"Pirates have been a subject of fascination for hundreds of years, inspiring a mixture of terror and admiration. The existence of a pirate held appeal to many--a life of violence, danger, comradeship and plunder often seemed preferable to a life of low pay and poor conditions aboard a merchant ship. Narrowing the 'Golden Age of Piracy' to a brief but bloody decade in the early 18th century, Angus Konstam and David Rickman here cast aside the myths and stereotypes surrounding the pirate of this time and instead present what pirate life and appearance was really like in the most fascinating period of their history."--P. [4] of cover.