About the Book
Pirates have long captured the imagination with images of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers, eye patches and buried treasure. But what was life really like on a pirate ship? Piracy was a risky, sometimes deadly occupation, and strict orders were essential for everyone’s survival. These ‘Laws’ were sets of rules that determined everything from how much each pirate earned from their plunder to compensation for injuries, punishments and even the entertainment allowed on ships. These rules became known as the ‘Pirates’ Code’, which all pirates had to publicly swear by.
Using primary sources such as eyewitness accounts, trial proceedings and maritime logs, this book explains how these codes were the key to pirates’ success in battle, both on sea and on land.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Pirates' Code of Honour
1 Work, Life and Wages on the Pirate Ship
2 Punishments on the Pirate Ship, Pirate or Not
3 Health and Safety on the Pirate Ship
4 Sex, Sexuality and Relationships On and Off the Pirate Ship
5 Safety, Weapons and Pirates' Battle Tactics
6 Food and Drink on the Pirate Ship
7 Pirates' Vices
8 Entertainment and Culture on the Pirate Ship
Conclusion: The End of the Golden Age of Piracy
Select List of Pirates
Glossary
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
About the Author :
Rebecca Simon is Professor of History at Santa Monica College. Her books include Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever (2020) and Pirate Queens: The Lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read (2022).
Review :
Real history, so much more exciting than any pirate legend.
In eight snappy chapters, the reader is smuggled aboard brigs, schooners and sloops, each infested with rats and chittering cockroaches . . . Simon’s writing is informative and packed with fascinating detail . . . It all makes for a hair-raising adventure, and a handy guide for anyone hoping to understand – or prepare for – the pirate way of life.
In her impressively researched book, Simon offers an engrossing account that goes well beyond the romanticised Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow view of life as a criminal on the high seas. Her chapters on health and safety, sex and relationships, weapons and battle tactics, and entertainment on pirate ships are particularly enlightening . . . for a rollicking account of the reality of the “Golden Age” of piracy, Simon’s book should float your boat.
In this zesty and eye-opening history . . . Rebecca Simon has combed a variety of sources to paint a colourful and evocative portrait of that "golden age of piracy"
Rebecca Simon’s book delves into the codes that pirates had to live by and how they were the key to their success in battle, both on sea and on land. The Pirates’ Code – our Book of the Month for May 2023 – uses primary sources such as eyewitness accounts, trial proceedings, and maritime logs, to examine how each code was instrumental.
Rebecca Simon addresses this growing legend head-on . . . The Pirates' Code doesn't just repeat the old legends; in some cases it blasts them into splinters . . . It is myth-busting par excellence, because it is not just based on opinion . . . Simon holds a mastery of the sources that leaves the reader in awe . . . In The Pirates’ Code she shows pirates in all their complexity and individuality, and she rejoices in it. Their stories, beautifully told, are so much more wonderful than the standard legends allow.
You know how pirates used to punish people by making them walk the plank? Well, the thing is, they didn’t . . . The surprise is one of many in Rebecca Simon’s book about the "golden age of piracy" in the 17th and 18th centuries.
This 304-page hardback book by Rebecca Simon sets out a rollicking account of pirates’ codes, which gave the strict rules essential for survival at sea.
Arguing that pirates did more than lawlessly pillage the high seas, Rebecca Simon’s fascinating book The Pirates’ Code reveals their rules of engagement - and the steep consequences of eschewing these . . . From these rules, the book explores pirate history and culture. Simon acknowledges the bloody realities of pirate life, sharing tales of clubhauling, cannibalism, and carousing . . . Historical drawings, maps, and photographs complement the text . . . The Pirates’ Code is an engaging book that demythologizes pirates, exploring the historical underpinnings of their rogue sailing lives.
. . . a series of chapters looks at every aspect of the pirate’s life . . . While this is a work of scholarship with an extensive list of references and a 23-page bibliography, it is very readable and is strongly recommended to members of The Naval Review.
In her third book on pirates, Simon is at her best when she focuses on court transcripts and first-person accounts. In its discussions of the daily lives and careers of pirates, this slender volume makes for absorbing reading . . . Recommended.
In The Pirates’ Code, Dr. Rebecca Simon presents a rollicking account of pirates’ codes, the strict rules essential for survival at sea.
This “rollicking account” of pirates’ codes - the strict rules deemed essential for survival at sea - explains how they determined everything, from how much each pirate earned from their plunder to compensation from injuries, punishments and more.
A fascinating glimpse into life aboard ship during the golden age of piracy.
A comprehensive and highly engaging study of the operations and everyday life at sea on pirate ships in the "Golden Age" of piracy. Using a wide range of archival material, Rebecca Simon has produced a meticulous examination of how pirate crews used "articles" to organise their ships and lives. An in-depth exploration of not only the most notorious pirates and their lesser-known brethren, but every aspect of pirate life from the motivations of men to turn to piracy, to how they shared out plunder and food, to discipline and health care for injured pirates. The Pirates' Code is a pleasure to read.
There are many books that focus on pirates and their lives at sea, but Simon brings a fresh perspective to this topic by examining them from the lens of their articles of agreement. She provides snippets from contemporary documents and eyewitnesses, be they pirates or victims, to showcase how aspects of the rules impacted what pirates did and how they lived. Specific pirates, some well-known and others who are not, are showcased to validate what is discussed under each rule. Throughout the book she emphasizes that these codes served specific purposes: to safeguard their environment, to minimize conflict among themselves, to maintain loyalty within each crew, and to provide protection from the hazards of working at sea. In other words, the goals of these articles were to gain wealth and stay alive.
