Other editions of book The Pirates Own Book

Charles Ellms originally published this book in 1837 for the Marine Research Society of Salem, Massachusetts. This book has long been considered a hard-to-find rarity of Piratology. The death of Black Beard as well as the piratical exploits of Jean Lafitte, Robert (William) Kidd, Edward Low, Thomas White, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and scores of other Pirates. David W. Whitehead is the founder of CryptoQuest, an organization dedicated to the study of all things "hidden" (Fortean phenomena, the paranormal, lost civilizations, cryptozoology, etc.) He has personally led expeditions into Florida swamps and Islands to search for buried treasure and archaeological mysteries. He majored in Archaeology, studied Cryptozoology and is one of the world's first Cryptoarchaeologists. He has investigated the hidden secrets of the swamps and rivers of Florida, the jungles of Central America, deserts and tunnels of Peru and the crypts and castles of Europe.

Readers fascinated by the cruel and magic world of the pirates are in for a real treat with this extraordinary compilation by Charles Ellms. First published in 1837, the book comprises stories gathered from various sources spanning over a century of pirate history, some of the sources dating back to the beginning of the 18th century and it also provides a very vivid and enjoyable account of the age of pirates.The collection features pirate biographies just as much as pirate legends. The book covers not only events from the lives of the most infamous buccaneers – pirates specializing in attacking Spanish ships in the Caribbean –, but stories about the corsairs plundering the Barbary Coast and pirates from other regions as well. Some of the stories are anecdotal, others make reference to credible historical sources and the book also comes with maps to illustrate the events described in the stories, making it all more real and more palpable for the reader.Not much is known about the author’s life, but one thing is sure: he was fascinated with history, especially with the history of life at sea, of pirates and their deeds. Besides The Pirates Own Book, he wrote and published several other books that provided insight into what life was like on a ship in the 17th-18th century – in 1836 he published his Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea that contained detailed accounts of nautical tragedies, then in 1841 he further elaborated the subject in The Tragedy of the Seas, a book that included stories of disasters on rivers and lakes as well.Ellms is usually criticized for embellishing the stories he adapts from authentic historical sources, but even so, his books, especially The Pirates Own Book provide a truly fascinating and insightful account of the cruel and bloody, but often very heroic lives of the pirates.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Composed of material gathered from a variety of historical sources dating back to the mid-1700s, this extended account of piracy in ancient and modern times, and in all parts of the world, saw its first edition published in Boston in 1837. At least eight other editions of the work followed, and there was a huge demand for these tales of looted shipping and bloody adventure.

The Pirates Own Book ( Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers) is a classic pirate biography collection by Charles Ellms that contains information about various legendary pirates that includes the following exerpt: In the mind of the mariner, there is a superstitious horror connected with the name of Pirate; and there are few subjects that interest and excite the curiosity of mankind generally, more than the desperate exploits, foul doings, and diabolical career of these monsters in human form. A piratical crew is generally formed of the desperadoes and runagates of every clime and nation. The pirate, from the perilous nature of his occupation, when not cruising on the ocean, the great highway of nations, selects the most lonely isles of the sea for his retreat, or secretes himself near the shores of rivers, bays and lagoons of thickly wooded and uninhabited countries, so that if pursued he can escape to the woods and mountain glens of the interior.

The Pirates Own Book THE DANISH AND NORMAN PIRATES The Saxons, a people supposed to be derived from the Cimbri, uniting the occupations of fishing and piracy, commenced at an early period their ravages in the German Ocean; and the shores of Gaul and Britain were for ages open to their depredations. About the middle of the fifth century, the unwarlike Vortigern, then king of Britain, embraced the fatal resolution of requesting these hardy warriors to deliver him from the harassing inroads of the Picts and Scots; and the expedition of Hengist and Horsa was the consequence. Our mention of this memorable epoch is not for its political importance, great as that is, but for its effects on piracy; for the success attending such enterprises seems to have turned the whole of the northern nations towards sea warfare. The Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes, from their superior knowledge of navigation, gave into it most; and on whatever coast the winds carried them, they made free with all that came in their way. Canute the Fourth endeavored in vain to repress these lawless disorders among his subjects; but they felt so galled by his restrictions, that they assassinated him. On the king of Sweden being taken by the Danes, permission was given to such of his subjects as chose, to arm themselves against the enemy, pillage his possessions, and sell their prizes at Ribnitz and Golnitz. This proved a fertile nursery of pirates, who became so formidable under the name of "Victalien Broders," that several princes were obliged to arm against them, and hang some of their chiefs.

The Pirates Own Book-Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers is a classic pirate history text with tales of pirate lore by Charles Ellms. In the mind of the mariner, there is a superstitious horror connected with the name of Pirate; and there are few subjects that interest and excite the curiosity of mankind generally, more than the desperate exploits, foul doings, and diabolical career of these monsters in human form.

The Pirates Own Book ( Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers) is a classic pirate biography collection by Charles Ellms that contains information about various legendary pirates that includes the following exerpt: In the mind of the mariner, there is a superstitious horror connected with the name of Pirate; and there are few subjects that interest and excite the curiosity of mankind generally, more than the desperate exploits, foul doings, and diabolical career of these monsters in human form. A piratical crew is generally formed of the desperadoes and runagates of every clime and nation. The pirate, from the perilous nature of his occupation, when not cruising on the ocean, the great highway of nations, selects the most lonely isles of the sea for his retreat, or secretes himself near the shores of rivers, bays and lagoons of thickly wooded and uninhabited countries, so that if pursued he can escape to the woods and mountain glens of the interior.