Jolly Roger: The Story of the Great Age of Piracy

Rating:
Summary: Based on fact, not fiction
Review: I enjoyed this book. It deals mainly with western pirates during the 'Golden Age' of piracy. Mr. Pringle compiled his information from court records of trials and other public records in England, the U.S. and the Caribbean islands,in addition to journals and other published accounts. This view is not so romantic, and does not contain the florid descriptions of many other books about pirates, but does seem more realistic. He sets the scene by describing life during the period, and in this context the pirates actions do not seem to be any more brutal than the norm, and sometimes perhaps they were more humane than their legal counterparts. He certainly makes it understandable why pirating became such a popular vocation. There are no maps but there are some illustrations. The writing style is a little dry, but for a factual account of pirates, and the pirating life, this is a good place to start.