A General History of the Pyrates by Charles Johnson

This sweeping history of piracy opens with a promise of both entertainment and instruction, tracing the rise of sea-roving from Providence and the West Indies to the far reaches of the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and beyond. It presents notorious captains such as Avery, Teach, Bonnet, Rackam, Davis, and Roberts, alongside the extraordinary women Mary Read and Anne Bonny, while insisting on the truth of its accounts through trials, testimony, and firsthand reports. More than a parade of bold raids and bloody ends, the book argues that piracy grows from war, poverty, poor wages, and the failure to give former seamen honest work. It also offers practical maritime advice and a sharp critique of naval inaction, claiming pirates could be trapped if warships patrolled the right waters. From Avery's rise and ruin to Davis's deception and violent death, from island life in St. Thome, Del Principe, and Annobono to Roberts's election, strict articles, and final battle with the Swallow, the narrative reveals a world of greed, courage, treachery, and survival. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.