extraordinarily powerful.Pirates have become the mythical equivalent of giants, vampires, wizards, or witches, and they no longer seem quite real. Yet they definitely were real-as this first comprehensive, worldwide historical survey makes abundantly clear-and considerably more frightening historically than Long John Silver or Captain Hook. The barnacled sea dogs featured in this fascinating volume well deserved their reputations for bravery, hard drinking, avarica, foul language-and casual violence and cruelty.

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