The Real History of Pirates
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Narrated by:
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Professor Manushag N. Powell
About this listen
There’s an apocryphal story that Alexander the Great once captured a notorious pirate named Diomedes. The great conqueror decided to interview the doomed pirate, asking him what he thought gave him the right to seize the property of other people. The pirate responded by asking the emperor what he thought gave him the right to take property that doesn’t belong to him, including entire countries. The story goes that Alexander thought the pirate very clever, granting him freedom instead of execution.
Other than scale, what is the difference between a pirate and the vast armies of an emperor? Or between a pirate and the great navy of a queen? Were the men who famously traversed the Atlantic actually the heroic explorers we imagined them to be - or were they...pirates? During the early years of what would be known as the Age of Sail, these explorers included Sirs Francis Drake, John Hawkins, and Walter Ralegh.
In The Real History of Pirates, you’ll find yourself looking at world history from a new point of view, realizing that much of what you’ve learned before could - and possibly should - be viewed through a more appropriate post-imperialistic filter. Your course professor, Manushag N. Powell, an award-winning Professor of English at Purdue University, will expose you to new ways of thinking about global interactions from the West Indies to the Red Sea, from the North Atlantic to Indonesia. You’ll learn what causes piracy, why it still flourishes today, why some pirates even had the backing of a well-established government, and why women sometimes wielded the real power behind the scenes in an enterprise conducted almost exclusively by men.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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Solid read, BUT...
- By K ODell on 07-17-19
By: Eric Jay Dolin
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The Mongol Empire
- By: Craig Benjamin, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Craig Benjamin
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
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The Mongol Empire was the largest empire the world has ever seen, forged by conquests across Eurasia in the 13th and 14th centuries. Yet despite the unparalleled brutality of the Mongols, they played a key role in launching civilization’s evolution into the modern world. In 24 half-hour lectures delivered by award-winning teacher and historian Craig Benjamin of Grand Valley State University, explore the paradox of the Mongols’ extreme barbarity combined with their enlightened religious attitudes and respect for high civilization, in The Mongol Empire.
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Good Info, Terrible Chinese Pronunciation
- By K. Cullen on 10-12-20
By: Craig Benjamin, and others
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History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
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Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.
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Martial Chaos
- By Cynthia on 08-16-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
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Creation Stories of the Ancient World
- By: Joseph Lam, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joseph Lam
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
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Creation stories, found within many ancient cultures, are traditional accounts of the origins of the universe, the earth, and humanity. Often embodied as epic poetry, and told through the acts of divine beings, creation stories illuminate the values, beliefs, and creeds of the earliest civilizations. As such, these stories show us how early cultures made sense of the human condition, in theological, philosophical, and political terms. These 12 dynamic and thought-provoking lectures offer you a penetrating look at the origin stories of the great civilizations of the Mediterranean.
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great survey of Ancient Creation stories
- By Anthony Alemany on 07-13-23
By: Joseph Lam, and others
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A General History of the Pyrates
- From Their First Rise and Settlement in the Island of Providence, to the Present Time
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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This work was published in 1724, under the pseudonym Captain Charles Johnson, by an unknown British author, usually assumed to be Daniel Defoe. This work is the prime source for the biographies of many well-known pirates of that era and shaped the popular notions about pirates of the day. Included are Blackbeard, Black Bart, Jolly Roger, Anne Bonny (aka Anne Bonn), Edward Teach, Henry Avery, Mary Read, and many more.
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Horrendous Waste of John Lee’s Time and Ours
- By Blake on 01-22-20
By: Daniel Defoe
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1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
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With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.
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History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
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Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
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Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
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Time with a great scholar & fantastic lecturer
- By jgmegill on 07-14-18
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The Vietnam War
- By: John C. McManus, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John C. McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
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In The Vietnam War, you will learn about the causes and consequences of the war in Vietnam. You will explore the scope of American intervention from air campaigns to large-scale military operations on the ground. You will survey the history of Vietnam from colonial Indochina onward, getting to know the homegrown ideas, personalities, and politics that would come to shape the conflict. You will reconstruct major military operations like the Tet Offensive and Rolling Thunder.
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information
- By boznremtp on 12-22-22
By: John C. McManus, and others
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Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
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Embark on a journey to the very beginning of writing as a tool of language and see how the many threads of history and linguistics came together to create the alphabet that forms the foundation of English writing. Your guide is Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University and in the 16 lectures of Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet, he will help you navigate the complex linguistic and cultural history behind one of our most crucial tools of communication.
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Fantastic narration & interesting content
- By Shelby on 06-06-23
By: John McWhorter, and others
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Secrets of the Occult
- By: Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard B. Spence
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
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From spirituality to politics and science, the occult has had an astonishing influence on the human experience across the centuries. It may surprise you to learn that everyday activities like attending church services or reading your daily horoscope all fit the broad definition of the occult. As you will see in the 24 illuminating episodes of Secrets of the Occult, the mystic and obscure are threaded through our ordinary lives in more ways than you may realize.
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insightful and well-presented.
- By Robert H. on 12-14-22
By: Richard B. Spence, and others
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Pirates
- A New History, from Vikings to Somali Raiders
- By: Peter Lehr
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Ranging from the Vikings and Wako pirates in the Middle Ages to modern day Somali pirates, Lehr delves deep into what motivates pirates and how they operate. He also illuminates the state's role in the development of piracy throughout history: from privateers sanctioned by Queen Elizabeth to pirates operating off the coast of Africa taking the law into their own hands. After exploring the structural failures which create fertile ground for pirate activities, Lehr evaluates the success of counter-piracy efforts - and the reasons behind its failures.
By: Peter Lehr
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The Middle Ages Around the World
- By: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
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The Middle Ages was a time of major historical shifts and transformations. This amazing era reverberates with discoveries, innovations, events, and historical processes that are integral to the world we know now. In these 24 enthralling lectures, Professor Salisbury leads you on a sumptuous tour of this incredible historical epoch, making clear that the remarkable historical currents and advances of the Middle Ages unfolded not only in the West, but across the globe, from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to Asia, the Americas, and beyond.
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A Rare Disappointment from The Great Courses
- By Curtis on 08-21-22
By: Joyce E. Salisbury, and others
What listeners say about The Real History of Pirates
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Tami
- 06-30-23
I ironically PRECISELY What I Wanted and Was Looking For: A Lecture About piracy, what causes it and NOT a Historical Timeline.
This is fantastic if you are looking for an overview of piracy. It’s a lecture series about piracy rather than a breakdown of the historical piracy timeline. I was not looking for a historical timeline. I wanted someone to tell me ABOUT pirates, what causes it, it’s effects and what they were like around the world. I took copious notes and it was so easy to understand. I did not want a course telling me about piracy in chronological order as a dry historical rundown.
I am very happy with this, learned so much from a writers perspective and it accomplished exactly what I needed.
A lot of poorer rating reviews of this are addressing the professor emphasizing misogyny, white supremacy and other social issues as a bad thing, but those were super welcome to me so that it tells us that she understands her subject and the forces at play. Piracy was rampant with misogyny, racism and white supremacy (as the real world is today and people getting mad over this feels like it’s uncomfortable for them to listen to that but this is really what happens in the real world so) and I am so glad she did not overlook this, particularly as someone writing a pirate fantasy primarily driven by people of color. She did a very good job not overlooking how colonialism (again, rife with racism, misogyny and white supremacy in general) played a part in real world piracy. I’m so glad she emphasized this and it made me feel like me like “yes, this is someone who isn’t talking from the singular perspective of an old white dude who doesn’t think those social issues are paramount to history.”
They should always be talked about so I’m glad she doubled down on How Big they were in this subject. Great job. The poorer reviews complaining about this are honestly silly and not very credible in my opinion.
I also liked her tone of voice. Didn’t feel boring to listen to. That’s subjective though. I Highly recommend this for people who want to get a thorough run down of how to write pirates.
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- dender
- 03-14-22
really Interesting
full of information, not fantasy. this lady really knows her stuff and presents it in a very entertaining manner. I would recommend this.
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- Sally A. Jackson
- 10-10-22
quite good and a learning experience
I never realized that there were so many pirates. The laws and punishments were so varied. There is a lot to learn and history to enjoy
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-24-21
Good info, presentation needs work
interesting subject matter, but lecturer presents like reading an essay aloud. author is a literature professor, and the style is like dictating a magazine article. choice of words is anachronistic or awkward when spoken, but would probably make a good textbook. speaking style is kind of sing-song with a definite meter that you can get tired of.
that said, the historical research is interesting and seems well-researched. topics of daily life, economic concerns, and geo-politics are insightful.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Isabel Amarantino
- 07-02-23
A very cynic perspective
It has few and scattered stories and many personnal opinions. That would be fine by me, but the personnal comments the lecturer does are cynical and obvious for the average reader - essentially, “party pooper comments” about social justice directed to times that weren’t (again, obviously) meeting up to the standards of today.
I thought this could be a more enjoyable theme to hear, and I do blame it on my childhood, specially with the Muppets movie. Sadly, this lecturer has a poor sense of humour and makes light talk on the worst possible sombre momments.
PS: I’m portuguese. “Ladrones” is not a portuguese word, at least nowadays, it only exists in spanish. This and other small things make me guess that the facts about portuguese and spanish people are sometimes mixed in this course. I’m guessing the old british sources and translations can have mistakes about it, and it’s not the lecturer’s fault, But what about checking with a portuguese/spanish historian before lecturing about it?
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- C & L
- 05-02-23
I really wanted to like this…
The content is very interesting and well-researched. I love pirate lore, but I can’t get past the performance. It’s obvious that the presenter is reading, and the content is written in complicated sentence structure that is hard to keep up with by listening. Also, she overemphasizes random words and mumbles or rushes different parts. It’s very annoying.
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- David Radlauer
- 06-01-21
The Real Deal on Pirates
Lectures address all the major historical and literary pirates. Real or imagined.
The truth is somewhat drier than fiction and more brutal. Author concludes that classic piracy was also indissolubly bound to the trade in chattel slaves. And that the trade in fact required semi legal naval freebooters. Also noting that as dire as the pirates life was (typically less than three years) it was still better than slavery for non-whites.
Such unexpected details as the fact that “walking the plank” wasn’t a thing, to the sectarian religious outlines of Catholic vs Protestant divisions are clarifying.
The lecturers’ manner is dry and slightly ironic at times. The pacing is sprightly and she’s a good story teller.
For some reason she repeatedly stresses that the scope of her survey encompasses only the “Anglophone” literature and data. Though she does not overlook the larger world history of piracy which persists to this day.
So this is a worthy adjunct to your pirate entertainment but may be too much of a spoiler for some. the real deal was pretty squalid, not romantic or remunerative, unless you were Sir Francis Drake and backed surreptitiously by the English crown, and a pretty wicked business. Yet the early practice of international geopolitical naval warfare required it.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Canyon R.
- 07-17-24
Pirates!
Great lecture to learn about one of the greatest professions ever. even touched on some modern act
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- N. D. Hemingway
- 06-21-21
Not an intro, but some interesting perspective
More of a collection of interesting facts than a cohesive history. Presenting a clear timeline would have been a good starting point, however this course is organized into various pirate related subjects, which may leave a person new to pirate history a bit lost.
That being said, if you have an understanding of the main pirate eras and historical figures, this course will answer a lot of questions you may have. It does a great job of breaking down fact vs fiction, and helps cleanse your mind of the romanticism often embraced by us pirate enthusiasts.
If you just want an overview of the Golden Age of Piracy, listen to The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard.
If you wish to embark on a deep dive into pirate history, I recommend In Search of a Kingdom by Bergreen (Francis Drake), Empire of the Blue Water by Talty (Captain Morgan), The Republic of Pirates by Woodard (Golden Age, Blackbeard included), and this course, The Real History of Pirates by Powell (general discussion), in that order.
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39 people found this helpful
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- Sarah Winckler
- 03-27-24
A Bit Difficult to Follow
The speaker talks a bit fast sometimes and has a tendency to do a bit of sing song. I changed the speed to be slightly slower, and that helped a little. It can still be a bit hard to understand if you aren't in a perfectly silent environment.
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