Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #559800 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 300 pages

Synopsis
The world of piracy has traditionally been seen as the preserve of men. This book reveals the extent to which women have been involved in piracy, skulduggery and seafaring over the centuries. This book is divided into several parts. Anne Chambers looks at how women of privilege have embraced life at sea; Julie Wheelwright, author of "Amazons and Military Maids", looks at life at sea for penniless women such as the legendary lovers Mary Read and Anne Bonny; Delei Davin explores the tradition of Chinese women warriors at sea, and Dea Birkett examines what women pirates are doing today.

Customer Reviews

more ah-ha! than arrrr!
The structure of this book means it is very easy to dip in or read straight through, with the short, insightful chapters leading smartly into each other but also making it as exciting to plunge in for the occassional foray - either way it is a valuable investigation into the lives of female pirates which provides insight and reflection on how women have gone to sea over the centuries.

Never afriad to say what is fact and what is speculation, the authors give a thoughtful overview on female pirates, covering history, social attitudes and modern day reinterpretations. From Ireland to China, women have played important roles in the pirating trade, from the traditional images of cutlass waving beauties to the more matter of fact existence of the women who traveled on ships, mended kit at the harbours, or who were partners or prostitutes for the men when they came home By pointing out at an early stage how much sexual politics has influenced our visions of women who went to sea, the authors give a far more perceptive account of what the realities of seafaring life might have been. And by removing the salaciousness that so often accompanies images of these women, the results are a far- sighted and learned investigation into the subject, which never fails to bring the reader firmly down to earth and presents a far stronger image of women who were involved in piracy.

This is an area which has had little previous investigation, and those put off by the obvious feminism in the first two chapters should persevere, as this is a subject which has been well served by both the critical debate involved and the obvious enthusiasm of the authours involved. I found the refreshing attitudes to piracy in the book a far more exciting and interesting approach, in which the obvious enthusiam and dedication of the authors to their subjects shone throughout. Highly entertaining, and very informative.