What a swashbuckling read! A dashingly illustrated hardcover packed with facts and trivia, this comprehensive volume explains it all, in thrilling detail: who the pirates of the past really were, their countries of origin, their crews, life on their ships, navigating the high seas, their weapons and methods of attack, and much more. Read about the myths, meet some famous fictional and real-life privateers, trace their routes on maps, shiver at accounts of their fearsome progress through history, and learn about archaeological pirate ship recoveries.