Customer Reviews

Jolly Roger (Dover Maritime)

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I enjoyed this book. It deals mainly with western pirates during the 'Golden Age' of piracy. Mr. Pringle compiled his information from court records of trials and other public records in England, the U.S. and the Caribbean islands,in addition to journals and other published accounts. This view is not so romantic, and does not contain the florid descriptions of many other books about pirates, but does seem more realistic. He sets the scene by describing life during the period, and in this context the pirates actions do not seem to be any more brutal than the norm, and sometimes perhaps they were more humane than their legal counterparts. He certainly makes it understandable why pirating became such a popular vocation. There are no maps but there are some illustrations. The writing style is a little dry, but for a factual account of pirates, and the pirating life, this is a good place to start.

I've read many books about the Golden Age of piracy, but this is the first I've encountered that truly considers the pirates in the context of the morals and norms of their own time. The author has taken a very well-reasoned approach to his examination of piracy and has shown that pirates were neither romantic nor the "abominable brutes" they have previously been purported to be. I found the author's style informative and straightforward. A quick and enjoyable read. Highly recommended for those who wish to explore the origins of piracy and get a more accurate feel for the behavior and methods of the classic pirates, viewed from the perspective of how their actions compared to the moral norms of their more legal contemporaries.