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 7 February 2012)

Pirate Quote of the Month [H]e did not care who they chose captain so it was not a papist; for against them he had conceived an irreconcilable hatred, for that his father had been a sufferer in Monmouth’s rebellion. – Unnamed pirate, early 1700s

February Article Pirates & Religion If asked today, most people would say pirates were irreligious and, to a degree, this is true. To classify all pirates as such, however, is wrong because sometimes religion played a key role in acts of piracy, and pirates who blasphemed “found” religion before they died. This article discusses the various ways in which piracy and religion co-existed through centuries.

The Bonnie Bookaneer's February Book Reviews Monsoon Traders by H. V. Bowen, John McAleer, and Robert J. Blyth Martime History The Power & the Glory by William C. Hammond Naval Fiction, Historical Fiction A Ship for the King by Richard Woodman Naval Fiction, Historical Fiction De Ruyter Biography, History, Maritime History Pirate Santa by Clay “Talderoy” Clement and Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers Christmas, Picture Books How Britain Won the War of 1812 by Brian Arthur Naval History The Chocolate Pirate Plot by JoAnna Carl Mystery The Curse of Captain LaFoote by Eddie Jones Time Travel

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.
 

News, Events, & Exhibits

News Pirates Welcome Airman Home When Air Force Major Shea Brannan returned home, he got an unexpected and unusual "Welcome Home!" Privateers Deliver Christmas The Privateers of Anna Marie Island bring Christmas to a family in need. Kidd's Treasure Chest Pat Croce, founder of the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, recently acquired Captain William Kidd’s 17th-century chest from George Edmunds, author of Kidd: The Search for His Treasure. It will be on display in the museum’s Captain’s Cabin exhibit alongside the ship’s log from Kidd’s last voyage. “The beautifully crafted wooden chest features a brass plate around a worn keyhole inscribed with ‘Captain Kidd, Leith, Scotland’, and a 1668 King Charles II silver shilling. The interior of the wooden chest is lined with worn pages from a 17th-century book. And it is rumored to have once had a false bottom that concealed sea charts and maps.” El Morro A look at Cuba's Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, a fortress that has come to be known as "The Museum of Piracy." New Laffite Website The Laffite Society has unveiled its new website and invites you to come take a look. Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast On 26 January 2012, this new museum opened in Galveston, Texas. It centers on Jean Laffite and the other buccaneers who frequented the island.

Events War of 1812 - The Navy's War 27 February 2012 Mariner's Museum Newport News, Virginia Maritime Author James L. Nelson George Washington's Great Gamble 29 February 2012 Mystic Seaport Mystic, Connecticut Innovation and Diffusion of Shipbuilding Techonology 9 March 2012 Center for Business History in Scotland University of Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland New Researchers in Maritime History Conference 9-10 March 2012 Riverside Museum & Tall Ship Glasgow, Scotland NOLA Pyrate Week 23 March - 1 April 2012 New Orleans, Louisiana Maritime Author George C. Daughan 1812: The Navy's War 28 March 2012 Mystic Seaport Mystic, Connecticut Privateer Day 21 April 2012 Fell's Point, Maryland 11th Official Combating Piracy Update 23 -26 April 2012 Hamburg, Germany Buccaneer Days 26 April - 6 May 2012 Corpus Christi, Texas Conference on Persistent Piracy 3 - 5 May 2012 Stockholm, Sweden OpSail 2012 1-12 June 2012 Virginia

Pirate & Maritime Exhibits Traders: the East India Company and Asia New permanent gallery National Maritime Museum Greenwich, England When China ruled the Waves -- 15 February 2012 East India Company and Me -- 25 February 2012 Complete list of events 2 October 2011 - 25 February 2012 Trireme Olympias Late Spring - Early Summer 2012 New York, New York

Visitors' Reviews Oral tradition . . . meets well your presentation [of Dominique You]. It’s the first time, that I find so much details on him . . . how pleasant it is! . . . Many thanks for your presentation. – Bruno You, Paris, France Particularly enjoyed your recent article on "Beggars of the Sea". – Dirk Smit I LOVE your website which is filled with fascinating information. -- Cherry Adair, author of Afterglow I think you do a very good job, very comprehensive. -- Harry H. You have a terrific website by the way. -- Mark McMillin, author of Gather the Shadowmen

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 January 2011)

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 January 2012)

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
(Updated March 2011)

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 November 2011)

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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