A pirate crew shout in defiance at a Royal Navy vessel. As piracy entered its golden age, nations declared war on the seafaring criminals
Parrots, peg legs, eyepatches and, of course, a broad West Country brogue: in popular culture, no pirate worth his (or her) salt would be seen, or heard, without at least one. But how accurate are modern-day portrayals of historical pirates? In this month’s essential guide, with the help of Dr Rebecca Simon, we get to grips with the golden age of piracy, a period in the 17th and early 18th centuries when thousands of pirates were active on the high seas, targeting ships and coastal towns across the Caribbean and beyond. Turn to page 28 to get st-arrrrrr-ted (sorry!)