In the early eighteenth century a number of the great pirate captains joined forces, including Blackbeard, Black Sam Bellamy, and Charles Vane. This infamous “Flying Gang” was more than simply a band of thieves: Many of its members were sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves who turned to piracy as a revolt against the conditions they suffered on ships and plantations. Together they established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote.
For a brief, glorious period the pirate republic was enormously successful. At its height it cut off trade routes, sacked slave ships, and severed Britain, France, and Spain from their New World empires. The Royal Navy went from being unable to catch the pirates to being afraid to encounter them at all. …
In the early eighteenth century a number of the great pirate captains joined forces, including Blackbeard, Black Sam Bellamy, and Charles Vane. This infamous “Flying Gang” was more than simply a band of thieves: Many of its members were sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves who turned to piracy as a revolt against the conditions they suffered on ships and plantations. Together they established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote.
For a brief, glorious period the pirate republic was enormously successful. At its height it cut off trade routes, sacked slave ships, and severed Britain, France, and Spain from their New World empires. The Royal Navy went from being unable to catch the pirates to being afraid to encounter them at all. Imperial authorities and wealthy shipowners denounced the pirates as the enemies of mankind, but huge numbers of common people saw them as heroes. Finally one man volunteered to pacify the pirate’s Bahaman lair and destroy any who resisted — Woodes Rogers, a famous privateer himself and scion of a powerful merchant family.
Drawing on extensive research in the archives of Britain and the Americas, Colin Woodard tells the dramatic untold story of the Pirate Republic that shook the very foundations of the British and Spanish Empires and fanned the democratic sentiments that would one day drive the American revolution.
Review of 'The Republic of Pirates' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Like most boys I've always liked pirates, but I never really knew much about them. The Republic of Pirates describes the rise, peak and ending of the Golden Age of Pirating in the America's.
The tale features all your favorite pirates, some political intrigue and many naval battles.
It just never mentions: "shiver me timbers"
It does feature this cool quote: “I am a free Prince, and I have as much authority to make war on the whole world as he who has a hundred ships at sea and an army of 100,000 men in the field." -Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy”
Review of 'The Republic of Pirates' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A well-read audiobook. Very interesting stories though I don't know if it succeeds in its introductory thesis. I didn't know much about pirates beyond what's in popular culture, and this seems to pretty good overview of the most notable pirates of this time.
Review of 'The republic of pirates' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A page turner, which is a bit of a feat for a history book, even if it is about pirates. The beginning of the book with the overview of the life of a sailor is one of the more fascinating parts, but the lives of the pirates is the meat of this work. Following, more or less, three of the more important figures of the era and the man who ended up taking them down the book never really has a dull moment. Highly recommended.
Review of 'The republic of pirates' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
While it picks up some steam at the end, this book was a bit of a disappointment. It was obviously well-researched, but the author seemed to include every available detail (cargo manifests, etc.), making the text dryer than it need have been. The author's habit of providing names for seemingly every historical figure whose name is recorded also made the book difficult to follow. The reader has no way of knowing whether a given individual is important and liable to return, or a semi-anonymous "extra" who could be dismissed safely. Some editorial restraint would've aided the readability. For people interested in non-fiction work about pirates, I'd recommend instead "Empire of Blue Water" or "If a Pirate I Must Be."
