Pirattitude!: So you Wanna Be a Pirate?: Here's How! (Paperback)

~ John "Chumbucket" Baur (Author), Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers (Author), Dave Barry (Introduction) "Can ye smell it?..." (more)
Key Phrases: pirate talk, pirate guy, powder monkey, Cap'n Slappy, Pirate Day, Stede Bonnet (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Set sail for high-seas hijinks and nautical nonsense with those paragons of Pirattitude who invented the famous International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Whether readers are old hands at pirating or hopeless landlubbers, the Pirate Guys will have them pirate-savvy in no time with sure-fire pirate pickup lines for any occasion, tips on how to make their pirate party a buccaneer ball that even Martha Stewart would be proud of, and help determining their true pirate monicker

About the Author

John "Ol' Chumbucket" Baur and Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers came up with the idea for Talk Like a Pirate Day during an ill-fated game of racquetball way back in 1995, making it the first holiday that ever originated as a sports injury. They adamantly deny that there was any grog-swilling involved, though they both admit to swilling more than their fair share of grog at other times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451216490
• ISBN-13: 978-0451216496
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #451,902 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skull and Funny Bones, January 30, 2006

By	Herman Melville - See all my reviews

Yes, yes (or "aye," if you're gonna be like that), it's funny, shipmates. The authors Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket are the same witty piratical pundits who appear on NPR every International Talk Like A Pirate Day (they founded it, not incidentally) and they do not disappoint--far from it.

Here's the thing I did not expect about the book, and loved: This book educates you, when you're not looking, on pirate history. Can you name the Seven Seas? My doubloon says you can't. The answer is in "Pirattidue" along with a heaping of similarly fascinating bits. It also educates you on how to be a pirate. For real. Yes, you might need a time machine to hone your technique, but if you're interested in how it was done, you won't be disappointed. And if you don't find this interesting, you'll be proven wrong.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great gift for the pirate in your life., April 20, 2006

By	David McCune "self-deprecating and proud of it" (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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I liked this book overall. It has a mix of handy tips for acting like a pirate, like a pirate-name-generator and pirate party games. It also has interesting pirate factoids and trivia at various points in the margins. Also, the authors usually project the right mix of enthusiasm and self-deprecation to keep the book fun.

That said, it is still a bit of a stretch to turn this material into a complete book. I would stack my pirate street cred (ship cred?) up against anyone's. I've given a 45-minute lecture to medical residents in full regalia and voice, and yet even I was finding that the schtick was getting a bit old by the end.

Bottom line - this is a great gift for the pirate in your life. If you personally know a swarthy dog, or have a friend who likes to go by the name "Black Dave", then this would be the perfect thing to give them on "Talk Like A Pirate Day". Five stars if that is why you are buying. If, on the other hand, you are just a casual reader with little interest in a silly pirate book, then 2-3 stars would be about right.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious! That's all, just hilarious, July 6, 2006

By	Dave T "DaveT" (Oregon) - See all my reviews

If you want to learn to not only talk like a pirate, but swagger, swear, cook, pickup women, tell the future, throw a party and lots more like a pirate, these guys have a book for you! The guys who invented "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" have written the funniest book about men (and some women) who stole and killed for a living I've ever read. There's lots of quizzes and tests - but nothing that you need to take seriously. It's all in fun, and these guys seem to have fun in bunches.

Learn how to find your inner pirate. It'll change your life! And with Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket as your guides, you'll laugh a lot too.