Pirates : Truth and Tale

Resumen del libro

Pirates have fascinated people for several centuries. The master terrorists of their age, the sailors of the early eighteenth century, who went 'on the account' hoping to gain fortune and fame, often led a short but exciting life ...albeit one supplemented by rum and debauchery. Theirs was a harsh life, overshadowed each day by the presence of death, either by injury, illness or the hangman's noose.

But the lure of gold, the excitement of the chase and the freedom that life aboard a ship offered was worth the risk. Or was it? The fictional world of pirates, represented in novels and movies, is somewhat different to the base reality, but what draws readers and viewers to these notorious 'bad boys' of the past? And what are the facts behind the fantasy? Where does fiction end, and fact begin?