An unexpectedly excellent book on the Golden Age of Piracy, 1692-1725. As well as covering the cause and the characters, it puts the whole story in a simple geopolitical context. The 'golden age' refers to the upsurge in piracy towards the end of the 17th century and it was to end this scourge that the Royal Navy was expanded, both in size and scope of its operations, leading it to become "the instrument that created the British Empire."

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DramMan | 2 other reviews | Aug 8, 2016 |

Pacific Passions: The European Struggle for Power in… by Frank Sherry

Mr Sherry has a journalist background and he has put it to good use in this book. It's well researched and well written. He tells the story of European exploration of the Pacific very well. Bringing characters to life from dry historical documents. A side effect of his writing about the Pacific is an overview of European geopolitical history from the 16 to 18th centuries. A bonus. The inhabitants of the various Pacific lands play their part but this is not their history. They left no written documents and so are harder to trace. Sometime it would be good if the story could be told from their point of view.… (more)

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Steve38 | Feb 13, 2015 |

Raiders and Rebels: A History of the Golden Age of… by Frank Sherry

The best history book I've ever read. This book reads more like a good novel than a list of what happened, and when. Sherry's descriptions of the pirates and their pursuers bring these men to life. His descriptions of the world in which the pirates lived, and his descriptions of the events that really happened, gives an understanding of the times the pirates were living in that you just can't get from other history texts. Pirates wanted freedom, and Frank Sherry makes you feel that need.

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Calypso42 | 2 other reviews | Jun 24, 2010 |

Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy by Frank Sherry

Covers the period from 1690 to 1720's

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Mapguy314 | 2 other reviews | Mar 21, 2020 |

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