"Angus Konstam successfully combines a vivid account of a famous pirate with a richly detailed survey of his turbulent and brutal world."

—David Cordingly, author of Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates

"Angus Konstam's Blackbeard is more than the story of one pirate, much more. Konstam paints a wide canvas of Blackbeard and his life and times, of the whole sordid and frightening world of piracy. With writing that is at once elegant and accessible, he explores the rise of the 'Golden Age' of piracy, illustrating how simple merchant sailors and privateersmen could be drawn into the most bloody profession of all, and become enemies of the world. Using the pirate Blackbeard as a starting point, Konstam gives the reader a broad understanding of the world of 17th century piracy, from the lives of the men who sailed under the black flag to those who tried to stop them. Blackbeard is a great read - informed, scholarly, thorough, accurate and fun."

—James L. Nelson, author of the Brethren of the Coast Trilogy and Benedict Arnold's Navy