Pirates have captured our imaginations with their adventures at sea, with bloody battles and buried treasures. Read about pirate literature.
by Richard Zacks. Hyperion. As he plays the part of literary detective, Richard Zacks takes us through the sordid tale of Captain Kidd. We know that "Over the centuries, novelists, relentless treasure hunters, and even historians have stoked [Captain Kidd's] pirate legend." Now, with this book, we not only get the story from the people who were there, but also from great writers of the 17th century.
by David Cordingly. Longitude. This book tells the tales of Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, and Captain Kidd, as well as the stories of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
by Charles Ellms. Dover Publications. "The Pirates Own Book" was originally published in 1837. Find the pirate stories of Blackbeard, Jean Lafitte, Robert Kidd, Edward Low, and Anne Bonney.
by Aaron Smith and Robert S. Redmond. Globe Pequot Press. This tale of Smith, a young man captured by pirates, was first published in 1824. From the publisher: "Smith's dramatic account of his personal experience is a brutally honest, unromanticized look at piracy in the nineteenth century."
by Daniel Defoe, Manuel Schonhorn (Editor). Dover Publications. From the publisher: "Defoe recounts the daring and bloody deeds of such outlaws as Edward Teach (alias Blackbeard), Captain Kidd, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, many others. New Introduction provides insights into the origins and significance of this important historical work."
by Jan Rogozinski. Perseus Books. This book explores the various facets of pirate literature, from ancient pirates to
Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" and beyond.
by Henry A. Ormerod. Johns Hopkins University Press. From the publisher: "Drawing on the works of Homer and Thucydides and the historical records that have survived from ancient Greece and Rome, Ormerod reconstructs the dangers of coastal living and seafaring and the attempts of ancient society to protect itself against the threat of invasion from the seas."
8. Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson. Oxford University Press. Written for boys, "Treasure Island" has sparked the imaginations of people of all ages. It's the tale of Jim Hawkins and his adventure with Long John Silver and his band of pirates.Dr. C. R. Pennell. New York University Press. From the publisher: "'Bandits at Sea' offers a long-overdue corrective to the mythology and the mystique which has plagued the study of pirates and served to deny them their rightful legitimacy as subjects of investigation."
by Philip de Souza. Cambridge University Press. From the publisher: "Surprisingly, in view of the prominence of pirates in many works of Classical literature, this book is the first to offer detailed analysis of the portrayal of piracy by ancient writers, including Homer, Cicero and the ancient novels, taking account of the political, social and literary contexts which shaped their accounts."
