โThis is the most authoritative and highly literate account of these pernicious people that I have ever read.โโPatrick O'Brian
โ[A] wonderfully entertaining history of pirates and piracy . . . a rip-roaring read . . . fascinating and unexpected.โโMen's Journal
This rollicking account of the golden age of piracy is packed with vivid history and high seas adventure. David Cordingly, an acclaimed expert on pirates, reveals the spellbinding truth behind the legends of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, the fierce female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and others who rode and robbed upon the world's most dangerous waters. Here, in thrilling detail, are the weapons they used, the ships they sailed, and the ways they foughtโand were defeated. Under the Black Flagย also charts the paths of fictional pirates such as Captain Hook and Long John Silver. The definitive resource on the subject, this book is as captivating as it is supremely entertaining.ย
Praise for Under the Black Flag
โ[A] lively history . . . If you've ever been seduced by the myth of the cutlass-wielding pirate, consider David Cordingly's Under the Black Flag.โโUSA Today,ย โBest Betsโ
โEngagingly told . . . a tale of the power of imaginative literature to re-create the past.โโLos Angeles Times
โEntirely engaging and informative . . . a witty and spirited book.โโThe Washington Post Book World
โPlenty of thrills and adventure to satisfy any reader.โโThe Philadelphia Inquirer