Have you ever asked yourself why stories of pirates have captured our imagination the way they do? By all accounts they were a brutal despicable lot who visited their terror on land and sea with deadly ferocity. These were not the Robin Hoods of the sea but rather two legged sharks who attacked without hesitation or conscience. Was it their swashbuckling independence, their sense of adventure, the pragmatic surrender to the dark side or something else which speaks to some part of our own nature?Ultimately as with every evil in this world the seeds we sow eventually catch up with in some way and Howard Pyles narrative on Pirates illustrates that truth so well. You’ll recognize some of the famous names in this tale like Blueskin, Scarfield, and Blackbeard. Other stories like Captain Brand, Jack Ballister and the Marooners may not be so familiar.Personally, I enjoyed the history as it related to early American. I frankly never realized the terror pirates visited on the early American settlers nor the near impunity with which they operated for so many years. Even if you aren’t enthralled with pirates the stories in the book provide a vivid and often unknown picture of early American. I enjoyed the stories immensely.