Grade 6-9-Piracy conjures up images of tough, dangerous, sea-going men who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries. Yet there were exceptions to this rule; women also sailed, plundered, and fought during that same time period. Most of the women profiled here were from the United Kingdom or the American colonies and were raised as boys or learned to pass as males. However, there are also examples from other cultures and other times, such as the Viking Alfhild and the Chinese pirate Cheng I Sao. The topic is specialized but will interest those wanting historical evidence of women who defied the conventions of their time and place. The print is fairly large and the situations are explained well, but the sentences tend to be short and simple. The quotations and etchings interspersed throughout the text are not cited although a final bibliography is appended. This is a shame, for these less-well-known cases call for definitive documentation.
Janet Woodward, Garfield High School, Seattle, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"These tales of women pirates show that the 'gentle sex' could be dastardly too." -- Kirkus Reviews
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