For this week, I plan on developing a higher understanding of how the Golden age of Piracy has been portrayed throughout popular culture. How I wish to do this is through watching and understanding some of the most well known and popular films based around piracy, such films include, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Crimson Pirate and Treasure Island among others. I want to:

• Watch all theses movies and study how the characters, particularly the pirates and the opposing force are portrayed.
• How much of this seems realistic and how much feels exaggerated and fake.
• How the films have impacted the popular views surrounding piracy.

Pirate: the Golden Age is a book written by historian Angus Konstam. The book tells the story of a band of pirates during the 18th century. It charts the way these men (and a few women) were recruited, how they operated, what they looked like and what prospects their lives held. In the process the book strips away many of the myths associated with piracy to reveal the harsh realities of those who lived beyond the normal bounds of society. Written by pirate expert Angus Konstam, the book draws on decades of research into the subject, and pulls together information from a myriad of sources including official reports, contemporary newspaper reports, trial proceedings and court testimony last words on the scaffold, letters and diaries as well as archaeological evidence and relevant objects and artefacts from museum collections on both sides of the Atlantic. A must have for fans of the classic pirate stories or warfare in the early 18th century.

The Golden age of Piracy was estimated to have existed between 1650 and 1720, it was estimated that during this time period that over 5000 pirates were at large across the seas of the ocean. the most notable place being the Caribbean Seas. Throughout history since then it has become a popular time setting for movies, books and plays in fiction which can tell a widely exaggerated view of pirates. Weather it be treasure hunters, heroes or villains.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.