Why read A General History of the Pyrates?

Book cover of A General History of the Pyrates

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Famed for his enduring fictional masterpieces Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders, Daniel Defoe also possessed considerable expertise in maritime affairs. As a commission merchant, importer, shipowner, and an active journalist who reported "ship news" and interviewed surviving pirates, Defoe achieved a high degree of authority on the subject of buccaneers.…

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Why read it?

1 author picked A General History of the Pyrates as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Len Travers

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So where does our modern (mis-)understanding of pirates and piracy come from?

I learned quickly that no one serious about studying piracy can avoid engaging with this famous work (supposedly written by Daniel Defoe, but I have my doubts), first published in 1724 when his subjects were still marauding. It’s a combination of recent reports, reliable letters, dubious rumors, and outright fantasy concerning the pirate scourge.

The author, whoever he (she?) was, chronicles the careers of the age’s most famous pirates (and many from the B-list)–while adding a lot of gratuitous sex and violence. The problem is that too many…

From Len's list on The best books to cure you of DPS (Disney Pirate Syndrome).