The Pirates

The thirty-year golden age of piracy stretched into the early eighteenth century. During that time, as this vividly written book by historian Matthew West shows, poverty and oppression prompted many men-and even a few women-to sea in search of treasure, adventure, and sometimes revenge.

The treasure taken in a single trip could net a captain many times the profit an average sailor might expect to gain over a lifetime. The Pirates provides an exciting glimpse into the characters, crimes, and legends created by the buccaneers.