The Republic of Pirates - by Colin Woodard (Paperback)

About the Book

The Republic of Pirates features the 18th-century pirates Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and "Black Sam" Bellamy, both of whom rose from England's underclass to become wealthy, notorious, and enormously powerful. Along with their associates in the Bahamas-based "Flying Gang," Teach and Bellamy banded together to form a pirate cooperative, culminating in a form of government in which blacks were equal citizens, the rich were imprisoned, and a sailor could veto his captain by egalitarian means. For a brief, glorious period they were astoundingly successful, and so disruptive to shipping that the governors of Jamaica, Virginia, Bermuda, and the Carolinas all began clamoring for intervention. One man volunteered to take on the pirates--a man named Woodes Rogers, once a privateer himself and now the owner of a merchant fleet. Rogers vowed he would not rest until he had destroyed Teach and Bellamy. Here is the true story of the rise and fall of the Republic of Pirates.

Book Synopsis

An entrancing tale of piracy colored with gold, treachery and double-dealing (Portland Press Herald), Pulitzer Prize-finalist Colin Woodward's The Republic of Pirates is the historical biography of the exploits of infamous Caribbean buccaneers during the Golden Age of Piracy.

In the early eighteenth century, the Pirate Republic was home to some of the great pirate captains, including Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and Charles Vane. Along with their fellow pirates -- former sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves -- this "Flying Gang" established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote.

They cut off trade routes, sacked slave ships, and severed Europe from its New World empires. For a brief, glorious period this true story of pirates reveals a success story as they became heroes in the eyes of the people.

Drawing on extensive research in the archives of Britain and the Americas, award-winning author Colin Woodard tells the dramatic untold story of the Pirate Republic that shook the very foundations of the British and Spanish Empires and fanned the democratic sentiments that would one day drive the American revolution.

This definitive work of maritime history reveals the real story behind the legends:

• The Golden Age of Piracy: Go beyond the myths to discover the true, ten-year maritime revolt that brought the British Empire to its knees and disrupted transatlantic commerce.
• Legendary Pirate Captains: Follow the dramatic exploits of Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and the notorious Charles Vane as they rise from common sailors to feared commanders.
• A Pirate Democracy: Learn about the "Flying Gang" and the crude but distinctive republic they established in the Bahamas, a zone of freedom where leaders were chosen by vote and all men were equal.
• Authoritative Research: Based on extensive investigation in the archives of Britain and the Americas, this untold story shakes the foundations of our understanding of the era.

From the Back Cover

"It's a rollicking tale, filled with rich details of the lives of men who, for their own personal gain, challenged the spread of empires."--Times-Picayune (New Orleans)

Captains like Blackbeard, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and Charles Vane rallied with their fellow pirates to create the "Flying Gang," thus establishing The Pirate Republic-- a crude, distinctive, and all-too-brief democracy in the Bahamas. Indentured servants became free, blacks and runaway slaves could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by vote.

In cutting off trade routes, sacking slave ships, and severing Europe from its New World, the Pirate Republic shook the very foundations of imperialism and fanned democratic sentiments that would one day drive the American Revolution. They became heroes in the eyes of the people and, in this, their untold story, their glorious Republic lives again.

"The Republic of the Pirates" is the ultimate in beach reading - breezy, colorful, and rich in history and action."--Christian Science Monitor

"[A]n entrancing tale of piracy colored with gold, treachery and double-dealing."--Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

COLIN WOODARD is an award-winning journalist. The author of The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier and Ocean s End: Travels Through Endangered Seas, he is also a foreign correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He lives in Portland, Maine. Contact him at www.republicofpirates.net.

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Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR COLIN WOODARD

"A tremendous reporter . . . and [a] strong, impassioned writer as well."--THE BOSTON GLOBE

PRAISE FOR THE LOBSTER COAST

"A beautifully considered history . . . Woodard's admiration for lobster culture is stirring . . . Mainers' feisty pluck remains undiminished in the face of obstacles."--NEWSDAY