Pirates and Privateers in the 18th Century: The Final Flourish

Pirates and Privateers tells the fascinating story of the buccaneers who were the scourge of merchants in the 18th Century. It examines their lifestyle, looking at how the sinking of the Spanish treasure fleet in a storm off the coast of Florida led to a pirate’s gold rush; how the King’s Pardon was a desperate gamble - which paid off - and considers the role of individual island governors, such as Woodes Rogers in the Bahamas, in bringing piracy under control. The book also looks at how piracy has been a popular topic in print, plays, songs and now films, making thieves and murderers into swash-buckling heroes. It also considers the whole question of buried treasure - and gives a lively account of many of the pirates who dominated the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of Piracy. AUTHOR: Mike Rendell has written nine books, all of them about Georgian England. His interest in the period was inspired by a fascinating cache of papers left by his 18th century ancestors. His other books with Pen & Sword include ‘In Bed with the Georgians - Sex, Scandal and Satire in the 18th Century’ and ‘Trailblazing Women of the Georgian era’. He spends his time when not writing speaking about life in Georgian Britain, both in England and abroad, and on cruise liners. He divides his time between homes in Spain and on the edge of Dartmoor.