Separating fact from fiction in the story of Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard HBO’s Our Flag Means Death...
Pirates
The Golden Age of Piracy, spanning roughly from the 1650s to the 1730s, was marked by a surge in maritime raiding across the Atlantic and the Caribbean. This period saw the rise of infamous figures such as Edward Teach, Henry Every and Bartholomew Roberts, operating at a time when empires were expanding and naval power was in flux. Pirates targeted merchant shipping routes, often exploiting colonial rivalries and weak enforcement. While romanticised in later fiction, piracy in this era was brutal, opportunistic and shaped by the politics and economics of empire, trade and war. It left a complex and lasting historical legacy.
Known as the “Gentleman Pirate,” Stede Bonnet remains one of the most curious figures of the Golden...
Henry Every, also known as Henry Avery, is one of the most elusive and legendary pirates of...
Our Flag Means Death is a genre-bending television series that blends historical piracy with absurdist comedy and...
Mary Read is one of the most famous female pirates of the early 18th century. Alongside Anne...
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, is among the most notorious pirates in history. Active during the...
Ching Shih, also known as Zheng Yi Sao or Madame Ching, was one of the most formidable...
Captain William Kidd remains one of the most debated figures of the Golden Age of Piracy. Once...
This ranked list focuses on the most infamous pirates in history, factoring in their impact, fearsome reputations,...
Black Sails, the ambitious prequel to Treasure Island, draws heavily from historical pirate lore while taking significant...