The Pirate Menace - by Angus Konstam (Hardcover)

About the Book

This new account explores the most notorious pirates in history and how their rise and fall can be traced back to a single pirate haven, Nassau.

Book Synopsis

This new account explores the most notorious pirates in history and how their rise and fall can be traced back to a single pirate haven, Nassau.

Angus Konstam, one of the world's leading pirate experts, has brought his 30 years of research to create the definitive book on the Golden Age of Piracy. Many of the privateers the British had used to prey on French and Spanish shipping during the War of the Spanish Succession turned to piracy. The pirates took over Nassau on the Bahamian island of New Providence and turned it into their own pirate haven, where shady merchants were happy to buy their plunder. It became the hub of a pirate network that included some of the most notorious pirates in history: Blackbeard, 'Calico Jack' Rackam, Charles Vane and Bartholomew Roberts.

The growth of piracy led to a major surge in attacks in the Caribbean and along North America's Atlantic seaboard. With the fragile maritime economy of the Americas threatened with collapse, major ports were threatened and trade brought to a standstill, the British government finally declared war on the pirates. The Pirate Menace draws on extensive research, as well as a wide range of first-hand accounts, to produce a new history of the heyday of historical piracy.

Review Quotes

"Angus Konstam is one of the best out there. He punctures the myth of pirates and discovers a reality that is even more exciting." --Dan Snow

"A brilliant and wide-ranging account of a notorious generation of pirates ... a compelling read." --David Cordingly, maritime historian and author of 'Under the Black Flag'

"A masterful account of the rise and fall of pirates of the black flag by a highly regarded expert in the field." --Benerson Little, pirate historian, author of 'The Golden Age of Piracy'

"The fiction of the Golden Age of Piracy is peeled back to find the astonishing truth. Magnificent stuff.'" --Dr Sam Willis, historian and broadcaster

"It will appeal to anyone who enjoys good, bloody, myth-busting history packed with colourful personalities, thrilling adventures, and dramatic conflicts." --Aspects of History

"Anyone looking for an enjoyable introduction to the golden age of piracy would do well to pick up this new book by expert researcher Angus Konstam." --Nautilus International

"Masterful storytelling ... it effortlessly weaves the stories of the most famous pirates of the Golden Age with the men who fought them, including their own, and the complex political world in which they operated. This book should be required reading for all pirate scholars and interested parties." --Nautical Research Journal

About the Author

Angus Konstam is the author of well over 100 history books. He has written widely on naval history including The Pirate World, Hunt the Bismarck and Mutiny on the Spanish Main, all published by Osprey. A former naval officer, he has worked as a museum curator in the Royal Armouries, Tower of London and the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a full-time author and historian. He lives in Orkney, off the north of Scotland.