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 17 September 2016)

October Article Spanish Adventurers Pirates and Corsairs at Home and in the New World A common misconception in piracy, especially as regards the Caribbean, is that Spain was the enemy and only men and women from other countries were pirates and privateers. But they also came from Spain and her colonies. Sometimes they attacked shipping from foreign nations; other times, they attacked vessels from their native lands. Later on, when the colonies decided they wished to rule themselves, the rebel governments also commissioned privateers to fight against their Spanish overlords. Pirates also participated in this struggle.   Pirate Quotes of the Month [T]he Spanish in the West Indies captured two English vessels, cut off the hands, feet, noses and ears of the crews and smeared them with honey and tied them to trees to be tortured by flies and other insects. . . . The Spanish here plead that they were pirates, not merchants, and that they did not know of the peace. – Venetian ambassador to London in a letter to his doge, 1605

The Bonnie Bookaneer's October Book Reviews Philip Nolan by Chuck Pfarrer   Historical Fiction, 19th century Night Wolf by James L. Nelson  Historical Fiction, 9th century Pirasaurs! by Josh Funk illustrated by Michael Slack Picture Book The Quiet Pirate by Stephanie Thatcher Picture Book The Sugar Revolution by Lyle Garford Historical Fiction, 18th century The Notorious Captain Hayes by Joan Druett Non-fiction, 19th century

Upcoming Appearances

If you would like the Pirate Lady  to speak to your group, please contact me. For information on upcoming workshops, click here.

For additional appearances, visit Thistles & Pirates.

 
 
Pirate and Maritime News

Under the Crossbones   Joe Neate and Mike Chapman talk about their new pirate game Sea of Thieves. Other episodes feature the band Ye Banished Privateers, Matt Aurthur of The Pirate History Podcast, and Scott Pooler of Gasparilla Media. Books in the News S. R. Staley's Tortuga Bay recently won two gold medals from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. (My review of this book can be found here.) CNRS Editions recently published Histoire des Pirates et des Corsaires edited by Gilbert Buti and Philippe Hrodej. Roberto Barazzuti and many others are among the contributors of this French volume. They look at such pirates and privateers as Francis Drake, Robert Surcouf, Rene Duguay-Trouin, Dragut, Barbarossa, and Koxinga.

Pirate & Maritime Events, Exhibits, & Courses

Events Voyage to Antarctica Ernest Shackleton, Explorer Extraordinaire 4 October 2016 Houston Maritime Museum Houston, Texas Dead Men Tell No Tales Opens in theaters 26 May 2017 Trailer Queen Anne's Revenge  300th Anniversary of Sinking 2018

Exhibits & Courses The Lost World of the Sailing Ships 1780 to 1880 An Introduction to Maritime History begins 26 September 2016 Lecturer: Dr. Helen Doe semester-long online class University of Exeter Continuing Education Vikings: Beyond the Legend Cincinnati Museum Center opens 11 November 2016 Cincinnati, Ohio

Visitors' Reviews I just wanted to send my gratitude for your excellent articles on the history of maritime piracy. It has been a great source of inspiration for my writing. -- Caspar W.

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 August 2015)

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 September 2016)

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 2016)

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
 

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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