10 am: 63°FSunny

12 pm: 67°FSunny

2 pm: 71°FSunny

4 pm: 70°FSunny

More Weather
Most Read Most Commented

Print | E-mail to a friend ENTERTAINMENT

READ ALL ABOUT IT: 'Republic of Pirates' dispels common stereotypes

September 17, 2008 @ 09:10 PM

The Herald-Dispatch

Today, when a person mentions pirates, most people immediately imagine Johnny Depp swaggering about an island demanding alcohol. Democracy, equality and honor are not abstractions that usually are associated with these rogues of the sea. These principles and more, however, are exactly what Colin Woodard's "The Republic of Pirates" focuses on.

In his biography of the Golden Age of Piracy, Woodard focuses on some of the most well-known names in pirate lore. Figures like Blackbeard, "Calico" Jack Rackham, Sam Bellamy and even Ann Bonny sail across the page, both to reinforce and denounce modern conceptions of piracy. In adequate detail, along with minor editorial commentary, Woodard raises these characters from the pages of history and provides real details of their lives and exploits.

Through their adventures, Woodard exposes the life of a pirate in the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Coast. And while not a pleasure cruise, many of the principles that governed pirate vessels would be utilized later when founding the United States, as Woodard explains. Captains were democratically elected (or deposed), African Americans were treated as equals and in figures like Ann Bonny, women were allowed to step outside the bounds of traditional gender roles. In addition, everyone received equal shares of the plunder, the food and that most famous alcoholic drink.

While there was a fair amount of rum (it was safer than the water of the time), Woodard gives us a wonderful glimpse into the actual lives of pirates. For anyone who wishes to learn more about these forerunners of democracy on the high seas, "The Republic of Pirates" is a must read.

Kallel Peterson is an employee at Empire Books and News at Pullman Square in Huntington.