This book aims to portray an accurate picture of the pirates who sailed in the waters of the Caribbean and off the American coastline during the "golden age" of piracy and shows that the life of a pirate was nasty, brutish and short (with one or two notable exceptions). It traces the origins of piratical activity in the 16th century and examines the Boucaneer (Bucaneer) culture in Jamaica and Hispaniola. It details what drove individuals to a life of piracy, how they dressed, their weaponry, the ships they used and the codes by which they operated, for example, disciplinary procedures and the division of booty. It also catalogues the main characters active during this period: Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, Henry Morgan, Henry "Long Ben" Avery, Stede Bonnet, William Kidd, John "Calico Jack" Rackham and the female duo associated with him, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.