Books...

[Dorian Lasseter]

Just figured I'd add a place ta list what books we all find a must ta have n' read 'bout life before the mast.... Not just folks in the sweet trade neither, All maritime books included...

So.... WHAT'S IN YER LIBRARY?

[captweaver65]

the history of pirates by Angus Konstam is my favorite

it has a nice summary on many pirates and groups from the bronze age to modern times and chapters on various other piratical topics.and LOTS of pictures.makes reading history a pleasure.

the Ashley book of knots is a must have.enough ropework in there ta keep ya busy for a lifetime.

I love my time life set on the seafareres-with volumes on the spanish main,pirates,fighting sail,clipper ships,whalers and others.

under the black flag-a modern pirate history classic.

she captains and hen frigates by joan druett-all about women at sea

american merchant seaman's manual by cornell maritime press-eds. cornell/hoffman-1942-has lots of practical ship knowledge.

I have lots of other books dealing with nautical themes,these are just the best of the group.

have to dig up my favorite pirate fiction later-can't remember all the author's names.

[Dorian Lasseter]

Aye Cap'n Weaver,

Good books ya have...

I also own th' Konstam book, plus;

"The Pirates of Colonial North Carolina" by Hugh Franklin

"Piracy: Days of Long Ago" by Kenneth W. Moulder

"Pirates" by Joshua B. Feder

"Pirates and Piracy" by David Reinhardt

"the Wordsworth Dictionary of Pirates" by Jan Rogozinski

And, ofcourse "A general History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates" by Captain Charles Johnson

An' those are Just the ones on Pirates....

[PirateQueen]

Check out this web site:

Piratical and Privateering Books

[Dorian Lasseter]

Come now Ladds n' Lassies,

Wot, nun o' ye can read?!?!?!

I find that hard ta believe...

Any books ya got, or would like ta share yer personal reviews of?

Like;

"Women Sailors & Sailors' Women; an untold maritime history"

by David Cordingly

isbn 0-375-50041-3

Excellent book, the title says all...

Definitely a book all you Lasses should read, it'll give ya new ideas n' ways ta look at things...

I give it 5 outta 5

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

One of my all time favorites is "Captured by Pirates, 22 Firsthand Accounts of Murder and Mayhem on the High Seas", Edited by John Richard Stephens.

This book is amazing from cover to cover!! These are 22 selected narratives written by people who survived being captured by pirates. These are some of the most amazing stories you'll ever hear. When you read this book, you have to keep reminding yourself that this isn't fiction and that these people really lived through this stuff and survived to tell the tale. It makes you appreciate what they went through and says a lot about human nature- Both the will to survive and our capacity for inhumane behavior.

This book is a MUST READ!!!!!!!!!

:)

[Darkmalkin]

I'm workin me way through "Under the Black Flag," although it be hard going with me eyepatch an' all

[the Royaliste]

That's cuz yer supposed to keep the patch on the Bad eye, not the good 'n!

[Dorian Lasseter]

A'righty,

I suppose I'll be needin' ta pick up a few books...

I been plannin' on procurin' "Under th' Black Flag", an' sounds like I'll be gettin' that "Captured Pyrates" book that Lady Claire Suggested...

Somat along those lines I do have, tho not so excitin'

"Life before the Mast"

By Jon E Lewis

isbn 0-7858-1517-1

Letters written home an other scribblin's of sailors...

[redhand]

Dorian-

Aye, I'm able ta read and do some cypherin'!

I've got a few books of piratical nature in my library....

Angus Kotdam's Pirates (illustrated by Angus McBride)

a paper back titled The Bucaneers (non-fiction)

The Pirates own Book

Under the Black Flag

Pirates of the Chesapeake (on loan from a friend)

Pirates of North Carolina

Pirate ghosts-fiction, short stories

and Pirates, Buckaneers and Raiders

Redhand

[Mad Maudlin McCrumb]

I'm a little embarrassed... the only one I've gotten so far is Splendor by Catherine Hart... it's a (blush) romance novel! And am in the process of collecting others so I can read up and finish the one I'm writing! I have the bare bones of it, but it needs more flesh than Barbossa... heheh

[Dorian Lasseter]

Ah, Hells Bells Lass!!!

I reckon yer in for a voyage ta yer favorite bookpeddler...

I canna' say wot should be yer first aquisition... Asside from some good non-fiction pyracy books!

[Dorian Lasseter]

Aye Redhand,

A fine list o' scribblin's...

How 'bout some more info? Authors, n' isbn #s if'n possible...

I'd particularly like ta know that about the Pirates of the Chesapeake...

Thankee Kindly.....

[Darkmalkin]

"Under the Black Flag", by David Cordingly, ISBN0-15-600-549-2. I also read something called "The True Story of Captain Kidd" (or something like that) a few months ago that was a biography with some pretty gruesome stuff in it (Yeah! Gruesome! Arrr!) I can't find it anywhere in my house anymore, so can't help you with the author or exact title. I picked it up in hardback at Barnes & Noble last winter and paid full price for it, (that's how gory it was) so it must be a relatively new release...

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

For me husband's birthday, I did my homework on pricing an antique copy of the N.C. Wyeth illustrated version of Robt. Lewis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" I wanted to buy a first edition, but for one in good condition, the prices were just a bit more than I could justify. So I searched until I found a second edition in excellent shape.

When the book arrived, it was beautiful. Minimal aging despite it's years, just enough to give it character, with bright and vibrant illustrations.

I opened the cover...

I turned to the copyright page...

I nearly fainted when I saw it....

I double checked for the tell tale printing errors of the first edition....

And let out a big "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!" in the middle of the parking lot, much to the surprise of my students! They had sent me a first edition by mistake!!!!!

(yes, I admit it, this present for my husband was horribly self motivated, but I made up for it on father's day... he got a Harper's Ferry flintlock)

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Here are my favorite sources for books. When there is a book or manuscript I want, I generally search these three places and compare values and pricing-

www.abebooks.com - Abe Books is a massive hub of booksellers. You can find everything from junk novels to antique books and even rare manuscripts. It is also a great place to comparison shop book prices to know how high to place a bid on Ebay.

Ebay Caution, highly addictive.

www.half.com - A subsidiary of Ebay, half.com allows you to make direct purchases from independent sellers. It's like Ebay, but with no bidding.

[Capt. William T. Popples]

My Library

NONFICTION:

"PIRATES! An A-Z Encyclopedia" by Jan Rogozinski ISBN 0-306-80722-x

"PIRATES" Joshua B. Feder ISBN 0-7651-9437-6

"PIRATES! Raiders of the High Seas" Christopher Maynard ISBN 0-7894-3443-1

"The Pirates Own Book" Marine Reasearch Society ISBN 0-486-27607-4

" The Pirates " Time Life Books ISBN 0-8094-2652-8

"Pirates : A General Hist etc etc etc - Charles Johnson ISBN 1-871592-36-4

FICTION:

"The Gaurdship" and "The Blackbirder" by James L. Nelson ISBN 0-380-80452-2 and 0-06-000779-6

GAMES:

" Blackbeard" Avilon Hill ISBN 1-56038-031-4

" Tropico 2- Pirate Cove " (computer)

VIDEO:

" Pirates: Passion & Plunder" Questar Video ISBN 1-56855-065-0

Good God! When I list it all it looks so puny....

[Mad Kestrel]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the extremely fine pirate fantasy novel "On Stranger Tides" by Tim Powers. Set in the Caribbean near the end of the Golden Age, it's chock full of sea battles, plunder, Blackbeard, voudun, treachery and a little true love for the gentle-hearted (but it's not a romance, so the big strong men needn't turn up their noses. :) )

[BlackDianae]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the extremely fine pirate fantasy novel "On Stranger Tides" by Tim Powers. Set in the Caribbean near the end of the Golden Age, it's chock full of sea battles, plunder, Blackbeard, voudun, treachery and a little true love for the gentle-hearted (but it's not a romance, so the big strong men needn't turn up their noses. :) )

Aye, I've been hunting the local book hucksters here and about fer that one. A fine read from what I've heard. Another from Tim Powers if ye've a mind fer brew and imbibing. 'Tis called "Drawing of the Dark".

Here's another book to add to yer list of referance material:

"The Rigging of Ships in the days of the Spritsail topmast, 1600-1720" by R.C. Anderson

Dover Books

ISBN 0-486-27960-X

Fair Winds to yer sails!

[Daniel]

My pirate/seafaring library is pretty small.

David Cordingly, Under the Black Flagi, the must-have.

Joan Druett, She Captains, I found this a bit disappointing.

Richard Armstrong, The Merchantmen.

Richard Henderson, Hand, Reef, and Steer.

The New Encyclopedia of Knots.

Black Flag, the d20 gaming system guide.

And the 7th Sea gaming manuals.

[Mad Kestrel]

Another from Tim Powers if ye've a mind fer brew and imbibing. 'Tis called "Drawing of the Dark".

I loved Drawing of the Dark!!

Not at all piratical, nor even sea-going (well, not much) but still an amazing read, is The Anubis Gates, also by Powers. It's the most well-crafted time-travel story I've ever read.

Now I'd best get over to the library to try and locate some of these nifty books you've all recommended...

[LadyAtropos]

Arrgh, I'm dangerously book-addicted, so I'll give ye a list of my favorites:

Nonfiction:

Under the Black Flag by Cordingly...at first, I disliked the way the book itself was presented, from a writer's point of view (I can't help it! I like sound construction!) but a lassy on a Hornblower board convinced me to change my opinion--a great source o' information, though I still wish it were a-better organized.

Hen Frigates by Joan Druette (am I spelling this correctly?) was enjoyable, too. She do have the talent fer pickin' out just the right passages--very heart-wrenching stories in some spots, very humorous in others. A fun read.

A Young Sea-Officer's Sheet Anchor by Darcy Lever is an excellent resource fer sailin' terms, knots, seamanship, and generally findin' yer way around the riggin'. It was publised originally in 1808, but Dover (ah, bless Dover!) offers new editions. A little later than the Great Age o' Piracy, but good nonetheless.

Longitude by Dava Sorbel. Just read it. That's all. Buy it and read it. NOW! Not about pirates, but an excellent sea-related tale told in such a plain ol' GOOD way that's hard to find these-a-days in history books of that type. That gal has talent. If ya see anythin' by her, chances are, it's good.

Fiction:

The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes. Very riveting. Definitely worth keeping. Exciting tale, interesting twists, an' plain ol' good storytellin'.

The True Confessions of Charolette Doyle by Avi. My favorite as a kid. More o' a children's novel, but still worth reading at any age. About mutineers...much mystery and adventure on one ship.

The Horatio Hornblower Series by C S Forester. About a British navy officer in the Napoleonic wars. Not really piracy-related, though there are privateers here an' there (though it is his job to fight 'em ) Simply worth it just for rollicking story-tellin', good seamanship, an' even a little romance (here an' there ) I saw the first series o' movies before readin' the books meself, but I've heard it said that the first book in chronological order is a drag unless ye have seen the movie, so perhaps ye should start with the first book the author wrote (chronologically, in the middle o' the series), Beat to Quarters--The Happy Return in Britain. This one happens to be me favorite, as well. What has been described as the best sea-battle ever written for a book, as well as intriguing characters, insanity, romance, suspence...very, very good read.

That's it fer starters More later!

LA

[BlackDianae]

In one of my many wanderings through a book warehouse, I found an interesting collection of short stories written by the likes of Patrick O'Brian, C.S. Forester, Kenneth Bulmer, Richard Butler, Herman Melville--just to name a few.

The title, "The Mammother Book of Men O' War: Stories From the Glory Days of Sail." Edited by Mike Ashley.

Isbn 0-7867-0696-1

[John Maddox Roberts]

I didn't know Kenneth Bulmer wrote sea stories. I know him from his science fiction work of the 50s and 60s. Incidentally, I've contributed stories to several of the Mammoth anthologies Mike Ashley has edited, all in the historical mystery genre. I'll have to pester Mike for a copy of that book.

[Daniel]

Actually, there are three pirate/nautical books I possess that I forgot to mention above.

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates.

John Harland, Seamanship in the Age of Sail. This is indispensable.

The Great Age of Sail.