Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, And Privateers In Fact, Fiction, And Legend [Paperback]

Jan Rogozinski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 1996

In more than a thousand entries this encyclopedia—impeccably researched, internationally focused, and extensively cross-referenced—reveals the actual lives and exploits of pirates and the diverse worlds from which they sprang, from the Etruscan and Phoenician marauders off the coast of ancient Greece to the Chinese and Malay pirates of the 1870s. Pirates! encompasses: historical pirates like Madame Cheng I Sao, Captain William Kidd, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Edward "Blackbeard" Teach; fictional buccaneers like Anne Bonny, Captain Blood, and Long John Silver; every important and noteworthy novel, play, poem, ballad, opera, and movie portraying pirates; pirate slang, havens, types of ships, weapons, symbols, practices, and pleasures; a listing of the richest booty ever captured; over a hundred illustrations (with more than a dozen paintings by Howard Pyle); and a comprehensive bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Both works consist of alphabetically arranged encyclopedic entries written by maritime historians. Rogozinski (Brief History of the Caribbean, LJ 3/1/92) covers a broader scope, including actual and fictional pirates since the fourth century B.C., movies, operas, and fiction about pirates, nautical slang, and terminology. There is an emphasis throughout on differentiating pirate myth from fact. Narratives range from a few lines to detailed profiles of several pages (as in the case of Sir Francis Drake). Entries for movies provide a plot description, primary actors, director, year, and some critical reaction. Similarly, plot, date of publication, and historical inaccuracies are noted for the many novels. The fictional character Long John Silver is treated by Rogozinski under several "Treasure Island" entries but is excluded from Marley's Pirates and Privateers of the Americas, which covers only factual pirates and events of the 17th century. Terms associated with sea raiders, e.g., pieces of eight, maroon, and Spanish Main are included in both encyclopedias. Definitions and biographies are generally longer from Marley's compendium which, though less comprehensive, includes many pirates not covered by Rogozinski. Bibliographic and See also references are provided by both authors; there is little overlap between the select bibliographies. Marley's historical synopses convey a more scholarly tone, but Rogozinski's treatment should have broader appeal given its worldwide coverage and inclusion of films and novels from which much of our familiarity with pirate history and lore is derived.?Stanley P. Hodge, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, Ind.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

This A-Z encyclopedia of pirates in fact and fiction will appeal to many types of readers; from those seeking historical notes and circumstances to others studying the image of the pirate in both history and representation. Lively and revealing, this reference should spice any student's report on the subject and should interest many an adult browser. -- Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1ST edition (August 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030680722X
• ISBN-13: 978-0306807220
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,104,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good reference book, but an average history one., June 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, And Privateers In Fact, Fiction, And Legend (Paperback)

This book is practical for references. But the author is often wrong. I found about a dozen fatal errors, and several minor ones. I have read many, many books of pirates history. If the author had truly read with care his masive bibliography, then he would not have made so many mistakes. I do not believe he did his homework well. Also, he does not gives any body of notes, so we the readers do not know where he took his data from, nor can we distinguish when is he using primary sources or when he is making things up. I recomend it only with reserves. For a better book, see David Cordingly, or go to the masters as Gosse.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia of Piracy (A Good Start), September 14, 2002

By 

David Stapleton (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, And Privateers In Fact, Fiction, And Legend (Paperback)

This is an A-Z coverage of pirates and related topics. It includes coverage of books, authors, movies, actors, places and, you got it, actual pirates. If you want information of something piratical this is a good first place to look. There's a lot left out though, so I'd consider this as a good beginning on a more comprehensive book.

One big caution though, Rogozinski, doesn't seem to be overly constrained by history, so don't take everything written in this book as gospel. P-)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a fun coffee-table book, August 24, 2002

By 

Douglas Lomas (Southern Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, And Privateers In Fact, Fiction, And Legend (Paperback)

This is basically a coffee-table book, with lots of neat facts and figures about all things piratical. It certainly has some errors here and there, but it serves as a nice cross-referencing tool with other books on the subject. And where else can one find such a diverse discussion, including entries on the origin and formation of the pop-culture image of the pirate (peglegs, yo ho ho, etc), camp movies like the various Treasure Island features, and reviews of stories from Sabatini to Pope? While this book could certainly cover the pirate pulp novels of the 40s, 50s, & 60s better (think Jay Scotland), it's great for what it is. For a more scholarly book, I strongly recommend Ritchie's Captain Kidd.