The Pirate Queens - The Lives of Anne Bonny & Mary Read

The Pirate Queens - The lives of Anne Bonny & Mary Read written by Rebecca Alexandra

Simon and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20.00 - Hardback - Pages 208

Between August and October 1720, two female pirates named Anne Bonny and Mary Read terrorized the Caribbean in and around Jamaica. Despite their short career, they became two of the most notorious pirates during the height of the eighteenth-century Golden Age of Piracy. In a world dominated by men, they became infamous for their bravery, cruelty and unwavering determination to escape the social constraints placed on women during that time. Despite their infamy, mystery shrouds their lives before they became pirates. Their biographies were recorded in Captain Charles Johnson’s 1724 book, A General History of the Pyrates, depicting the two women as illegitimate women raised by men who, against insurmountable odds, crossed paths in Nassau and became pirates together. But how much is fact versus fiction?

This first full-length biography about Anne Bonny and Mary Read explores their intriguing backgrounds while examining the social context of women in their lifetime and their legacy in popular culture that exists to the present day. Using A General History of the Pyrates, early modern legal documents relating to women, their recorded public trial in The Tryal of Jack Rackham and Other Pyrates, newspapers and new, uncovered research, this book unravels the mysteries and legends surrounding their lives.

When pirates come up it always pricks my interest mainly because I live in the area where another pirate is said to have come from, Barti Duu (or in English, Black Bart) and my only problem really with pirates is the lack of knowledge, records or understanding we have about them. But as the author has a highly recommended knowledge and background in pirates and their lives, I found it safe to say that although a 100% knowledge of these two might not be available, the author has a solid background in the subject.

This book looks at the lives and ventures of these two female pirates, and it was a really good read and very informative throughout. I think the author Simon has done a good job based on the information available, it was quite entertaining and I would actually like to learn more about other pirates now too. I would recommend this book, the author has done a great job.