The History Press, 2024.
Captain Hook, Long John Silver, Jack Sparrow – however you were first introduced to Pirates there is that stereotypical image of them being a man, full of greed, hunting for treasure with his motley crew. A tricorn hat, maybe a limb missing, facial hair or even a pet of some form. These are all things that come to mind when we think of the word Pirate.
However, how many of us have really thought about what a true pirate was, what lay beyond the image and the folklore that we probably grew up on as kids. In his book, Enemies of All, Richard Blakemore delves into the origins of not only pirates themselves but the word and its meaning. Like the Vikings, and to go Viking, Pirates and Piracy have so much more to them than what we think.
Beginning with the actual origins of the word pirate Blakemore goes on to the 15th century when piracy was on the rise. He explores the titles of Corsair, Buccaneer and Privateer and the laws passed relating to the activity of Piracy. The narrative follows through to the golden age of piracy in which the likes of Silver and Sparrow would be found if placed in context and into the decline of Pirates but not the end of their story. He explores the real life pirates of whom those fictional characters are inspired from – Blackbeard, William Kidd and Calico Jack and their impact on Pirater folklore.
Blakemore uses contemporary sources such as official reports and correspondences at the time and the ‘media’ coverage of pirates such as the newspapers and even books on the subject to detail their history. He does note however how these sources themselves can be biased and even sensationalised for dramatic licence at the time, even encouraged by those committing the acts of Piracy themselves. It’s nice to see the media has not changed much over the centuries.
He explores the golden age of piracy around the mid-1650s to 1700s (the act of Piracy itself has been happening for centuries before this and still, in some areas continues to this day) and how this particular era has stamped our view of Pirates into our histories. Blakemore highlights how pirates impacted not only the economy and society at the time but also how they have shaped the modern world today and their legacy.
What’s in a title?
The inspiration for the book’s title is explained near the start of the book and is taken from an act passed about piracy where it is declared that a Pirate is an Enemy of Mankind. They have no morals or loyalty to anyone but themselves.
There is too much to discuss and highlight in this book as what I enjoyed learning about, hopefully, when you read it for yourself you will be as fascinated as I was about the real Pirates and their acts of Piracy.
Blakemore’s book is thoroughly researched, passionately written and told in a chronological format. He looks at pirates from across the globe and explores contemporary literature about pirates from the time too. This man is an expert in this field. As someone who is new to this particular area of history, I would advise to maybe get another book if you want a general overview. However, if you want a font of all things Pirates then this book is the one for you.
The Local History Blogger rating 4/5
The Local History Blogger 