Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime Piracy

Cindy Vallar, Editor & Reviewer
P.O. Box 425, Keller, TX  76244-0425

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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 18 May 2013)

June Article Peter Cornelius Hoof and Me by Guest Columnist Laura Nelson A visit to the National Geographic's Real Pirates Exhibit opened the world of pirates to Laura Nelson. She discusses her visit, her interest in Peter Hoof, his capture by Sam Bellamy, the fateful voyage of the Whydah, and Peter's execution. In part two, we learn how Peter and others were captured, the pirates' trial, and Peter's last days before his death. Pirate Quote of the Month As the English Trade is in the utmost danger at present in America from the prodigious Number of Ships exercised in Piracies and as Providence hath wonderfully preserved us by destroying their Capital Ship with her Numerous Crew, and hath no less wonderfully delivered into the hands of Publick Justice the prisoners at the Bar, to teach others by their Exemplary Punishment to abhor the barbarous and inhumane practices, which have been fully proved against them, and whereof they stand convicted, [I] humbly move His Excellency and the Honorable the Commissioners to proceed to pass Sentence of Death upon all and each of them, they being all equally Guilty. To show the least Pity in matters of this kind, where the Proofs are so full and Pregnant, and not the least presumption in favour of the Prisoners, would be the greatest cruelty.  – His Majesty’s Advocate at the trial  of the remaining members of Sam Bellamy’s crew in 1717

The Bonnie Bookaneer's June Book Reviews Pieces of Eight by John Drake Historical Fiction -- 18th century Man-of-War Life by Charles Nordhoff US Naval History, -- 19th century British Naval Captains of the Seven Years' War by A. B. McLeod British Naval History -- 18th century Pirates of Maryland by Mark P. Donnelly and Daniel Diehl Pirate History, Privateers History -- 17th-19th centuries American Privateers in the War of 1812 edited by Timothy S. Good Privateers History, War of 1812 -- 19th century The Black Ship by Dudley Pope British Naval History -- 18th century Lords of the Sea by Alan G. Jamieson Barbary Corsairs -- 15th-19th centuries Fireship by Peter Kirsch Naval History -- 17th-19th centuries

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

Mutiny on Black Raven The crew of the Black Raven is trying to raise funds to create a reality TV series. This pirate ship is moored in St. Augustine, Florida, and I had a blast when I went aboard for an evening sail. Click the link above to learn more about the project. Click here to read about my pirate adventures on this pirate ship. Free Chapter Readers who haven't read Keith Thomson's Pirates of Pensacola can read the first chapter of the e-book at scribd. If you'd like to read my review, you'll find it here. Keith will be the guest columnist for the July issue of Pirates and Privateers. Also, check out his post of The Pirate Song. Captain Phillips Trailer This fall, Columbia Pictures will release a movie based on Captain Richard Phillips' experiences when Somali pirates captured the Maersk Alabama. Here's the trailer for the film.

New French Volume CNRS Editions has published a French book about Barbary corsairs, buccaneers, pirates, and more. It contains nearly 600 entries and includes such well-known people as Francis Drake, Jean Bart, Robert Surcouf, Dragut, and Barbarossa. Places that can be found in this volume include Boston, Algiers, the Caribbean, Dunkirk, Saint Malo, and the Gulf Aden. Cover Art Contest There are only a few days left to enter Keith Thomson's contest to design a new cover for The Pirates of Pensacola. Deadline to enter is Friday, 24 May 2013. Prizes include a genuine piece-of-eight coin and a signed first edition of his next novel, 7 Grams of Lead. Click the link above for complete rules and directions.

Pirate & Maritine Events & Exhibits

Events Treasure Island: The Untold Story 21 May 2013 11:00-12:00 Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum Hatteras, North Carolina All About Pirates! 28 May 2013 10:30-11:30 and 11:30-12:30 Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum Hatteras, North Carolina Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival 30 May - 1 June 2013 Fort Walton Beach, Florida Mary Rose Museum Opens 31 May 2013 Portsmouth, England 34th Annual Sea Music Festival 6-9 June 2013 Mystic Seaport Mystic, Connecticut True Treasure, A Tale of Blackbeard and His Queen 8 June 2013 10:00-4:00 Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum Hatteras, North Carolina From Enemies to Allies 12-16 June 2013 Annapolis, Maryland Florida Pirate Con 14-16 June 2013 Coco Beach, Florida Charles W. Morgan Launch 21 July 2013 Mystic Seaport Mystic, Connecticut

Exhibits Ahead Full at Fifty 9 November 2012 to 26 May 2013 Maine Maritime Museum Bath, Maine American Society of Marine Artists 22 March to 17 June 2013 Coos Art Museum Coos Bay, Oregon Pirates, Privateers, and Buccaneers 10 to 31 May 2013 Cherokee County History & Arts Museum Gaffney, South Carolina Navigating Freedom The War of 1812 on the Chesapeake Opens 11 May 2013 Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum St. Michaels, Maryland Real Pirates The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship Through 27 May 2013 Milwaukee Public Museum Milwaukee, Wisconsin Through 2 September 2013 National Geographic Museum Washington, DC 22 June 2013 - 5 January 2014 Union Station Kansas City, Missouri Shipwreck! Pirates and Treasure Opens 24 May 2013 Discovery Times Square New York, New York

Visitors' Reviews Great website! I came across your page [on Rachel Wall] and found it very informative. -- Paul Ducham, Managing Director and Editor, McGraw-Hill Higher Education

The Articles

Being a Pirate (or How to be one)
History of Piracy
Modern Piracy
Notorious Pirates (or Who was who)
Piracy Around the World
Pirates and Literature
Privateers
Wooden Sailing Ships

The Links

Activities for Young Pirates
Archaeology
Education
Exotic Ports of Call
History
Modern-day Piracy
Notorious Pirates
Pirate Literature
Piratical Books Online
Ships and Sailing
Treasure Troves
 

The Bookaneer

Latest Reviews
Five-Star Reviews
Books for Young Pirates
Books for Apprenticed Pirates and Young Adults
Fiction Books for Adults
Nonfiction Books for Adults
 

Special Resources

Pirate Adventures  and Pirates Adventures 2010
Fun places for pirates in need of rest & relaxation
(Updated February 2013)

Barbary Corsairs Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on the Barbary Corsairs

Canadian Piracy Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on piracy and privateering in Canada

Modern Piracy Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on piracy today
(Updated May 2013)

Pyrate Surgeons Resources
Articles, books, and web sites on pyrate surgeons and medicine at sea in the Age of Sail

The Age of Sail
Examines merchant ships, maritime commerce, and seaports

Before the Age of Sail
Examines ships prior to the seventeenth century

Wooden Sailing Ships
Inside look at a wooden ship

Pirate Limerick Cemetery
Compliments of Catalina the Pirate and Friends

Piratical Dates
Events in history related to pirates and the world in general
(Updated May 2013)

Pirates and Privateers Site Map

 

The majority of the artwork on these pages is copyrighted by the artists.
To obtain permission for their use please go to ClipArt.com.

The backgrounds used on Pirates and Privateers are from WebGround.
 
 

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 about piracy. If you'd like to receive the Pirates and Privateers monthly newsletter, just complete the form below.

Note to subscribers: If you fail to receive your newsletter, it's possible that your e-mail provider returned it to me for one of several reasons: they deem it to be junk mail; your mailbox is over quota; access to your account is denied; or you changed e-mail addresses and forgot to notify me of the change.  Contact me and we'll try to solve the problem.  If your newsletter bounces two months in a row and you don't contact me, I just delete you from the subscriber list.

© 2000-2008 Cindy Vallar

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