Continuing on my pirate kick, I just finished reading this book by David Cordingly. Much more enjoyable than the previous book I read, The Pirate Hunter. Instead of focusing on one individual, like the Robert Zacks book did, this gives an overview of many figures in the pirating lifestyle. And what a lifestyle it was. Romanticized by novels and movies, the lifestyle of these men and woman (Anne Bonny and Mary Read) were often short and violent. Money stole was money immediately spent, violence towards each other and their victims was casual and often cruel. If you didn’t drown at sea, you were hanged at the gallows. Very few pirates retired to a life of ease after capturing a big “prize”.
If you are interested in reading a nice overview of the history of pirates, this one is for you.
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