Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas

by Laura Sook Duncombe

Overview

In the first-ever comprehensive survey of the world’s female buccaneers, Pirate Women tells of the women, both real and legendary, who through the ages sailed alongside—and sometimes in command of—their male counterparts. These women came from all walks of life but had one thing in common: a desire for freedom. History has largely ignored these female swashbucklers, until now. Here are their stories, from ancient Norse warriors like Awilda, Stikla, and Rusla; to Sayyida al-Hurra of the Barbary corsairs; from Grace O’Malley, who terrorized shipping operations around the British Isles; to Cheng I Sao, who commanded a fleet of 400 ships off China in the early 19th century. Author Laura Sook Duncombe also looks beyond the stories to the storytellers and mythmakers. What biases and agendas motivated them? What did they leave out? Pirate Women explores why and how these stories are told and passed down and how history changes depending on who is recording it. It’s the largest overview of women pirates in one volume and chock-full of swashbuckling adventures. In this book, pirate women are pulled from the shadows into the spotlight that they deserve.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641602228
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	264
Sales rank:	420,850
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Laura Sook Duncombe is a lawyer and a writer whose work on women pirates has appeared on Jezebel. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

1 Dawn of the Pirates 1

2 Gatekeepers of Valhalla 19

3 Medieval Maiden Warriors 37

4 A Cinderella Story Among the Corsairs 53

5 The Virgin Queen and Her Pirates 70

6 The Golden Age 86

7 His Majesty's Royal Pirates 102

8 "If He Had Fought Like a Man, He Need Not Have Been Hang'd Like a Dog" 119

9 Pirates of the New World 136

10 Women on the Edge 151

11 The Most Successful Pirate of All Time 168

12 Veterans of the American Wars 182

13 Evil Incarnate and the Dragon Lady 197

14 The Pirates of the Silver Screen 212

Acknowledgments 231

To Find Out More 233

Index 241

Editorial Reviews

"Thoroughly researched and enthrallingly written, Duncombe shows love and mastery of the subject in equal measure.” —Jason Porath, author of Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics


“A satisfying and necessary addition to the piratical pop culture canon.” —Bitch


“Duncombe reveals dozens of fascinating tales, starting with the earliest known female pirate—Queen Artemisia I of Halicarnassus in the 5th century BC.” —New York Post


“Highly readable and interesting . . . Pirate Women is a good introduction to female pirates and the eras in which they lived.” —Pirates and Privateers Website


“Duncombe’s well-researched account will appeal to history and women’s studies aficionados, lovers of myth and lore, and all interested in viewing the past through a new lens.” —Booklist


“A deftly written and impressively organized and presented volume.” —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

Narrator Hillary Huber gives voice to women who had little or no control of the historical record they left behind. Listeners are transported through history and Hollywood films in this exploration of the lives of pirate women. As the author weaves historical fragments and legends, the result is an intriguing series of biographical portraits that contribute to the discussion of how narratives are constructed. Observations made by the author are delivered as though Huber were speaking with a sympathetic audience. Her straightforward, even-keeled style is perfectly suited to this discussion of notable and obscure figures such as pirate queen Grace O’Malley, the swashbuckling duo Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and the indomitable Cheng I Sao. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2017 - AudioFile