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Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates
by Brian Kilmeade • 2015
North African pirates enslaved Americans and demanded tribute. Jefferson chose war and built a navy.
3.80
17k+
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates Summary
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates 91%
North African pirates enslaved Americans and demanded tribute. Jefferson chose war and built a navy.
by Brian Kilmeade 2015
3.80
17k+ ratings
White Gold
by Giles Milton • 2004
Barbary corsairs took a million Europeans. One boy was eleven when taken, thirty-four when free.
4.13
2k+
White Gold Summary
White Gold 90%
Barbary corsairs took a million Europeans. One boy was eleven when taken, thirty-four when free.
by Giles Milton 2004
4.13
2k+ ratings
The Republic of Pirates
by Colin Woodard • 2007
Sailors broken by the navy built their own republic: democratic, armed, and flying the black flag.
3.89
12k+
The Republic of Pirates Summary
The Republic of Pirates 88%
Sailors broken by the navy built their own republic: democratic, armed, and flying the black flag.
by Colin Woodard 2007
3.89
12k+ ratings
Why We Love Pirates
by Rebecca Simon • 2020
How the execution of one privateer turned pirate created the outlaw myth we still sail with.
3.67
340
Why We Love Pirates Summary
Why We Love Pirates 88%
How the execution of one privateer turned pirate created the outlaw myth we still sail with.
by Rebecca Simon 2020
3.67
340 ratings
Blackbeard
by Angus Konstam • 2006
Blackbeard blockaded a city for medicine, then sank his flagship to cheat his crew.
3.55
445
Blackbeard Summary
Blackbeard 88%
Blackbeard blockaded a city for medicine, then sank his flagship to cheat his crew.
by Angus Konstam 2006
3.55
445 ratings
Black Flags, Blue Waters
by Eric Jay Dolin • 2018
From welcomed economic partners to hanged outlaws: the real story of pirates in colonial America.
3.76
5k+
Black Flags, Blue Waters Summary
Black Flags, Blue Waters 88%
From welcomed economic partners to hanged outlaws: the real story of pirates in colonial America.
by Eric Jay Dolin 2018
3.76
5k+ ratings
The Golden Age of Piracy
by Benerson Little • 2016
No parrots, no plank, no buried treasure. The real pirates were slave-trading democrats.
3.40
366
The Golden Age of Piracy Summary
The Golden Age of Piracy 87%
No parrots, no plank, no buried treasure. The real pirates were slave-trading democrats.
by Benerson Little 2016
3.40
366 ratings
Raiders and Rebels
by Frank Sherry • 1986
How brutalized sailors built a floating republic and waged a thirty-year war against global empire.
4.24
282
Raiders and Rebels Summary
Raiders and Rebels 87%
How brutalized sailors built a floating republic and waged a thirty-year war against global empire.
by Frank Sherry 1986
4.24
282 ratings
Blackbeard
by Samuel Marquis • 2018
An educated gentleman builds a radical pirate democracy, daring the British Empire to crush it.
4.12
974
Blackbeard Summary
Blackbeard 87%
An educated gentleman builds a radical pirate democracy, daring the British Empire to crush it.
by Samuel Marquis 2018
4.12
974 ratings
The Pirates of Somalia
by Jay Bahadur • 2011
On a rattling Soviet plane, a journalist lands in Somalia to find the pirates everyone fears.
3.56
1k+
The Pirates of Somalia Summary
The Pirates of Somalia 87%
On a rattling Soviet plane, a journalist lands in Somalia to find the pirates everyone fears.
by Jay Bahadur 2011
3.56
1k+ ratings
Under the Black Flag
by David Cordingly • 1995
Real pirates raped, tortured, and died at the gallows. How fiction gave us the romance.
3.67
10k+
Under the Black Flag Summary
Under the Black Flag 87%
Real pirates raped, tortured, and died at the gallows. How fiction gave us the romance.
by David Cordingly 1995
3.67
10k+ ratings
Enemy of All Mankind
by Steven Johnson • 2020
His 1695 heist of a Mughal treasure ship nearly toppled an empire. Then Henry Every disappeared.
3.89
5k+
Enemy of All Mankind Summary
Enemy of All Mankind 86%
His 1695 heist of a Mughal treasure ship nearly toppled an empire. Then Henry Every disappeared.
by Steven Johnson 2020
3.89
5k+ ratings
Adriatic
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2022
Where empires and religions mixed for centuries, Europe's post-national future is already written.
3.61
888
Adriatic Summary
Adriatic 86%
Where empires and religions mixed for centuries, Europe's post-national future is already written.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2022
3.61
888 ratings
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty • 2023
Retired pirate captain takes a rescue job pitting her against a sorcerer and her demon ex-husband.
4.24
82k+
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Summary
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi 86%
Retired pirate captain takes a rescue job pitting her against a sorcerer and her demon ex-husband.
by Shannon Chakraborty 2023
4.24
82k+ ratings
The Desert and the Sea
by Michael Scott Moore • 2018
For 977 days, he was a bargaining chip: a journalist’s survival inside the Somali pirate economy.
3.98
3k+
The Desert and the Sea Summary
The Desert and the Sea 86%
For 977 days, he was a bargaining chip: a journalist’s survival inside the Somali pirate economy.
by Michael Scott Moore 2018
3.98
3k+ ratings
Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean
by Carolina López-Ruiz • 2021
Phoenicia stitched the ancient Mediterranean together. Greece took the credit and erased the debt.
4.05
19
Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean Summary
Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean 86%
Phoenicia stitched the ancient Mediterranean together. Greece took the credit and erased the debt.
by Carolina López-Ruiz 2021
4.05
19 ratings
Over the Edge of the World
by Laurence Bergreen • 2003
Three of five ships mutinied. His response made men fear him more than the sea.
4.19
19k+
Over the Edge of the World Summary
Over the Edge of the World 85%
Three of five ships mutinied. His response made men fear him more than the sea.
by Laurence Bergreen 2003
4.19
19k+ ratings
Sackett's Land
by Louis L'Amour • 1974
A farmer finds Roman gold, humiliates a nobleman, and flees England for an untamed new world.
4.16
15k+
Sackett's Land Summary
Sackett's Land 85%
A farmer finds Roman gold, humiliates a nobleman, and flees England for an untamed new world.
by Louis L'Amour 1974
4.16
15k+ ratings
Buried Deep and Other Stories
by Naomi Novik • 2024
Exiled to the colonies, a defiant heiress dons a magical disguise and joins her pirate captors.
4.02
7k+
Buried Deep and Other Stories Summary
Buried Deep and Other Stories 85%
Exiled to the colonies, a defiant heiress dons a magical disguise and joins her pirate captors.
by Naomi Novik 2024
4.02
7k+ ratings
On History
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1997
Scotland's ships were built by war and state meddling: bounties, blockades, tobacco, and smuggling.
3.98
588
On History Summary
On History 85%
Scotland's ships were built by war and state meddling: bounties, blockades, tobacco, and smuggling.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1997
3.98
588 ratings
King of Libertines
by Pam Godwin • 2020
To unlock her father's compass, a pirate captain bargains with a libertine and risks her heart.
3.83
3k+
King of Libertines Summary
King of Libertines 85%
To unlock her father's compass, a pirate captain bargains with a libertine and risks her heart.
by Pam Godwin 2020
3.83
3k+ ratings
The Sea and Civilization
by Lincoln Paine • 2013
Before trains, the sea was the fastest highway. World history from the deck of a ship.
3.89
700
The Sea and Civilization Summary
The Sea and Civilization 85%
Before trains, the sea was the fastest highway. World history from the deck of a ship.
by Lincoln Paine 2013
3.89
700 ratings
A Plague of Zombies
by Diana Gabaldon • 2011
Jamaica 1761: a British officer finds the governor devoured and the colony blaming the walking dead.
3.98
10k+
A Plague of Zombies Summary
A Plague of Zombies 85%
Jamaica 1761: a British officer finds the governor devoured and the colony blaming the walking dead.
by Diana Gabaldon 2011
3.98
10k+ ratings
Sea of Glory
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2001
The voyage that mapped Antarctica and filled the Smithsonian, sabotaged by the tyrant who led it.
4.04
7k+
Sea of Glory Summary
Sea of Glory 85%
The voyage that mapped Antarctica and filled the Smithsonian, sabotaged by the tyrant who led it.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2001
4.04
7k+ ratings
Mile Marker Zero
by William McKeen • 2011
1970s Key West: a drug-fueled creative paradise that produced genius, excess, and its own collapse.
3.93
567
Mile Marker Zero Summary
Mile Marker Zero 85%
1970s Key West: a drug-fueled creative paradise that produced genius, excess, and its own collapse.
by William McKeen 2011
3.93
567 ratings
The Scar
by China Miéville • 2002
Pirates capture a linguist and take her to a floating city chasing a tear in reality.
4.19
35k+
The Scar Summary
The Scar 85%
Pirates capture a linguist and take her to a floating city chasing a tear in reality.
by China Miéville 2002
4.19
35k+ ratings
A Land So Strange
by Andrés Reséndez • 2007
Four shipwrecked conquistadors crossed America as slaves turned healers, with thousands following.
4.11
4k+
A Land So Strange Summary
A Land So Strange 85%
Four shipwrecked conquistadors crossed America as slaves turned healers, with thousands following.
by Andrés Reséndez 2007
4.11
4k+ ratings
The Wide Wide Sea
by Hampton Sides • 2024
Hawaiians believed Captain Cook was a god. Weeks later, his body was dismembered in the surf.
4.46
24k+
The Wide Wide Sea Summary
The Wide Wide Sea 85%
Hawaiians believed Captain Cook was a god. Weeks later, his body was dismembered in the surf.
by Hampton Sides 2024
4.46
24k+ ratings
Red Seas Under Red Skies
by Scott Lynch • 2007
Two con artists, poisoned and trapped, must become pirates to survive the archon's deadly scheme.
4.25
162k+
Red Seas Under Red Skies Summary
Red Seas Under Red Skies 85%
Two con artists, poisoned and trapped, must become pirates to survive the archon's deadly scheme.
by Scott Lynch 2007
4.25
162k+ ratings
Ninety Percent of Everything
by Rose George • 2013
Behind everything you own: an invisible, lawless ocean industry that makes globalization possible.
3.79
4k+
Ninety Percent of Everything Summary
Ninety Percent of Everything 85%
Behind everything you own: an invisible, lawless ocean industry that makes globalization possible.
by Rose George 2013
3.79
4k+ ratings
The Zorg
by Siddharth Kara • 2025
132 Africans thrown overboard for insurance money, and the anonymous letter that ignited abolition.
4.16
6k+
The Zorg Summary
The Zorg 85%
132 Africans thrown overboard for insurance money, and the anonymous letter that ignited abolition.
by Siddharth Kara 2025
4.16
6k+ ratings
Surrender or Starve
by Robert D. Kaplan • 1988
A Marxist regime weaponized famine in Ethiopia. The West's life-saving aid also financed the war.
3.67
474
Surrender or Starve Summary
Surrender or Starve 85%
A Marxist regime weaponized famine in Ethiopia. The West's life-saving aid also financed the war.
by Robert D. Kaplan 1988
3.67
474 ratings
The Black Jacobins
by C.L.R. James • 1938
The slaves who built France's wealth took the French Revolution's ideals and destroyed an empire.
4.39
8k+
The Black Jacobins Summary
The Black Jacobins 85%
The slaves who built France's wealth took the French Revolution's ideals and destroyed an empire.
by C.L.R. James 1938
4.39
8k+ ratings
Tupaia
by Joan Druett • 2010
The navigator who made Cook's Pacific voyage possible spent two centuries erased from the story.
4.25
201
Tupaia Summary
Tupaia 85%
The navigator who made Cook's Pacific voyage possible spent two centuries erased from the story.
by Joan Druett 2010
4.25
201 ratings
Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson • 1882
A treasure map sends an innkeeper's son to sea with a crew plotting mutiny.
3.85
545k+
Treasure Island Summary
Treasure Island 85%
A treasure map sends an innkeeper's son to sea with a crew plotting mutiny.
by Robert Louis Stevenson 1882
3.85
545k+ ratings
The Romantic
by William Boyd • 2022
An orphan's false name propels a life of war, romance, exploration, exile across the 19th century.
4.14
10k+
The Romantic Summary
The Romantic 85%
An orphan's false name propels a life of war, romance, exploration, exile across the 19th century.
by William Boyd 2022
4.14
10k+ ratings
Across Dark Seas
by Clare Sager • 2020
Fleeing a forced marriage, a noblewoman joins pirates: the sea awakens her hidden fae magic.
3.85
2k+
Across Dark Seas Summary
Across Dark Seas 85%
Fleeing a forced marriage, a noblewoman joins pirates: the sea awakens her hidden fae magic.
by Clare Sager 2020
3.85
2k+ ratings
1494
by Stephen R. Bown • 2011
A secret royal wedding, a corrupt pope, and one line that carved the world in two.
3.89
369
1494 Summary
1494 85%
A secret royal wedding, a corrupt pope, and one line that carved the world in two.
by Stephen R. Bown 2011
3.89
369 ratings
The Pillars of Hercules
by Paul Theroux • 1995
A solo lap of the Mediterranean finds not postcards but war, sewage, and kindness in between.
3.96
5k+
The Pillars of Hercules Summary
The Pillars of Hercules 85%
A solo lap of the Mediterranean finds not postcards but war, sewage, and kindness in between.
by Paul Theroux 1995
3.96
5k+ ratings
In Search of the Phoenicians
by Josephine Quinn • 2017
The Phoenicians never called themselves that; Greeks, Romans, and modern nations invented them.
3.67
150
In Search of the Phoenicians Summary
In Search of the Phoenicians 85%
The Phoenicians never called themselves that; Greeks, Romans, and modern nations invented them.
by Josephine Quinn 2017
3.67
150 ratings
Marco Polo
by Laurence Bergreen • 2007
A merchant, a Mongol emperor, and seventeen years that redrew the map of the known world.
3.85
3k+
Marco Polo Summary
Marco Polo 85%
A merchant, a Mongol emperor, and seventeen years that redrew the map of the known world.
by Laurence Bergreen 2007
3.85
3k+ ratings
Undaunted Courage
by Stephen E. Ambrose • 1996
A brave captain mapped the West for Jefferson, then got lost in his own mind.
4.23
68k+
Undaunted Courage Summary
Undaunted Courage 85%
A brave captain mapped the West for Jefferson, then got lost in his own mind.
by Stephen E. Ambrose 1996
4.23
68k+ ratings
The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas • 1844
A young Gascon's sword earns him three friends, a queen's secret, and a cardinal's undying hatred.
4.10
349k+
The Three Musketeers Summary
The Three Musketeers 85%
A young Gascon's sword earns him three friends, a queen's secret, and a cardinal's undying hatred.
by Alexandre Dumas 1844
4.10
349k+ ratings
Slave Country
by Adam Rothman • 2005
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
3.73
169
Slave Country Summary
Slave Country 85%
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
by Adam Rothman 2005
3.73
169 ratings
The Klondike Fever
by Pierre Berton • 1958
One ship carrying a fortune in gold turned a frozen creek into a city of forty thousand.
4.11
462
The Klondike Fever Summary
The Klondike Fever 85%
One ship carrying a fortune in gold turned a frozen creek into a city of forty thousand.
by Pierre Berton 1958
4.11
462 ratings
In the Hurricane's Eye
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2018
Yorktown was won not by siege but by hurricane season and a French admiral's wild gamble.
4.13
6k+
In the Hurricane's Eye Summary
In the Hurricane's Eye 85%
Yorktown was won not by siege but by hurricane season and a French admiral's wild gamble.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2018
4.13
6k+ ratings
Confronting Black Jacobins
by Gerald Horne • 2015
Haunted by its slave revolt, the US fought a century-long war to destroy Haiti.
3.82
62
Confronting Black Jacobins Summary
Confronting Black Jacobins 85%
Haunted by its slave revolt, the US fought a century-long war to destroy Haiti.
by Gerald Horne 2015
3.82
62 ratings
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
by George Washington Williams • 2012
The 1883 history that began in African empires and ended with the Constitution enshrining slavery.
4.03
29
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens Summary
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens 85%
The 1883 history that began in African empires and ended with the Constitution enshrining slavery.
by George Washington Williams 2012
4.03
29 ratings
Longitude
by Dava Sobel • 1995
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
3.99
76k+
Longitude Summary
Longitude 85%
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
by Dava Sobel 1995
3.99
76k+ ratings
Evolution's Captain
by Peter Nichols • 2003
He kidnapped four Fuegians to save them, gave Darwin his ship, and was destroyed by both.
3.99
511
Evolution's Captain Summary
Evolution's Captain 85%
He kidnapped four Fuegians to save them, gave Darwin his ship, and was destroyed by both.
by Peter Nichols 2003
3.99
511 ratings
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