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



Click banner to listen to my interview

 

(Site updated 23 July 2017)

August Article Three Buccaneers The first two segments of our series introduced Rock the Brazilian and Bartolomeo el Portugues. Our series concludes with a buccaneer who might rival Jean David Nau as the most violent and sadistic pirate of the seventeenth century. Even this man's nickname -- The Exterminator -- bespoke his reputation. Yet he might never have existed. Pirate Quotes of the Month [W]hen having made fast a Block to the Yard-Arm, and re[e]ved a Rope in it; they [the Spanish pirates] took the Mate and twisted a piece of Sea-net about his Head till his Eyes were ready to start out, and then Hanged him up by the two Thumbs, that they might make him confess what Money there was a Board, but when they saw they could make him confess nothing by that Punishment, they made fast the Rope about his Neck, and their Men asked the Commander, whether they should hoist him or not?  – Sad and Dreadful News from New England, 1684

The Bonnie Bookaneer's August Book Reviews Raider's Wake by James L. Nelson Historical Fiction, 9th century Echo in the Wind by Reagan Walker   Historical Romance, 18th century The Bermuda Privateer by William Westbrook Historical Fiction, 18th century The Burning of His Majesty's Schooner Gaspee by Steven Park reviewed by Irwin Bryan History, 18th century The History of Newgate Prison by Caroline Jowett History, 12th - 20th centuries

Upcoming Appearances

	If you would like the Pirate Lady  to speak to your group, please contact me. For information on upcoming workshops, click here.
	Daughters of the Republic of Texas Cradle of Texas Chapter 16 November 2017 Bethal Presbyterian Church East Columbia, TX

For additional appearances, visit Thistles & Pirates.

 
 
Pirate and Maritime News

Under the Crossbones It's been awhile since I reviewed The Wrath of Brotherhood, but it was a memorable pirate tale. Ozgur K. Sahin recently appeared on Under the Crossbones, so I hope you enjoy hearing from the author. Among Phil Johnson's other recent guests are Daniel Siemens who builds ships in bottles, BD McGee of BD Blades, and Spencer Smilanick (Captain Spoo Diggity) of The Pirates Charles. The episode with Spencer Smilanick is also the 100th episode of Under the Crossbones and you can catch-up on previous guests, including me (time mark: 1:06:40). (Complete episode guide) Congratulations, Phil, on Under the Crossbones' wonderful milestone. May you and the program enjoy many more piratical adventures!

Pirate & Maritime Events, Exhibits, & Courses

Events Pirate Chaser Sails Now through 2 September 2017 Michigan Maritime Museum South Haven, Michigan   Pirates Village 13 July - 19 August 2017 Al Majaz Waterfront Sharjah, Unite Arab Emirates Cruises on the Onrust Summer 2017 Connecticut River Museum Essex, Connecticut San Salvador Sailing Adventure 12 August 2017 26 August 2017 Maritime Museum of San Diego San Diego, California Viking Masters of the Northern Seas 22 August 2017 Houston Maritime Museum Houston, Texas The Secret Life of Objects Gallery Crawl 16 September 2017 The Mariner's Museum & Park Newport News, Virginia 2017 National Marine Art Conference 19-22 October 2017 Mystic, Connecticut Queen Anne's Revenge  300th Anniversary of Sinking 2018 Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort Pirate Invasion 10-11 August 2018 Beaufort, North Carolina

Exhibits & Courses Vikings: Beyond the Legend 10 March - 13 August 2017 Denver Museum of Nature & Science Denver, Colorado Viking: Rediscover the Legend 19 May - 5 November 2017 Yorkshire Museum York, United Kingdom Now Open Whydah Pirate Museum Yarmouth, Massachusetts Death in the Ice The Shocking Story of Franklin's Final Expedition 14 July 2017 - 7 January 2018 National Maritime Museum Greenwich, United Kingdom Bringing Pirates to Life 1 - 28 October 2018 Savvy Authors

Visitors' Reviews I enjoyed your website immensely -- there's so much great information here, and I loved your interview with Under the Crossbones -- Ruth Francisco, author of Catfish Pearl

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 and Pirates Adventures 2017
Fun places for pirates in need of rest & relaxation
(Updated April 2017)

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

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

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 July 2017)

Pirates and Death
(PDF chart listing pirates and how they died)
(Revised November 2015)

Piratical Dates
Events in history related to pirates and the world in general
(Updated April 2017)

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

Wooden Sailing Ships
Inside look at a wooden ship

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
(Updated June 2017)
 

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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