Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates

As a fan of nautical fiction ( Master and Commander (Vol. Book 1) (Aubrey/Maturin Novels) ), and having read Cordingly's  Women Sailors and Sailors' Women , _Under the Black Flag_ was a natural choice for a summer read. Cordingly does a magnificent job of providing details of pirate life: who these men (and women) were, why they became outlaws on the sea and what their lives were like. For me, these were the most fascinating parts of the book. Brief biographies of the better-known pirates (Cpt. Kidd, Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, Anne Bonny, Grace O'Malley) are provided, as well as some pirates I was previously unfamiliar with (Alwilda, Mrs. Cheng, Calico Jack). The stories of plunder, pieces of eight and treasure appealed to the boy in me as well.His iconoclasm was interesting, dispelling the myths that have arisen around pirates (pitched battles of ships exchanging broadsides, for example - most pirates were reluctant to do so for fear of damaging or sinking their prize, most merchant ships simply heaving to once the pirates made themselves known). Cordingly going so far as to provide explanations for many of these misconceptions - burying treasure (most of it was spent once ships returned to port), walking the plank and marooning (much easier to simply throw folks overboard), wooden legs. The seeds of truth that began these misconceptions and the way in which fictional pirates borrowed from one another (Defoe, Byron, Barrie, Stevenson) was fascinating, and gave me a new appreciation of Cpt. Hook and Long John Silver. His criticism and evaluation of pirate portrayals in film was also excellent.In his conclusion, Cordingly explains the cognitive dissonance between who pirates were and how we imagine them today, writing "The passing of time has mellowed the harsh picture which is revealed in the depositions of seamen who were attacked by pirates ... the films of the thirties and fourties took the pirate stories of fact and fiction and added glamour. ... The fact is that we want to belive in the world of the pirates as it has been portrayed in the adventure stories, the plays ad the films over the years." While the truth is much more brutal and for many of the time, unpleasant, pulling the curtain aside makes for rich, fascinating reading. Highly recommended.

I became interested in this topic after reading Stephen Johnson's book Enemy of All Mankind and saw this one pop up. This book provides a good overview of many different pirates and their legacies based upon books and writings that the author researched to include within the book. There are details of different pirates spanning different territories and different years and it provides as realistic of a picture as seems possible. I learned a lot by reading it and enjoyed how the author presented the information. Overall pretty good book worth your time!

It's very well written and the information was easy for me to digest. There's lots of really cool stories in this, both fact and fiction. I really enjoy that it touches on both. Many times I find myself thinking that informative books like this are either incredibly fascinating or boring and dry, and luckily this one definitely sits in the former category.

A wide ranging account of everything from Elizabethan sea dogs to Errol Flynn. In spite of its breadth the author kept the thread and provided an entertaining read.

Ordered a hard cover book. Received a soft cover. It was in good condition so instead of sending the book back I will just keep it.

David Cordingly has compiled a wonderful stash of pirate fact and fiction with "Under The Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates." He covers the day-to-day comings and goings of pirates and those who loved and hated them. He fleshes out a number of the most famous pirates such as Henry Morgan, William Kidd, Bartholomew (Black Bart) Roberts and Edward (Blackbeard) Teach, giving some of them there own chapters. Specific campaigns created to wipe pirates from the seas are also given excellently documented attention. Cordingly also gives an editorial on the potential reasoning behind mankind's fascination with such vile and cruel men (and women) who called themselves "pyrate."Cordingly backs up all of his findings with an extensive bibliography, five appendices, notes, and a very helpful glossary of sea terms. His writing style, while full of wonderful information and historical facts, never grows boring or drawn out. In fact, you could argue that "Under the Black Flag" reads a lot like a fictional novel. It's both educational and fun.Fans of pirate history or those with just a passing fancy for the swashbuckler will want to read this book. I also recommend "The Pirate Hunter" by Richard Zacks. It covers with great detail the life and politically tainted execution of William Kidd. It's all delivered with a writing style that is easy to digest but still full of information.From ship to shore, "Under the Black Flag" is worth a read.

I am in the middle of reading this fascinating book. I bought it after going to an exhibition on Pirates at the Royal Maritime Museum, Falmouth. This is an easy-to-read but authoritative read and the thing that attracted me most is that the author is in the business of getting to the truth. I thoroughly recommend this deeply-researched book to anyone interested in pirates - myths, legends and truth ...

A very informative chronicle about the rise and fall of piracy in the Caribbean and Americas. The book provides a clear distinction and understanding between the Hollywood portrayal of pirates and the real thing. Nonetheless, the swashbuckling lifestyle is both intriguing and stirs the imagination of times gone by.

Very interesting book on pirates, focusing primarily on the West Indies and the 18th century. The author writes detailed accounts of numerous anecdotes involving the most famous pirate figures of that time, in an easy-to-read yet precise style. There's a great bibliography at the end of the book. A Must-read for anyone fascinated with piracy in the Caribbean during the Golden Age!

The book's binding and overall quality of product construction is disappointing especially given I ordered the hardback version.The contents of the book is great.

Per 6 centesimi di Euro, vale la pena di acquistare questo gran libro sulla pirateria degli "Anni d'oro" (1680-1720). Narra le avventure e le storie dei più famosi pirati del periodo, come Edward Thatch, Charles Vane, Jack Rackham ecc... Molto interessante!