This book is arguably the best compilation of information about the topic of English privateering during the Anglo-Spanish war of 1585-1605. The reader learns every aspect of this type of naval warfare in light of geo-politics and national economics. The blurring of the distinction between privateering and piracy during this era is fascinating. The raw data has helped me craft authentic historical fiction novels set in that era.
Privateering was a form of legal private warfare at sea in which individuals who possessed suitable ships took the opportunity offered by a war to plunder enemy commerce. In this study of privateering during the Elizabethan war with Spain, which was originally published in 1966, Dr Andrews shows that it was closely connected with trade, in particular having a stimulating effect on oceanic commerce and that it was at the time the main form of English maritime warfare. Dr Andrews begins with an account of how privateering became legal and how it was organised. He then examines the various types…
