Pieces of Eight: More Archaeology of Piracy

by Charles R. Ewen (Editor), Russell K. Skowronek (Editor)

“Anyone interested in historical archaeology, seafaring, and of course, piracy on the high seas as well as on land will enjoy this book.”—Donny L. Hamilton, director, Conservation Research Laboratory, Texas A&M University
 
“Shows that the piracy of yesteryear had the same economic impact and reasons for being as piracy does today. Pirates, along with their dreams and the dreams of those affected by pirate actions, are brought to light through a series of marvelously written, impeccably researched chapters.”—Steve J. Dasovich, Lindenwood University
 

There is little to distinguish the pirate from the average sailor in the archaeological record. Virtually every pirate-related site yet excavated would not be identified as such without the accompanying historical record. The contributors to this volume combine both material culture and archival research to confirm the exploits of pirates and the ships they sailed.

Expanding on the widely successful X Marks the Spot , Pieces of Eight explores the newest findings in the maritime archaeology of piracy. The contributors examine the latest discoveries at Captain Henry Morgan’s encampments and recount William Kidd’s epic capture of the Quedagh Merchant in the Indian Ocean. Other chapters include explorations of Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge , Bartholomew “Black Bart” Robert’s Ranger , and even Hollywood’s portrayal of pirates. Pieces of Eight is a thrilling and eye-opening view of pirate life—as well as the final underwater resting places of their ships.
 

Genres: History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 16, 2016

Reviews

[Justin Langford]

It was an interesting textbook

[Sem]

The description of this book as "thrilling and eye-opening" is very far from the truth. It's useful at times, boring often. It visits well-trodden paths (fine for the novice, tedious for everyone else) but is occasionally speculative and interesting. At least one chapter should never have seen the light of day as it's muddled, historically uninformed, badly written, and contradicts the next chapter. The book as a whole gets three stars for the chapters I liked although the information in some of those can be found in more detail elsewhere and they could be skipped. In short, read it if you're a completist but don't buy it.