Product Description

A portrait of women on the high seas. Women have always been involved in martime life but their stories have rarely been told. David Cordingly looks at the traditionally male domain and finds some remarkable women: Mary Patten, who took command of a vessel and sailed it round Cape Horn at the age of 19; Grace Darling, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, who rowed out in ferocious seas to rescue three shipwrecked men; and the awesome Anne Bonny, who disguised herself as a man and became a fearsome pirate before being sentenced to the gallows. From the waterfront prostitutes and the women who went to sea dressed as sailors, to the wives who were left waiting at home, "Heroines and Harlots" looks at the relationship between women and the sea.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #486367 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Review
"'This is the most authoritative and highly literate account of these pernicious people that I have ever read' Patrick O'Brian; 'Entertaining and popular but also serious in its intent to demonstrate the reality behind the myth of piracy' Times Literary Supplement"

About the Author
David Cordingly was Keeper of the Pictures at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. He is the author of many books including 'Life Among the Pirates', which was published to great acclaim. He is now recognised as the world authority on pirates and lives by the sea in Brighton.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating account of women in the great age of piracy!
I have been a fan of David's work for a long time and this book does not disappoint. Well researched and with good insight - it was a great read and I highly recommend this book. Great to read by the beach or on an island in the Caribbean where so much of the action took place!