Global Piracy: A Documentary History of Seaborne Banditry

Description

Many people in the western world maintain the contradictory notions that the pirates of old were romantic social bandits while their modern brethren are brutal thugs, thieves, and villains. In Global Piracy, James E. Wadsworth compiles and contextualizes a wealth of primary source documents which illustrate the global phenomenon of piracy through the eyes and voices of those who experienced it: both the pirates or privateers themselves and their victims. The book allows us to confront our stereotypes by giving us access to “real” pirates in a wide range of historical periods and global regions, from ancient Greece to modern day Nigeria, unfiltered as much as possible by authorial voice or interpretation. Global Piracy seeks neither to romanticize nor vilify pirates, but simply to understand them in the context of their times and the broader world they inhabited. Departing from run-of-the-mill narratives, it selects documents which provide new and fascinating insights into piracy around the globe. With documents introduced by contextual information, and supplemented by study questions, suggested reading lists, illustrations and maps, this book is an essential companion for anyone studying the history of piracy. Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements A Note to Instructors 1 Enemies of All Nations 2 Bandits of the Wine Dark Sea: Piracy in the Classical World 3 Vikings: The Scourge from the North 4 English Sea Dogs and the Pillaging of Empire 5 Dwarf Pirates: Pillaging the Korean and Chinese Coasts 6 Dutch Sea Beggars and the Business of Piracy 7 Brethren of the Coast: Caribbean Buccaneers 8 Fishers of Men: Piracy and State Formation in Southeast Asia 9 ‘Our Sea’: Corsairs of the Mediterranean 10 Beneath the Jolly Roger: An Age of Chaos, an Age of Gold 11 Maritime Marginals: Piracy in Late Imperial China 12 Community of Thieves: Piracy in the Western Indian Ocean 13 Terror on the Seas: Piracy in Modern Southeast Asia 14 Oil-Soaked Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea 15 Saviours of the Sea: Pirates of the Somalia Coast 16 Modern Pirate Hunting – What Is to Be Done? Glossary Selected Bibliography and Further Reading Index