Excerpt
Introduction
Pirates have been around for a long time, but not in the way you might think. The kind in books and movies—swinging from ropes, digging up treasure, and shouting “Arrr!”—aren’t exactly the way real pirates lived. The truth is a little different. Pirates were outlaws of the sea, and they didn’t follow the rules of regular society. They made their own rules, lived by their own codes, and sailed wherever they pleased. Some were ruthless and dangerous, but others were clever and daring, outsmarting powerful navies and taking control of entire islands.
The world Anne Bonny was born into wasn’t peaceful. The ocean was full of ships carrying gold, silver, and valuable goods, and pirates saw those ships as opportunities. They didn’t just steal treasure—they took supplies, weapons, and even the ships themselves. The Caribbean, where Anne spent most of her life, was one of the busiest places for pirates. It was full of small islands, hidden coves, and secret harbors, perfect for ships to disappear when trouble came too close.
Not everyone could handle life as a pirate. It was dangerous, and there was no guarantee of riches. Some days, a crew might capture a ship full of valuable goods, while other days, they might go hungry, waiting for their next target. Bad weather, disease, and battles with the navy made things even tougher. But for some, the excitement and freedom of piracy were worth the risk.
Anne Bonny wasn’t born a pirate. She didn’t grow up on a ship or spend her childhood sailing the seas. She was raised in a world where women were expected to live quiet lives, following the rules of their families and societies. But Anne didn’t follow rules. She was determined to live on her own terms, even if that meant leaving behind everything she knew. She didn’t want a life where others told her what to do. She wanted adventure, and she found it in the most unlikely place—among pirates.
Back then, the idea of a woman becoming a pirate was almost unheard of. Most pirate crews wouldn’t even allow women on board because they believed it brought bad luck. But Anne didn’t care about what people expected of her. She found a way to be part of the action, and she didn’t just sit on the sidelines. She fought, planned, and made decisions alongside some of the most feared pirates of her time.
Piracy wasn’t just about stealing treasure. Pirates had their own way of doing things. They elected their captains instead of taking orders from kings. They divided their loot equally instead of letting the richest take the most. Some even had rules to take care of their injured crew members, making sure no one was left behind. In many ways, pirate ships were fairer than the societies they attacked. That’s what made piracy so appealing to people like Anne—people who didn’t want to follow the rules of the world they were born into.
The authorities, of course, didn’t see pirates as adventurous outlaws. To them, pirates were criminals who needed to be stopped. Governments sent out warships to hunt them down, and anyone caught could face harsh punishment. Some pirates were executed, others were thrown in prison, and a few managed to escape and disappear. The golden age of piracy didn’t last forever, but for a time, pirates ruled the seas in a way that had never been seen before—and hasn’t been seen since.
Pirates have been around for a long time, but not in the way you might think. The kind in books and movies—swinging from ropes, digging up treasure, and shouting “Arrr!”—aren’t exactly the way real pirates lived. The truth is a little different. Pirates were outlaws of the sea, and they didn’t follow the rules of regular society. They made their own rules, lived by their own codes, and sailed wherever they pleased. Some were ruthless and dangerous, but others were clever and daring, outsmarting powerful navies and taking control of entire islands.
The world Anne Bonny was born into wasn’t peaceful. The ocean was full of ships carrying gold, silver, and valuable goods, and pirates saw those ships as opportunities. They didn’t just steal treasure—they took supplies, weapons, and even the ships themselves. The Caribbean, where Anne spent most of her life, was one of the busiest places for pirates. It was full of small islands, hidden coves, and secret harbors, perfect for ships to disappear when trouble came too close.
Not everyone could handle life as a pirate. It was dangerous, and there was no guarantee of riches. Some days, a crew might capture a ship full of valuable goods, while other days, they might go hungry, waiting for their next target. Bad weather, disease, and battles with the navy made things even tougher. But for some, the excitement and freedom of piracy were worth the risk.
Anne Bonny wasn’t born a pirate. She didn’t grow up on a ship or spend her childhood sailing the seas. She was raised in a world where women were expected to live quiet lives, following the rules of their families and societies. But Anne didn’t follow rules. She was determined to live on her own terms, even if that meant leaving behind everything she knew. She didn’t want a life where others told her what to do. She wanted adventure, and she found it in the most unlikely place—among pirates.
Back then, the idea of a woman becoming a pirate was almost unheard of. Most pirate crews wouldn’t even allow women on board because they believed it brought bad luck. But Anne didn’t care about what people expected of her. She found a way to be part of the action, and she didn’t just sit on the sidelines. She fought, planned, and made decisions alongside some of the most feared pirates of her time.
Piracy wasn’t just about stealing treasure. Pirates had their own way of doing things. They elected their captains instead of taking orders from kings. They divided their loot equally instead of letting the richest take the most. Some even had rules to take care of their injured crew members, making sure no one was left behind. In many ways, pirate ships were fairer than the societies they attacked. That’s what made piracy so appealing to people like Anne—people who didn’t want to follow the rules of the world they were born into.
The authorities, of course, didn’t see pirates as adventurous outlaws. To them, pirates were criminals who needed to be stopped. Governments sent out warships to hunt them down, and anyone caught could face harsh punishment. Some pirates were executed, others were thrown in prison, and a few managed to escape and disappear. The golden age of piracy didn’t last forever, but for a time, pirates ruled the seas in a way that had never been seen before—and hasn’t been seen since.