Shrouded by myth and hidden by Hollywood, the real pirates of the Caribbean come to life in this collection of essays edited by David Head. Twelve scholars of piracy show why pirates thrived, how pirates operated their plundering ventures, how governments battled piracy, and when and why piracy declined.

Shrouded by myth and hidden by Hollywood, the real pirates of the Caribbean come to life in this collection of essays edited by David Head. Twelve scholars of piracy show why pirates thrived, how pirates operated their plundering ventures, how governments battled piracy, and when and why piracy declined.