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The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard

The Republic of Pirates

Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down

Colin Woodard

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt · Print & ebook · May 7, 2007

The inspiration for the NBC seriesCrossbones.

Maritime History & PiracyColonial America (to 1775)Caribbean History
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Who it’s for
A Caribbean pirate story told with historical exactitude and a brisk, bookish pace.
Genres
Maritime History & Piracy, Colonial America (to 1775), Caribbean History
Published
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 7, 2007

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About this book

The inspiration for the NBC seriesCrossbones. In the early eighteenth century a number of the great pirate captains, including Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and "Black Sam" Bellamy, joined forces. This infamous "Flying Gang" was more than simply a thieving band of brothers. Many of its members had come to piracy as a revolt against conditions in the merchant fleet and in the cities and plantations in the Old and New Worlds.

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Inspired by notions of self-government, they established a crude but distinctive form of democracy in the Bahamas,carving out their own zone of freedom in which indentured servants were released and leaders chosen or deposed by a vote. They were ultimately overcome by their archnemesis, Captain Woodes Rogers—a merchant fleet owner and former privateer—and the brief though glorious moment of the Republic of Pirates came to an end. In this unique and fascinating book, Colin Woodard brings to life this virtually unexplored chapter in the Golden Age of Piracy.

Pirate History

A Caribbean pirate story told with historical exactitude and a brisk, bookish pace.

Come here for

  • pirates, but with the record-keeping intact
  • a history-forward read that still moves

Expect

  • true-crime-adjacent history
  • clear, detail-rich narrative

Where it sits

Maritime History & Piracy97%
Colonial America (to 1775)46%
Caribbean History31%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Adventurers & Explorers
Authors
Colin Woodard
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published
May 7, 2007
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Adventurers & Explorers