I'm lazy and I need help....

[dasNdanger]

Alright...so I be showin' up after months of sailin' other waters, just to ask ye all a question...

Here goes:

I've paged through the threads dealing with pirate books...but I STILL don't know which ones are the most accurate, and have the best general info. So, I'll tell ya what I be a-lookin' fer...{hehehe...slipped into pirate-mode there...kinda happens to me whenever I come around here.... }....

I want a book tht's to the point - more like a reference work {pictures are good, too...}. I don't really want 'stories' about Blackbeard and Kidd and dames - I want FACTS:

Daily life, hygiene, food/eating arrangements, clothing, sleeping arrangements, vessel types, division of swag, discipline aboard ship, responsibility of captain, quartermaster, lieutenant/mate {if there was one}, bo'sun...and how did these responsibilites differ from the same positions in the merchant trade or navy. Also such things as how victims were treated, the taking of captives, pressing men into piracy, the 'codes' and laws aboard ship, how pirates were treated in port {if they could mingle with society, or if they were immediately arrested - that sort of thing...}, repairing damaged vessels, and other factual, technical sorts of things.

I am not looking for 'romantic' stories about the lives of individual pirates, or a lot of speculation about what their life might have been like. ..I just want a GOOD book filled with hard, cold and unexaggerated FACTS. I've heard of the books written in the 1720's about the 'History of Pyrates'...or something like that...by {supposedly} DeFoe...wondering if anyone is familiar with them {didn't pay CLOSE attention as I was paging through those threads, or I MIGHT know the answer to this question...SEE?? I'm a slacker...}.

If anyone can help me out, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

das

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Under the Black Flag by Dr. David Cordingly is excellent. If you want a brief run down, there 4 excellent articles by Cindy Vallar:

Oh to be a pirate part I

Oh to be a pirate part 2

The lure of piracy - reality vs romanticism part 1

The lure of piracy reality vs romanticsm part 2

[imadrunkenpirate]

Hmm.. me first mate just brought me a book today on pirates. Full of facts it be made of, but me deadlights haven't sought their way to every crevace of thy book. It seems to be pretty good, if it helps at all.. which it won't.. thy book I be speaking of is called PIRATES. (haha) It be by Joshua B. Feder. Hope that be helping, and to be an honest-pirate, from what me holds are telling.. it sucked. Too bad to hear it of course.. to me, pirates are their own world of adventure. Good luck to ye, mate!

[redhand]

Dave-

Like Quill said, check out the book, under the black flag

also pick up Pirate Hunter, the true story of Capt Kidd,

that is supposed to be good (I've got it, but haven't had

a chance to read it yet) I'll check my library tonite and see what else

I've got that'll suit yer requirements, mostly I'm guessing that

just about any book on the 17th & 18th century navy will be a good

source....Also just picked up a new book titled "The Floating Brothel"

about the exportation of the female convicts from England to Austrailia

in the 1780s, great book (just started it) but tells how each woman was

picked up and for what crime, even tells how they did it. A lot of times

it tells what they, as well as their victims were wearing, social habits

and etc. by Sian Rees, here's the web address for amazon's discription

of it.....

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=books

Cheers

Redhand

[Paisley]

i really enjoyed under the black flag. as far as the history of pirates, i'm having a hard time fumbilng through it....does seem to flow as easy as black flag.

good luck

[JoshuaRed]

The Floating Brothel is great! Fascinating stuff, though it came later in the 18th century.

Hands down the best account of daily life at sea for pirates and nonpirates for our time period is Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea : Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750 by Marcus Rediker. A MUST HAVE.

Here is detailed info: AMAZON

[dasNdanger]

Thanks everyone!!!!! {and feel free to keep posting more suggestions!!}

Dang - this pirate stuff is a cinch!! Hardly have to lift a finger and everything just falls into me lap!!

Oh - and redhand - Me thinks yer mixin' me up with another scallywag...for I am, in fact, a woman....

Or so I was the last time I looked. So it's either that, or I'm a eunuch...with strategically placed water wings...

das

[redhand]

Danger-

sorry mate,

I've got a friend that has the same initials

and postes here from time to time, sorry

about the mix-up

Cheers

Redhand

[dasNdanger]

Danger-

sorry mate,

I've got a friend that has the same initials

and postes here from time to time, sorry

about the mix-up

Cheers

Redhand

No worries, mate!!

Funny thing is - you were the second person who thought that I was someone else on a forum - it's never happened before, then it happens twice in the same day!! And I think both times I was mistaken for a bloke!!

Hmmmm...perhaps I need to start pluckin' again...

das

[Lady Seahawke]

one book that is really very good is pirates and patriots of the revolution an illustrated encycolpedia of colonial seamanship... by C. keith wilbur., m.d.