Yeoldspinster - Ye Old Spinster

Pirate History Reading List!

I'm teaching a class on the golden age of piracy at my university this upcoming semester and I wanted to post the reading list, just in case anyone's interested in some good pirate history books!

I require three books, which I think are excellent if you're interested in pirate history at all:

Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly is THE pirate history book, I do not think any pirate history library is complete without it! This book covers all your major players and does an excellent job at arguing what the reality of pirate life was like. This is the definitive text on pirate history and if you can only get one book, I recommend this one.

Enemy of All Mankind by Steven Johnson is about the global hunt for pirate Henry Every. It's fantastic and a very entertaining account; Johnson has a gift for casual, enthralling history writing.

A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson is a primary text, written in 1724 by a contemporary of many of the pirates who were alive during the golden age. This account is biased and over-dramatic and absolutely fascinating. It's the most complete and detailed primary account of piracy you will ever find. You'll notice that some quotations from OFMD were lifted directly from this text, including Stede Bonnet being "uncomfortable in a married state" and Blackbeard "desiring [Bonnet's] company." However, because this book is so overblown and dramatic, I strongly recommend reading it alongside a history text, such as Under the Black Flag, to contextualize it.

I also included these as supplemental reading; I think they're all very solid texts and if you're interested in pirate history you will enjoy them.

The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard is another classic and has biographical information on many famous pirates. Woodard makes a compelling argument that pirate society was shockingly meritocratic and allowed opportunities for people of color not found anywhere else in the world. It's a great text.

Black Flags, Blue Waters by Eric Dolin is a great history of piracy in US waters. I love this one for its detail on Edward Low - OFMD got inspiration for his sadistic streak from real history!

Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition by B. R. Burg is an older one so do not expect modern terminology, but it's a classic; its argument that queerness was common and at least somewhat accepted among pirates holds up well. If you're interested in how pirates understood homosexuality then this is the text for you!

Blackbeard: A Reappraisal of his Life and Times by Robert Lee is the text for you if you're interested in the historical Blackbeard. It synthesizes pretty much all of the primary information out there and makes a strong case that the real Blackbeard intentionally cultivated a fearsome reputation that helped him become so successful. This one is an oldie but a goodie, I'm yet to find a better and more comprehensive text about Blackbeard than this one.

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