Welcome to… Pirates of the Golden Age

About This Page This page is about the Golden Age of Piracy which, broadly speaking, lasted from 1650 until about 1724. This period in history included some of the most notorious pirates of all time — Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan and Anne Bonny — they were all right there in piracy’s Golden Age. This page is also about people who enjoy the current day pirate lifestyle, which includes pirate festivals, reenactments, events and just in general talking and acting like a pirate. If this includes you, then be sure to join our Facebook group at Pirates of the Golden Age. Pirates of the Golden Age BOOKS FOR PIRATES Life Under the Jolly Roger: Reflections on Golden Age Piracy Dissecting the conflicting views of the golden age of pirates—as romanticized villains on one hand and genuine social rebels on the other—this fascinating chronicle explores the political and cultural significance of these nomadic outlaws by examining a wide range of ethnographical, sociological, and philosophical standards. The meanings of race, gender, sexuality, and disability in pirate communities are analyzed and contextualized, as are the pirates’ forms of organization, economy, and ethics. Going beyond simple swashbuckling adventures, the examination also discusses the pirates’ self-organization, the internal make-up of the crews, and their early-1700s philosophies—all of which help explain who they were and what they truly wanted. Asserting that pirates came in all shapes, sexes, and sizes, this engaging study ultimately portrays pirates not just as mere thieves and killers but as radical activists with their own society and moral code fighting against an empire. Read more… Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at England’s National Maritime Museum has combed original documents and records to produce a most authoritative and definitive account of piracy’s “Golden Age.” As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. “walking the plank” is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex and often bloodier. 16 pp. of photos. Maps. Read more… Blackbeard: America’s Most Notorious Pirate This is a grand tale of Blackbeard and piracy in the Caribbean in the early 1700’s. Working against limited and sometimes contradictory historical records, the author creates a great story and divines the truth of what actually happened in that period of time. Most of all, this is a well written book that encourages you to flip to the next page. The narration is crisp and paints a vivid picture of the times. The research is well done and draws the complete scene, understanding the main people, their motivating factors, and how they all collated to form history. Read more… Jose’ Gaspar: The Last Marauder This is the saga of Jose’ Gaspar…. a notorius pirate of the 19th century off the Florida Coast. His life and times are shrouded in mystery, intrigue and violence. His cruelty and pirating lifestyle fascinates the reader – a Robin Hood Scoundrel. Read more… The Lost Fleet: The Discovery of a Sunken Armada from the Golden Age of Piracy An extraordinary and dramatic tale of shipwrecks, underwater discovery, and the dawn of the golden age of piracy. On January 2, 1678, a fleet of French ships sank in the Caribbean Sea, one hundred miles off the Venezuelan coast, on the killer reef of Las Aves Island. These wrecks, which claimed more than 1,200 lives, proved disastrous for French naval power in the region and sparked the rise of a golden age of piracy, an era that was forever to alter the shape of the Americas. In The Lost Fleet, writer, explorer, and deep-sea diver Barry Clifford interweaves the dramatic tale of this maritime catastrophe — and the dangerous upsurge of piracy in the world’s seas — with the contemporary account of his own expedition to document and explore the wrecks. Tracing the lives of fabled pirates like the Chevalier de Grammont, Nikolaas Van Hoorn, Thomas Paine, and Jean Comte d’EstrÉes, The Lost Fleet delivers a stunning portrait of a dark age, rich with historical detail and romantic drama. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, the outcasts of European society came together to form a democracy of buccaneers, settling on a string of islands off the African coast. From there, the pirates made their fame and fortune by haunting the world’s oceans, wreaking havoc on the settlements along the Spanish main and — often enlisted by French and English governments — sacking ships, ports, and coastal towns. Now, two hundred and fifty years later, Barry Clifford has followed the pirates’ destructive wake around the world all the way back to Venezuela. With the help of a remarkably accurate map, drawn by Jean Comte d’EstrÉes (the captain of the lost French fleet) himself, Clifford was able to locate the exact site of the disaster and the wreckage of the once mighty armada. Beautifully told, epic in scope, and steeped in period detail, The Lost Fleet is a mesmerizing account of historical discovery and underwater reclamation for anyone with a heart for adventure and history, myth, and treasure hunting. Read more… VIDEOS FOR PIRATES True Caribbean Pirates Pirates of The Caribbean (Theme song – full version, with scenes from the movies) He’s a Pirate (Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Theme) Violin – Taylor Davis King Elizabeth speech ‘Hoist the Colours’ 2013 Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival – Fort Walton Beach, Florida 2013 Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival – Fort Walton Beach, Florida