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This is what my friend got me for Christmas, I adored it.
Here are some of my suggestions based on topic:
General Overviews:
- The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down, by Colin Woodard
- Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, by David Cordingly
- Pirates: The Complete History from 1300 BC to the Present Day, by Angus Konstam
Period Sources:
- A General History of the Pyrates, by Captain Charles Johnson
- The Buccaneers of America, by Alexander O. Exquemelin
- Pirates in Their Own Words: Eye-witness Accounts of the 'Golden Age' of Piracy, 1690-1728, by E.T. Fox
Pirate Life and Context:
- Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age, by Marcus Rediker
- The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630-1730, by Benerson Little
- The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth behind Pirate Myths, by Benerson Little
Pirate Figures:
- Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, by Angus Konstam
- Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign, by Stephan Talty
- The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd, by Richard Zacks
Assuming you're mainly interested in the Golden Age of pirates in the Caribbean/Atlantic, if I had to pick just one to recommend above all the others it would be The Republic of Pirates (the Kindle version is on sale for $3 right now, by the way).
Hope these help!
Angus Konstam's book The Pirate Ship: 1660-1730 has lots of illustrations of Golden Age pirate ships. Most are rough and in black and white, but the book has several color inserts with beautiful renditions of famous pirate ships that should be more or less exactly what you're looking for.
Perhaps a book, either history or fiction.
If history, I'd recommend:
- The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down, by Colin Woodard.
If fiction, I'd recommend:
- On Stranger Tides, by Tim Powers.
I haven't read this yet, but did recently pick up a hardcover copy. A book about the lives of several female pirates. https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Queens-Lives-Anne-Bonny/dp/1526791307/ref=asc_df_1526791307/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=564776326262&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13529469388326319433&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=...
There were several havens throughout the heyday of Atlantic privateering and pirating that provided sea rovers with refuge and community. The most notable one was the so-called Pirate Republic in Nassau, on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. For a few years in the early 18th century, it served as a pirate confederacy of sorts that posed a real threat to Atlantic trade and security. There's a really great book all about this by Colin Woodard called <em>The Republic of Pirates</em> that you should check out.
Those 3 surviving flags were created way after the golden age of piracy, late 18th century to early 19th century
As to recorded pirate flags I suggest this book it has written accounts of Jolly Rogers during the golden age of piracy
You should definitely check out Benerson Little's <em>The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630-1730</em>. It's full of good technical information that would help a writer in your situation get their bearings.
Same, maybe:
General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson
Two highly recommended readings, although they are in Spanish:
History of a triumph. The Spanish Army in the 18th century: https://www.despertaferro-ediciones.com/revistas/numero/la-armada-espanola-en-el-siglo-xviii-historia-de-un-triunfo-de-rafael-torres-sanchez/
The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World: https://www.amazon.com/dp/8477741654/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_PPH4AVREC6DVJNMCFQSK_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Do you consider Vodun magic to fall under the umbrella of the occult? If so, then definitely check out <em>On Stranger Tides</em>, by Tim Powers. Check that book out regardless, as it's one of the best pirate-themed novels ever written.
H.P. Lovecraft's famous short story <em>The Call of Cthulhu</em> briefly features pirates and has a few nautical sequences, and the story deals heavily with Lovecraftian pseudo-occultism.
Those are the only things that come to mind.
There was plenty of homosexual behavior on the open seas, and the term buccaneer originated because of the French male couples recruited to the ships (they were sharpshooters that moved to the islands so they could live without persecution, and the reason ships began to keep riflemen).
One thing about Bart though, is that he still held his religious tenets. It's possible he may have been gay and closeted, ot he may have been asexual - but the lack of knowledge on this was confirmed from many of his crew. He did not show any pursuit from any gender for sex or romance.
Bart wanted no love, no home, not even really the treasure. He would take his cut in clothing and finery, but more for status symbols than anything he could spend. The only motivations his crew saw of Bart were for pure power, or for revenge.
He was marooned twice and took his own ship back twice (the basis for the Jack Sparrow sea turtle bit). And the reason we know so much on him, is he took his fastest ship to hunt down an admiral he had beef with...and 2 ships, including his treasure ship, behind. So when they took the offer of amnesty, London reporters recorded what tales the illiterate sailors would have taken to their graves.
A great book on Bart and on pirate history in general is "If a Pirate I Must Be" by Richard Sanders. He breaks down historical documents, speculations, and straight up myth, primarily on Bart, but also on other pirates of the time. Linking Amazon, but you can also get it super cheap on eBay or other shops https://www.amazon.com/If-Pirate-Must-Be-Caribbean/dp/1602396248?ref_=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=989338cd-c720-4a68-9c6b-55679e128b7a
Historically, Blackbeard flew a black flag with a skull and a plain red flag. There’s no documented evidence of him ever flying that flag.
But you know who did flew that flag? Except no devil horns: Edward Low, Charles Harris, William Moody but with 3 arrows instead of a spear, Bartholomew Roberts(ish), and Francis Spriggs.
And more juicy historical pirate flags here
Most “historical” pirate flags are 20th century fabrications. A plain black flag with a skull or skull and crossbones were what pirates typically flew on their ships
There are exceptions of course but they are rarely depicted in popular pirate media. If you want to know real pirate flags I suggest buying this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Rogers-History-Pirate-Flags/dp/132644817X
Actually, many pirate flags that we consider historical today are inaccurate, attributed to wrong pirates, or completely made up. And that includes Every's flag. First, there are no 17th century records of Every ever flying the skull and crossbones. And second, the flag's very design reveals its modern origin. The earrings and bandannas did not become associated with pirates until the release of Robert Louis Stevenson novel Treasure Island in the late 19th century, and this flag includes both of those details. I advise you to read E. T. Fox's book Jolly Rogers, the True History of Pirate Flags.
https://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Rogers-History-Pirate-Flags/dp/132644817X
From what I understand, the first addition is less interesting but more factual (it agrees better with contemporary court records). I've been trying to track down a free ebook/pdf of the first edition but I can't find one. Anyone have a link?
If you want to read the second edition (I'm about to), here's a link to an ebook.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40580
On top of the books in the pinned post, I recommend Benerson Little's "Golden Age" as a great general introduction. And for selfish reasons, for a short and fun read, I'd recommend this one too.
I wouldn't just limit yourself to Pirates, food at sea would have been pretty much the same in the navy, with merchants, and with pirates. (With variations depending on the nationality) Here's a good book on Georgian navy food. (Only $.99) https://smile.amazon.com/Feeding-Nelsons-Navy-Story-Georgian-ebook/dp/B00ONZQ8JK
Three Winds West is a tale of piracy in the West Indies. It follows three characters from very unique backgrounds - all trying to find their way in the tumultuous New World.
While the bulk of the story revolves around the adrenaline-filled life of a pirate, the tale also touches on the horrors of extreme racism and sexism in the colonial time period. Three Winds West tells of brutality, morality, and struggle against oppression. If you think you may be interested, please feel free to check it out!
Shameless plug: The Devil’s Fire series: https://www.amazon.com/The-Devils-Fire-Pirate-Adventure-ebook/dp/B005GL93LA
As for my favorites, On Stranger Tides, Porto Bello Gold, and The Liveship Traders trilogy.
I own this book however it deals with Corsairs in the Gulf: https://www.amazon.ca/Pirates-Laffite-Treacherous-World-Corsairs/dp/0156032597
I was going to say if you send me a bit for packaging and shipping I could send to you but you're probably not interested. Good luck with your search.
I would recommend you to read E.T. Fox's book Jolly Rogers, the True History of Pirate Flags. Most of the pirate flags we see today are innacurate, attributed to wrong pirates, or completely made up.
https://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Rogers-History-Pirate-Flags/dp/132644817X
There are really 3 games that stand out, and you've already mentioned two of them. The other one (and one I personally love and highly recommend) is the 2004 remake of Sid Meier's Pirates!. It's not everyone's bottle of rum, but if you want a simple but endearing open-world sandbox pirate game, look no further.
The world is still waiting on the truly definitive pirate game though. Why the game industry has not yet produced the Red Dead Redemption of pirate games is beyond me, but hopefully we'll get it someday.
By the way, just in case you like gamebooks (basically choose-your-own-adventure books with pen & paper RPG elements for solitaire play), I recommend Dave Morris' Down Among the Dead Men.
What model is the flintlock? I have one of these from amazon
Here are some of my suggestions based on topic:
General Overviews:
- The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down, by Colin Woodard
- Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, by David Cordingly
- Pirates: The Complete History from 1300 BC to the Present Day, by Angus Konstam
Period Sources:
- A General History of the Pyrates, by Captain Charles Johnson
- The Buccaneers of America, by Alexander O. Exquemelin
- Pirates in Their Own Words: Eye-witness Accounts of the 'Golden Age' of Piracy, 1690-1728, by E.T. Fox
Pirate Life and Context:
- Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age, by Marcus Rediker
- The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630-1730, by Benerson Little
- The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth behind Pirate Myths, by Benerson Little
Pirate Figures:
- Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, by Angus Konstam
- Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign, by Stephan Talty
- The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd, by Richard Zacks
If I had to pick just one to recommend above all the others based on your specifics, it would definitely be The Republic of Pirates.
Hope these help!
I bought these ones on amazon. They're actually quite nice. Fit well, decent sized pockets, and good feel.
If it was a hot day, when the pandemic is over, I'd actually pair these with a nice brown pair of sandals, a white shite, and some classic style of sunglasses, I'd visit the beach or a boardwalk!
8/10 would recommend. If you're a dude and wearing very thin or no underwear... your first mate tends to be outlined by the pants. *If you you know what I mean*
Other complaint is that the drawstring sometimes cedes back into the pants, and you have to fish one end out again.
Both small complaints and easily fixed
I used to have a job writing book reviews of self-published novels. Most were terrible but this one was a lot of fun, and given that it's self-published it's fairly "under the radar" as far as pirate novels go. The plot borrows liberally from The Count of Monte Christo, but the high-seas adventure stuff really excels on its own.
https://www.amazon.com/Privateer-Michael-Scandalios/dp/1466314796
He did marry 14 times, and it's said that his last wife, Mary Osmond, was used by his crew as a sex slave. Of course, a lot of the information we have is likely rumor and propaganda so take what you read with a grain of salt. Most of what we know about Blackbeard comes from this book, written in 1724, which is also unreliable and definitely exaggerated.
Empire of Blue Water by Stephan Talty. It focuses primarily on the real Captain Henry Morgan, the privateer, turned pirate, turned pirate hunter, but uses his life story as a jumping off point to go into the history of piracy in the early Americas. Fascinating stuff.
I'm working through this book right now. A good survey of piracy from the classic period to modern times.