"Piracy has been around ever since man took to the sea. In this book, pirate expert Angus Konstam sails through the brutal history of piracy, From the pirates who plagued the Ancient Egyptians to Viking raids and on to the era of privateers. He then discusses the so-called ?Golden Age of Piracy? and colourful characters such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, before examining the West?s initial encounters with Eastern pirates off the Chinese coast and the phenomenon of the modern pirate. By separating the realities of piracy from the Hollywood-inspired fiction, and by tracing the development of piracy through the centuries, this book gives a realistic vision of what the vicious, deadly business of piracy actually involves."--BOOK JACKET.

Pirates of the ancient world -- Medieval pirates -- The sea dogs of the Renaissance -- Mediterranean corsairs -- The buccaneers -- The pirate round -- The last of the pirates -- The Chinese pirates -- Modern piracy -- Pirates in fiction -- The real pirates of the Caribbean.