For all their reckless violence, immoral behavior, and suffering they caused on the high seas, pirates, specifically the 18th-century pirates who sailed along the Caribbean, have long been painted with a mythic brush. From the classic literature of Robert Louis Stevenson to Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean,” flamboyance seems to define the age of pirates. It is true that flamboyance was part of the piratical character, but as Angus Konstam demonstrates in his new book, the pirate was many things. Oddly enough, some of those things prove quite relatable to the average modern person.
Engaging Starts
The Scottish author has literally written scores of books, typically on war and pirates. It is not simply his topics that lure readers, but his engaging writing does as well. Konstam chose to start “The Pirate Menace” twice—arguably three times—but then again, who reads the prologue and introduction? In his prologue, he begins with an action-filled and daring exploit of the pirate captain, Charles Vane, who attempted a nighttime attack by using one of his ships as a bomb. It is a memorable start. Konstam, however, sidesteps that story—one he returns to later—by telling the reader in the introduction how he came to start writing about pirates.On its face, this tactic would seem to be a momentum-stopper, but Konstam’s storytelling ability—whether discussing the pirates of old, or himself—shines and lures the reader back from a different angle. It is a small portion of a sizable book, but it is a testament to Konstam’s ability.
How It Started
The Caribbean was full of imperial colonies, primarily British, French, and Spanish. These three empires, as any reader with some knowledge of 18th-century history will know, didn’t like each other and often fought, with some of those wars reaching into the Americas. Two of these wars, the War of the Grand Alliance (1688–97) and War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14), created an opportunity for Britain to make trouble for French and Spanish trade. Letters of Marque were issued to ship captains, allowing them to become buccaneers, or privateers. In other words, they were given permission to become pirates. These legal pirates sailed after French and Spanish ships, plundered them, and often took them to a British port to be condemned. These privateers were able to make a lot of money in a way that would have been frowned upon by the British government at any other time—and that time was soon approaching.As Konstam explains in the first chapter, “After a decade of this [privateering], these ships and their crews had evolved into near-perfect hunting machines—specialists in the trade of legitimized piracy. Then, suddenly, it all came to an end.” Konstam continues that “what the British government could have done was to come up with a scheme that would offer these men hope, or at least a gentle easing back into the world of the normal mariner. But that didn’t happen.”
Pirates of the Caribbean were a result of the law of unintended consequences. The British government had created an industry with an undisclosed and unknown expiration date. When they made that industry suddenly illegal, those who had been heroes of the British government were now enemies of the state. But as Konstam indicates, what were they to do, especially since it was all they knew? The answer for many was to continue on without the Letters of Marque.
Relatable Pirates
I stated at the beginning that the pirate could often be relatable to the average person. On its face, it is a silly statement, but upon reading Konstam’s explanation of why privateers remained pirates, or why merchantmen joined their captors, or why young men left their islands or colonies to become pirates, it made sense. Being a pirate provided young men and, on a few occasions, young women, newfound freedom, a sense of purpose, and real adventure. It also empowered them to stick a thumb in the eye of the powerful and wealthy—a way to revolt against the established order.“For many,” Konstam writes, “it was much more preferable to live as a free man and a pirate for a few months or even years, before inevitably succumbing to death in battle, disease or the hangman’s noose.”
Problems, Pirates, and Pardons
That democracy was short lived for most. But when one of the crew was caught or killed, another surfaced. Soon, there were more than 1,000 pirates at any one time roaming the Caribbean. Hardly a merchant ship was safe. As pirates became more successful, their crews grew, they exchanged old ships for newer (stolen) ones, and they expanded their firepower. Local colonial governors and merchant captains begged for help from the British government. It was slow in coming, which only cultivated the pirate growth.During this growth, Konstam introduces us to some of the most memorable pirate captains—some more violent than others, and some more traitorous than others. We meet Benjamin Hornigold, the founder of the Nassau pirates, who accepts a governor’s pardon to become a pirate-hunter. Stede Bonnet, the wealthy Barbadian who decided on a whim to become a pirate—possibly due to mental instability or it may have been his answer to a midlife crisis. The maniacal Vane, who proves hard to catch, and even harder to kill. Edward Thatch, also known as Blackbeard, whose demise comes in near Hollywood fashion. And the greatest of the pirates, at least according to the author, Bartholomew Roberts, famously known as Black Bart. Konstam’s Roberts claim is practically indisputable after reading Roberts’s impossible raid on a Portuguese harbor that results in taking a 40-gun ship that just so happened to be full of treasure.
The Golden Age, of course, comes to an end, and rather dramatically. The British government established a timeframe for full pardons. Many pirates decided to accept the offer. Many did not. Most of those who remained, experienced that dramatic end. For Konstam’s “The Pirate Menace,” it is not just the end that is dramatic; the book is littered with drama.
Konstam’s latest work is a fun, adventurous, but also enlightening read on how this historic era began, thrived, dwindled, and ended. For those interested in the true history of pirates, or wish for a counter to the fictional view, “The Pirate Menace” is a worthy read.
