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The History of Maritime Piracy

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


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Books for Adults - Nonfiction

Cover Art: Villains
        of All Nations
Villains of all Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age
By Marcus Rediker
Beacon Press, 2004, $24
ISBN 0-8070-5024-5

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While piracy reached its zenith between 1650 and 1730, the greatest number of pirates to prey on the High Seas did so for only ten years, from 1716 to 1726. Their favorite hunting grounds were the Caribbean and the Atlantic. About the same time, people with wealth, power, and influence took more forceful steps to eliminate mayhem and murder on the oceans. These two foes utilized terror in different ways to accomplish their goals. The struggle pitted pirates, such as Blackbeard and William Fly, against men like Governor Alexander Spotswood and the Reverend Cotton Mather.

Within the pages of this book, Marcus Rediker examines key aspects relating to this decade of piracy. What caused the upsurge in piracy? Who went “a Pyrating” and why? How did pirates govern themselves and how did their rebellion against the established social order affect those who towed the line? What did governments do to stamp out piracy? Why and how did pirates defy their impending deaths?

Villains of All Nations is a worthwhile study of the most prolific years of piracy and the men who became pirates and those who wished to destroy them. What unfolds is a well-researched and absorbing tale that puts pirates in historical context without inserting the myths about them. Rediker illustrates his points and shows this “turbulent world turned upside down” with the words of pirates or those who encountered them, as well as those who hunted and judged them. Highly recommended for any pirate aficionado who wants to learn the true story about the pirates of this age.

Meet the author and read an excerpt

Book Review Copyright ©2004 Cindy Vallar

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