Customer Reviews

Pirates - Predators of the Seas: An Illustrated History

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This is a wonderfully written book which is a history of piracy from its roots in ancient Egypt right up to the present day. The book not only discusses the "Golden Age of Piracy" when Morgan, Blackbeard and Captain Kidd plied their trade in the Caribbean, but it also covers the extensive pirate activity in the ancient world as well as its modern manifestation. The links between the breakdown of social order or a political power vacuum and its effects on the rise of piracy during various historical ages are addressed as is the centuries long pirate conflict between Islam and Christendom during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This is a well written historical work and the pirates are portrayed as the frequently ruthless and bloodthirsty men (and some women) they were rather than as the charming rogues of so many Hollywood motion pictures. The book is also full of detailed full color maps and pictures relating to piracy which both ably supplements the text as well as being esthetically pleasing in their own right. The principle author Angus Konstam was a commentator on a recent History Channel documentary on piracy and his in-depth knowledge of the subject makes this book enjoyable by both a serious student of the subject as well as the newly interested reader. In these days of "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and the "Pirate Master" reality show this book is a welcome dose of historical fact into a subject which has been long been dominated by romantic fantasies

This fascinating history begins with a discussion of who should be considered a pirate and quickly moves into the history of the trade, beginning with Greek pirates mentioned by Homer. There is much discussion of the development of ships and seafaring in the western world between 400 B.C and 1600. There is a brief history of piracy and boats of the South-China sea.
The text next moves to a general history of piracy from the Classical period. Beginning with Greek pirates such as the Aetolians and their descendants, the Cilician's it examines piracy in the Mediterranean world. Islamic pirates and their forbears are discussed.
The Vikings were the first `European' pirates and they were followed by the English. The first English record for the execution of a pirate dates from 1228. There were also pirates in the Baltic sea. Some of the worst pirates to plague Europe were the Barbary pirates from North Africa. As Muslims they raided as far as Ireland, taking Europeans as slaves to be sold in the markets of Algeria. But there was much mixing in the world of Piracy, the Barbaroosa Brothers, Christians, were famed pirates of the Mediterranean, working for the Turks. Malta, run by descendants of the Crusaders, also participated in Piracy.
However it was the British pirates such as Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins who served queen Elizabeth that are well known to those interested in Pirates. Their precursors in raids on the `Spanish' new world were the French Huguenots of the 16th century. In the 17th century the Buccaneers who became the typical pirates of the age. Men from many backgrounds, usually protestant, found their way to Hispaniola in the Caribbean and began plundering Spanish shipping. The pirates of this period did not merely take vessels, they plundered towns in places such as Panama and lake Maracaibo, destroying the economy and the settlements.
The Golden Age of piracy in the early 18th century is given much coverage, as its notorious pirates such as Blackbeard, Edward Teach, Woodes Rogers and Jack Rackham. The death of Batholomew Roberts in 1722 ended the `Golden Age' of piracy. Many pirate crews were hung for their deeds. The next pirates to appear on the scene coincide with the American revolution. 1835 marked the last execution of pirates in the U.S. Chapter twelve examines the history of Piracy in Asia and 13 examines the nature of `Pirate havens' and their cultures, and bring the history up to the present with a discussion of piracy off Somalia, the straits of Malacca and elsewhere.

This is a brilliant book with many photographs both of old paintings and modern photos of forts and boats. There are a plethora of highly detailed and informative maps which make this more than a history of piracy but also a history of the New world and the world as well. The subject matter is interesting and stories well told.

Seth J. Frantzman

I think I've read almost every pirate book in print and I have to say that this is the top of the line. Great text, beautiful photos. The perfect gift for anyone who's interested in pirates.

This book is chock-full of great photos and artwork and is a really fascinating read. It chronicles pirate lifestyles through the ages, right up to present day pirates around East Africa, the South China Seas, and the Philippines. I recommend it for classrooms, libraries, and anyone with an interest in these fascinating peoples.

While this book in and of itself is not bad , if you have the author's previous work on pirates, this one seems pointless. It covers pretty much the same ground and most of the illustrations are the same as in his earlier work.

Pirates - Predators of the Seas: An Illustrated History is a great pirate book! Lots of history in this book! A must for all pirate buff libraries!

This is a nice overview of pirating from around the world beginning with the earliest known records 2500 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean, and ends with modern day pirates in the East. As an introductory book, it does a very nice job of giving the big picture. But, as such, it lacks the detail and writing style to grip the reader. This is particularly noticeable in the treatment of the Golden Age in the Carribean of which I would like to know more. Sadly, and inexplicably, there is no bibliography or suggested reading list to delve into the period covered by each chapter.

One glaring omission is any discussion of the first attempts, begun by the Americans, and followed by the British, and ultimate success in defeating the muslim Barbary pirates of North Africa which had been a scourge of the Mediterranean for three centuries during which time over a million Europeans were stolen as slaves. Quite odd considering the author spends time explaining how pirating in the Spanish Main came to end once governments found it no longer in the interest.

Nevertheless, this a nice book, well illustrated, makes a nice primer, but one would need to go elsewhere to get more depth.