A book of surprising detail which sometimes belies the author's newspaper background. The coverage is a bit disjointed as in not chronological and therefore a bit repetitive at times. The chapter on 'Blackbeard' was especially useful to me as it gives me accurate background on his relationship with the 'Outer Banks'. For instance, 'Blackbeard's' real name was Thatch, but somehow in the 'Outer Banks' it was 'Teach'! My usual complaint about the lack of detailed maps was really important when the seemingly random cruises of these men were hard to follow from descriptions and the very general map given. I learned several things, the Royal amnesty, the importance of Nassau, the many types of vessels available, used and preferred. The career of Rogers was also a personal discovery. ( )

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I believe this author had as his mission to write the best researched, most thorough account of the Republic of Pirates, founded by pirate Benjamin Hornigold, in the Caribbean. The escapades of many a pirate (so many I forget who’s who), and every ship won or lost, are detailed in this book. Which, unfortunately, makes for a boring pirate book. This book is a well-written assembly of facts and for that reason it’s a pick for me. It’d be an excellent textbook—original sources are cited. Where facts are unknown, he informs us. And I learned an enormous amount of history of the Caribbean and proved how little did I know how the early American east coast was so ravaged by pirates. Just beware, it’s a long slog. ( )

I seem to know a lot of people who have strong feelings about how a history of pirates should be written. I'd love to know what they think of this one. I thought it was well done, not too dry or too sensationalistic, and I appreciated the information on source materials. My only complaints are the overselling of the cover, perhaps, and the font, which tries to look piratey but was very distracting, leading me to read the first third in 3-4 page sessions. ( )

This book is the story of the Golden Age of Piracy, 1715 – 1725, through the lives of four pivotal people: pirates Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy, Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch (or Teach), Charles Vane, and Woodes Rogers, who occupied the Crown’s seat of government in the Bahamas. Woodard starts with a biography of each man and moves into their interactions. He illuminates the motivations of the pirates, as they sought social and political revolt. The book covers the vast sea lanes of pirate activity, including the Atlantic coast of the American colonies and the Caribbean islands.

In addition to the seafaring adventures and battles, Woodard analyzes the socioeconomic changes taking place in the region. He separates old myths and legends into fact and fiction. The book is organized logically and flows well. I was impressed that the author used primary sources for this book, providing a lengthy biography and many footnotes. We find out what happened to the notorious pirates and how piracy of the period came to an end. I found it informative and entertaining.

To get a total picture of pirates, buccaneers, and privateers, you will need to supplement this book with others that cover the earlier time periods, starting in the 1650s. I can recommend [b:Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign|281693|Empire of Blue Water Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign|Stephan Talty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320390089l/281693._SY75_.jpg|2780539] by [a:Stephan Talty|39755|Stephan Talty|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1366645486p2/39755.jpg].
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