Pirates and Privateers - Angus Konstam's books

Naval Miscellany
By Angus Konstam
Osprey, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84603-989-8, US $15.95 / CAN $17.95 / £9.99

Within the pages of this book the reader finds a diverse selection of articles covering many aspects of naval history and lore from ancient times through World War II. The purpose is not to provide an in-depth examination on any one topic, but to provide the opportunity to explore and discover. While primary focus is on the British and American navies, other nations are also represented.

A small sampling of the contents reveals the book’s wide scope:

Ten Warships that Sank Without the Help of the Enemy
Preserving Admiral Nelson
Sea Shanties and Shipboard Music
The Lords of the Admiralty
Painting the Sailing Man-of-War

For pirate enthusiasts, the list includes:

Privateer or Pirate?
The Seven Sea Dogs
The King of Corsairs
The Navy and Pirates

While many miscellanies (trivia books) are primarily a compilation of lists, Konstam opted to write fascinating articles to whet the reader’s appetite. His intent was to appeal not only to naval enthusiasts, but anyone with a curiosity about naval history. As a writer always searching for answers to hard-to-find questions, I appreciate several selections because Konstam kept researchers in mind as he sorted through what to include or discard. What makes Naval Miscellany such a delight to read is I can pick and choose the titles that most appeal to me or skip around, rather than reading the book from beginning to end. Although a hardback, the book is the size of a paperback that contains a chest full of treasures to scintillate the mind.

Meet Angus Konstam

Pirate

Pirate: The Golden Age

By Angus Konstam and David Rickman

Osprey, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84098-497-0, US$18.95 / CAN $22.00 / £11.99

Although some readers may miss the Authors’ Note, which appears in small print in a corner on the back of the title page, it provides a clue as to what will follow in subsequent pages:

The biggest problem was trying to unravel the myth from the reality, scraping away the layers of later interpretation to reveal the real pirates who terrorized the waters of the Caribbean and the Americas.

Not only do the authors delve into the murky waters created by novelists and Hollywood, but also those found in artistic renderings of pirates.

Pyle created a “pirate look” that bore little resemblance to the real thing. We had both been trying the same thing from two different directions – one trying to separate pirate fact from fiction using historical sources, and the other through a scholarly study of pirate clothing.

The collaboration of these two authors produced Pirate, a sixty-four page book that provides readers with a concise summary of these sea rogues from 1714 to 1724 – a time when these villains numbered in the thousands.

This examination opens with a look at where the moniker “The Golden Age of Piracy” came from and the disagreement among pirate historians as to the time period this moniker encompasses. This is done in two succinct paragraphs that end with the goal of the book: “to reveal as best we can the reality of pirate life and their appearance during this turbulent decade.” What particularly fascinated me was discovering another example of how Rafael Sabatini impacted our image of pirates, because he coined the term “Golden Age of Piracy” when writing his pirate novels, including Captain Blood, in the 1920s.

Before the authors get into the nitty-gritty, they begin with a chronology of important piratical events beginning with the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended Britain’s participation in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, and ending with John Gow dancing the hempen jig in 1725. There are a few discrepancies in this timeline since Stede Bonnet was actually hanged on 10 December 1718, rather than 1719. His crew was hanged the month before he was. *

The topics in this volume cover how pirates were recruited, the skills pirates needed to succeed, what they actually looked like versus what we imagine, what their lives were like, the violence that accompanied this life (including weaponry and tactics), the plunder they captured, seeking revenge for past wrongs, and the fate awaiting pirates. The book ends with a list of museums and galleries where piratical resources can be found, a bibliography, a glossary, and an index.

Illustrations, both in color and black & white, abound. The captions clarify and reinforce what’s contained in the narrative. There are also eight full-page paintings that realistically depict pirates in various aspects of their lives. Recruitment, for example, depicts pirates attempting to persuade a captured crew to join them on the account. Two pages are reminiscent of paper dolls – an average seaman versus a pirate captain, with their various parts of dress individually depicted and labeled to allow readers to better understand how real pirates actually dressed.

I’ve been a fan of Osprey’s various military series ever since I read Culloden 1746 by Peter Harrington while researching my novel, The Scottish Thistle. Among my maritime collection, I number several titles Konstam has written for Osprey, but Pirate, part of the Warrior series, offers readers more in-depth information than earlier titles. Other books touch upon the various topics covered, but Konstam and Rickman provide a marvelous and detailed assessment through explanation supported by period and first-hand examples about one decade rife with pirates. The rogues, themselves, would find this a treasure worth hoarding. Readers familiar with Konstam’s other Osprey titles will find this a worthy addition to their collections without duplicating what’s already owned.

Meet Angus Konstam

*The author has assured me that this error will be corrected in the future editions.

Blackbeard's Last Fight

Blackbeard’s Last Fight: Pirate Hunting in North Carolina 1718
By Angus Konstam
Illustrations by Mark Stacey and Johnny Shumate
Osprey, 2012, ISBN 978-1-78096-195-8, US $18.95 / UK £11.99 / CAN $19.95
eBook US $9.95 / UK £5.98

In the introduction, Konstam explains why Blackbeard became the most notorious of the pirates who lived during the most prolific piracy period in history, the early eighteenth century. His attack on the port of Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina raised the stakes and eventually led Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia to take action against this most fearsome pirate.

Readers learn how Blackbeard became a pirate, particularly following the War of the Spanish Succession and the sinking of Spain’s treasure fleet in 1715, and his early years in the sweet trade. The main focus comes after he acquires the French slaver he christens Queen Anne’s Revenge and his time in North Carolina.

Next Konstam looks at how the British government tried to counter piracy, Maynard’s attack at the battle of Ocracoke Island, and Captain Brand’s land expedition to Bath Town, which was originally intended to trap Blackbeard in a bottleneck to prevent his escape. The aftermath discusses the trial and punishment of the pirates and analyzes the raid. The narrative ends with a brief account of Stede Bonnet’s last days, the effect of the government’s policies on piracy, and the publication of Captain Johnson’s General History of Pyrates.

Quotations from firsthand sources are interspersed throughout the narrative. Aside from the maps and colorful artwork that accompany each page, there are chevrons in the margins pinpointing key historical events. A two-page spread of the Battle of Ocracoke provides a blow-by-blow recap of events between 7:00 and 9:05 a.m. on 22 November 1718. A bibliography and index are included.

While there are numerous volumes on Blackbeard’s life, this one focuses primarily on the last days of his life and the raid that brought about his demise. It provides readers with an excellent summary of what happened, as well as an overview of the Golden Age of Piracy and how the pirates were defeated.

Meet Angus Konstam

Review Copyrighted ©2013 Cindy Vallar

The Pirate Ship

The Pirate Ship 1660-1730
By Angus Konstam
Illustrated by Tony Bryan
Osprey, 2003, ISBN 1-84176-497-3, $14.95

The Pirate World: A History of the Most Notorious Sea Robbers
By Angus Konstam
Osprey, 2019, ISBN 978-1-4728-3097-5, US $35.00 / UK £ 25.00 / CAN $47.00
Also available in ebook formats

If not for Captain Charles Johnson and his 1724 bestseller, The General History of Pyrates, would we find pirates as fascinating as we do? Konstam certainly believes this is true, yet he also points out that “pirate” and the many synonyms we attribute to the scoundrels Johnson wrote about had different meanings in that time period. And many of the piratical elements we associate with these pirates may not apply to pirates of earlier or later centuries. Konstam’s main objective in his latest offering is “to strip away the myths and inventions from these historical figures to reveal the brutal but utterly fascinating world of piracy as it really was.” (7)

Piracy throughout history encompasses a lot of information, but the author succeeds in paring it down and presenting it in an entertaining and informative manner. He provides readers with a good grasp of sea marauding from its earliest days through the present, and also explores their portrayal in fiction. The eleven chapters are presented in chronological format, beginning with the ancient world. From there we meet medieval pirates, Renaissance sea dogs, Barbary corsairs, buccaneers, golden age pirates and those of the Pirate Round, pirates of the 19th century, Chinese pirates, and modern-day pirates. To enhance our understanding and reading pleasure, Konstam includes a plethora of color artwork, quotes from contemporary documents, notes, a select bibliography, and an index. Color maps indicate where pirates sailed and are accompanied by keys that explain what they did when, though not for all pirates mentioned in the text. Information deserving special focus appears in highlighted boxes and features topics such as Spanish coinage, pirate ships and guns, corsair galleys, Jolly Rogers, and pirate codes.

Among the many marauders readers meet within this volume are Cilicians, Vikings, Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins, Aruj “Barbarossa” and his brother Khair-Ed-Din, Murat Rais and Murat the Younger, Sir Henry Morgan, Laurens de Graaf, Benjamin Hornigold, Blackbeard, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Edward Low, Bartholomew Roberts, Thomas Tew, Henry Every, Christopher Condent, Jean Lafitte, Koxinga, Cheng I Sao, Shap-’ng-Tsai, and pirates of Somalia and Nigeria. A few men who fought against piracy – for example Woodes Rogers and James Brook – are also mentioned. Long John Silver, Captain Blood, and those of the Disney franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean are among the fictional pirates that are included.

Konstam provides a good overview of real pirates, and his conclusion about those of the Caribbean is quite interesting. He presents the material in a way that makes it easy for readers to picture these marauders more clearly, and to understand how they operated and what drove them to piracy. The Pirate World, indeed, separates myth from reality and commendably demonstrates that while fascinating, the men and women who chose this path in life could also be quite brutal.

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Book Review Copyright ©2019 Cindy Vallar

The Barbary Pirates: 15th-17th Centuries
By Angus Konstam
Illustrated by Gerry Embleton
Osprey, 2016, ISBN 978-1-4728-1543-9, US $19.00 / CAN $23.00 / £11.99
Also available in e-book formats

They are often called “pirates,” but for almost three hundred years, the marauders hailing from the northern coast of Africa were privateers and the Italians, French, and Spanish referred to them as “corsairs.” Their havens were situated on the Barbary Coast, and their plunder, the most prized of which were slaves, was sold in the markets of Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Morocco. Their raids took them from Greece and other Mediterranean shores to West Africa and the British Isles, and as far as Iceland. The majority of these city-states owed their allegiance to the Ottoman Empire, but Morocco remained independent. In the pages of this entry in Osprey’s Elite series, Konstam focuses on these marauders from the fifteenth century through the middle of the seventeenth when European nations implemented naval and diplomatic strategies to curb the most egregious of their corsairing raids.

The 1500s saw the zenith of the Barbary corsairs, and when the century began, Christians and Muslims have been fighting a “Holy War” for nigh on eight centuries. But the rulers of Africa’s northern shores aren’t the only marauders. Christian privateers, such as the Knights of Malta, also prowled the seas and, therefore, Konstam uses “Barbary corsair” to denote pirates from both sides, although the majority of the text and pictures focus on those of the Barbary Coast. He also explains why he chooses to call them “pirates,” rather than “privateers” or “corsairs.”

After a brief introduction and explanation of nomenclature, the book presents an overview of the history of the region and the Hafsid and Marinid dynasties that ruled prior to the upswing in privateering. From there Konstam discusses the first corsairs, including Kemal Reis and the Barbarossa brothers. Other sections examine the region’s geography, individual Barbary states, corsairing vessels, the pirates’ chains of command, the division of plunder, the crews, their tactics, and where they hunted. Throughout the narrative we meet specific Barbary pirates; in addition to the three already mentioned, we are introduced to Turgut Reis; Murad Reis (also known as Jan Janszoon) who raided Baltimore, Ireland in 1630 and founded the Republic of Salé (pirate haven); and John Ward.

The entire sixty-four-page book is illustrated with contemporary illustrations and maps, as well as full-color artwork by Gerry Embleton, who adeptly brings to life the pirates and their vessels (galley, galiot, polacca, tartan, xebec, and barca longas). Not only are these renderings illustrative of fine detail but they also vividly depict moments in corsair history, such as the c. 1480 raid on Corsica, a battle against a Venetian galley (c. 1540), and Turgut Reis at the 1538 Battle of Preveza. Also included in the book are a chronology for events occurring between 1450 and 1660, a reading list, and an index.

Anyone familiar with Osprey’s series books know that they provide a succinct and detail-oriented summary of the history and people involved in the military subjects being discussed. The Barbary Pirates continues this tradition, introducing readers to a topic that often doesn’t get the same level of attention in pirate history as other periods do. Equally important is that while Konstam concentrates on the marauders of the Barbary States, he also incorporates information about the Christian privateers, including the differences between how the two sides treated their galley slaves – the men forced to row their ships into battle. This volume provides anyone seeking information on the Barbary corsairs with a good introduction.

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Book Review Copyright ©2019 Cindy Vallar

American Privateers of the Revolutionary War
By Angus Konstam
Illustrated by Paul Wright
Osprey, 2020, ISBN 978-1-4728-3634-2, US $19.00 / UK £11.99 / CAN $25.99
Also available in e-book formats

Any examination of the colonies’ war for independence usually focuses on the land battles. Although the naval war, at least as regards the Continental Navy, is negligible, it is an important aspect of the conflict that should not be overlooked. Konstam attempts to examine this aspect of the war since both sides were dependent on the sea for supplies and reinforcements, as well as maritime commerce. This vulnerability gave rise to privateers, privately armed ships that preyed on enemy shipping.

Since the Continental Congress lacked sufficient funds and vessels to create a full-fledged navy, especially one that could match the manpower and armament of the Royal Navy, individual colonies and the Congress relied on private citizens willing to risk their lives and fortunes to acquire, man, and arm a maritime fleet to strike at the enemy. In exchange for this private funding, both colonial governments and the Congress granted these vessels licenses called “letters of marque” to go out on legal “pirating” ventures. In return, the governments asked for a portion of the proceeds garnered from whatever prizes were brought back and declared legitimate. Nor was this solely an American practice. Loyalists in the colonies and Canada, as well as England itself, participated in such cruises.

The word “privateer” can refer to a ship, her captain, or her crew. In the case of this book, it is the first definition that is the principal concern here. This isn’t necessarily evident from the table of contents: Design and Development (design and shipbuilding, vessel types and rigs, and purpose-built privateer); Business of Privateering (owners and captains; letters of marque and instructions); Life on Board; and Privateers in Action. Only in reading the narrative and viewing the illustrations is this fact made abundantly clear.

In combination with an introduction, a background summary, a bibliography, and an index, volume #279 of Osprey’s New Vanguard series serves as an introduction to privateering ships of this period. The majority of illustrations pertain to the vessels and the original artwork depicts side views of a number of privateers: Tyrannicide, Hope, Rhodes, King George, Fair American, Washington, Mohawk, Berbice, and General Pickering. There is also a two-page spread showing a cutaway view of Rattlesnake, as well as one of Saucy Jack in action against HMS Observer. The artwork is a vital part of this work and, when combined with the captions, provides glimpses into the compelling world of privateering.

The narrative itself is a somewhat dry recitation of facts and figures that merely skim the surface of the Revolution’s privateering history. Individuals are mentioned, but the text doesn’t go into any great detail on the daring escapades of the more legendary men. One such example mentions Captain Jonathan Haraden who captures the Golden Eagle after threatening to deliver a broadside at night if she doesn’t surrender. There is more to the story than these simple facts, but rather than treat readers to the whole story, only a few facts are shared. Although some attempt is made to explain nautical vocabulary, readers with more than a rudimentary knowledge of ships and sailing will better comprehend what is discussed. For those seeking the adventure and dangers associated with privateering, you might want to look elsewhere. For readers seeking knowledge about privateering ships, this serves as a good introduction to the topic.

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Review Copyrighted ©2020 Cindy Vallar

Mutiny on the Spanish Main: HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy’s Revenge
By Angus Konstam
Osprey, 2020, ISBN 978-1-4728-3379-2, US $35.00 / UK £25.00

reviewed by Irwin Bryan

In September 1797, the crew of the Royal Navy’s frigate Hermione revolted against their captain. This crime was so heinous that even two years later efforts were launched to bring the entire crew to trial and hang those found guilty. Another plan was formed to vanquish the foul deed of the mutineers giving the ship to Britain’s Spanish enemies.

The author’s description of the events reads like a novel, one that will seem far-fetched to most readers and is reminiscent of C.S. Forester or Patrick O’Brian. To his credit, Angus Kostam writes this text as if it were, in fact, fiction. In real time, the telling of the incidents, which led the crew to mutiny and the description of the mutiny itself, is both exciting and appalling.

Before beginning the tale, he describes frigates and their importance to the navy and war effort. The status of the French Revolutionary War in the Caribbean is detailed. The service history of Captain Hugh Pigot and the activities involving the ship and her crew before he was appointed to command her are also told.

The ship was known to be a “happy ship.” The previous commander had rarely ordered a flogging and knew his crew to be loyal and well-trained. That changed when Pigot came aboard.

In an era when there were rigid social classes, his family’s standing as an aristocrat made it easy for him to look down upon his crew and attach less value to their lives. He used brutal discipline to control them, exceeding the norms for the number of flogging episodes and of strokes doled out each time.

An incident between Midshipman Casey and the captain resulted in Pigot ordering Casey to kneel and beg his pardon, which Casey refused to do. The enraged captain ordered Casey seized-up and given a dozen lashes. Then Casey was demoted to ordinary sailor.

With the crew already unhappy, tensions ran higher. One more incident could push them past their breaking point.

Men were aloft taking in sails when threats by Pigot caused three men to hurry, which ended in tragedy. Rather than showing concern he showed contempt.

Groups of sailors started discussing mutiny. The next night, at 11:00 p.m., men armed with swords rushed the captain’s cabin. The mutiny had begun.

The next morning the ship headed south, away from any populated islands or cruising warships. Hermione sailed to La Guaira in modern-day Venezuela. The Spanish authorities were happy to accept the frigate without asking many questions.

It was not long before the Royal Navy learned of the mutiny and pledged to bring all the mutineers to trial and reclaim their ship. As men were spotted in places around the world, the bulk of them were transported home and court-martialed in Portsmouth.

Over a year later, Hermione had been moved west to Puerto Cabello and remained ready to sail with her Spanish crew aboard. Before she could leave, Admiral Parker sent a frigate captain to the area with orders to recapture the ship.

The “cutting out” of Hermione is one of the most daring episodes in the Age of Sail. Konstam explores this in detail and does a great job capturing the various actions of the men as they fight to seize the moment and the ship.

This book includes illustrations, several maps, and endnotes identifying all sources. A bibliography and index are also found.

Mutiny on the Spanish Main has broad appeal to anyone interested in naval history or sea stories. This classic portrayal of man’s inhumanity to man makes this an exciting tragedy from the pages of history, which I heartily encourage you to read.

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Review copyright ©2021 Irwin Bryan