Pirates

The image of the pirate is one that has never failed to capture the imagination, but behind the melodramatic portrayals of such villains as Long John Silver, with wooden leg and eye-patch, lies a much harsher reality. Published to accompany an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, this book charts the history of piracy, from the Elizabethan buccaneers such as Sir Francis Drake to the privateers of the Caribbean and pirates of the China Sea. It looks at individuals like Blackbeard, Sir Henry Morgan, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and at how the popular portrayal of these characters has spawned a whole literary and cinematic genre, from "Robinson Crusoe" to "Peter Pan". Also examined are the tools of the pirate trade - maps and charts, flags, weapons and, not least, ships - and the rich pickings that drove these men and women to such reckless exploits on the high seas.