3 books about pirates you need to read

Love a good pirate story? Even better when they’re not phony? We got your back! Stories are real and adventure in them is a real trill. Here are three books we recommend you put on your reading list.

Blackbeard by Craig Cabell, Graham A. and Allan Richards

First things first, Blackbeard was one of history’s most famous pirates of all time. His name was Edward Teach or more precisely it was a pseudonym while engaging in acts of piracy. His true name and more about his early life we’ll probably never know. Blackbeard was born around 1680 and in the early 18th century he was a privateer for the British during the War of Spanish Succession.

Blackbeard lived in the so-called golden age of piracy. Just three years after the War of Spanish Succession it was first heard about him as a pirate. Blackbeard was one of the legends of that time. His short and bloody career in Caribbeans is hard to be seen in a clear historical light. Still, this book gives vivid insights into the nature of piracy and shows a new study looking for the man behind the legend.

Pirate Nation by David Child

If you like the romantic mythology surrounding the court of Queen Elizabeth I, this is a book for you. It offers a realistic view of the policy of seizing foreign assets. You probably already know that this made her popular at home but at the same time drew her into a partnership with pirates. They were rewarded or punished depending on how big the cut Queen received. The legitimacy of the action didn’t play a role and as you can guess –  rule of law at sea was arbitrary and almost non-existent.

Pirates became ‘admirals all for England’s sake’, and were well rewarded by the Queen for their exploits. Add this book to your reading list and reveal myths and reality about Elizabethan naval policy.

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Captain Kidd: The Hunt for the Truth by Craig Cabell, Graham A. Thomas and Allan Richards

Wait a minute. You don’t know who Captain Kidd is? Let’s start from the beginning. William Kidd was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1654. He became a sea captain and emigrated to New York in the 1680s.

Kidd became a successful privateer during the war between England and France. He was in charge of the vessel Blessed William, defending American and English trade routes with the West Indies. Even though Kidd’s public mission was to rid the sea of pirates, he took every opportunity to capture any enemy ship that had valuable cargo.

Along with 150 men, he left New York aboard the 32-gun Adventure Galley, bound for the Indian Ocean. In the beginning, Kidd wasn’t very adept at finding pirates. His own crew turned ugly and revolt. They even forced him to turn pirate himself.

One of the most feared pirates to sail the high seas has one of the most controversial executions in pirate history. Captain Kidd’s story is complex and ambiguous, but so worth reading.