Within this exhaustive volume on the pirate "profession," readers will encounter an unforgettable cast of plundering characters — eccentric, dramatic, but always human. Here are the maritime brigands who challenged even the most powerful nations on the high seas. From the Vikings to the Elizabethan corsairs to the buccaneers of the West, discover who these pirates were, what they did, and, ultimately, why they disappeared. A landmark in picaresque history, this classic provides penetrating detail on the world's seafaring outlaws, including their morals, codes of honor, and taboos. It's sure to satisfy the modern reader's enduring fascination with pirates and their lives.