Gr 4-7- An illustrated overview of pirates and piracy from the 1400s to today. Styles of fighting, weapons, boats, and the socioeconomic systems within the ranks are considered. A section focusing on female pirates Anne Bonny, Mary Reade, and Cheng I Sao (but not Grace O'Malley) contributes to a grounded resource for research projects and independent study. The text also addresses the romanticized view of the trade that overlooks the most serious crimes in favor of dramatic appearances and behaviors, plus the stories popularized in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan that have been seminal in shaping how we view pirates today. Attractive full- and half-page glossy illustrations and reproductions in color and black and white, and a few small photographs, illustrate the book.-Farida S. Dowler, Mercer Island Library, WA
