
Norfolk Waterside Marriott
Norfolk, Virginia
Pirate
Republic Festival
31 October - 2 November 2014
Woodes Rogers Walk
Nassau, Bahamas
Laffite
Seminar
17-18 April 2015
Galveston, Texas
|
Exhibits
|
 Visitors'
Reviews
Very
informative site. -- T. W.
Kirchner, author of the Pirates Off the End
I
enjoyed your website. -- Dr. Harald Prins,
Kansas State University
|
The Rebel and the Spy
The Rebel
and the Spy, my current Novel-in-Progress, centers
around Jean Laffite and the Battle of New Orleans.
Below are links to places depicted in the novel and a
resource list for those seeking information on Jean Laffite,
Pirates, Ships in the Age of Sail, the Battle of New
Orleans, Andrew Jackson, and many other subjects.
Jean Laffite's Haunts
New Orleans and Piracy Resource List
Each month I alert readers to
the posting of my latest piracy article and book reviews,
new additions made to the site, and interesting tidbits
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and Privateers monthly newsletter, just
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