Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship by Barry Clifford, Gregory Manchess (Illustrator), Kenneth Garrett (Photographer)

From the Publisher

The riveting story of the slave ship Whydah,captured by pirates and later sunk in a fierce storm off the coast of Massachusetts, energizes this lavish companion book to a unique exhibition on a five-year U.S. tour. Packed with plunder from more than 50 captured ships, the Whydah was discovered by underwater explorer Barry Clifford in 1984. Now, for the first time, its treasure holds are unlocked for public view.

More than 200 items were retrieved from the ocean floor: the telltale ship's bell, inscribed "Whydah Galley 1716"; coins and jewelry, buttons and cufflinks; muskets, cannons, and swords; everyday objects including teakettles and tableware, gaming tokens, and clay pipes. The artifacts provide an unprecedented glimpse into the raucous world of 18th-century pirating and shed light on the link between the slave trade and piracy during those tumultuous times.

Built to transport human captives from Africa to the Caribbean, the Whydah made one such voyage before being captured in 1717 by Sam Bellamy, the boldest pirate of his day. Two months later, in one of the worst nor'easters ever, the ship sank, drowning all but 2 of the 146 people aboard. For anyone intrigued by the lore of piracy, the mystery of shipwrecks, or the sad and salty intertwining of slave and pirate history, Real Pirates has the answers.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School -The Whydah had a short life. Built in 1715, she made a single voyage to Africa, where her hold was loaded with a cargo of slaves, and she sailed to the Caribbean. She was captured there and became the flagship of "Black Sam" Bellamy, one of the most successful pirate captains of the time. Two months later, the treasure-laden Whydah sank off Cape Cod during a violent storm. The wreckage was discovered in 1984, and the artifacts brought to the surface and restored are now the basis of a touring exhibit, to which this book is a companion. The first and last chapters succinctly discuss the slave trade and the recovery efforts respectively, but the majority of the volume is devoted to describing the life and culture of 18th-century pirates. Common myths are debunked: pirates did not bury their loot, and there is only one recorded instance of anyone "walking the plank." The authors' main argument, however, is that the pirate subculture was both multiethnic and democratic, and thus was an attractive alternative to a life of hard manual labor or slavery. Amply illustrated with black-and-white and color drawings, photographs, and maps, this is a lively and informative look at the real pirates of the Caribbean.-Sandy Schmitz, Berkeley Public Library, CA

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