The Pirates' Code

Laws and Life Aboard Ship

Author:	Rebecca Simon
Published:	2024
Format:	Paperback, 304 pages
Size:	198 × 129 × 25 mm

£10⁹⁹

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Pirates' codes and laws aboard ship

Explains the strict rules and codes that governed pirate ships, from plunder distribution to punishments, using eyewitness accounts and trial records.

Pirates have long captured the imagination with images of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers, eye patches and buried treasure. But what was life really like on a pirate ship? Piracy was a risky, sometimes deadly occupation, and strict orders were essential for everyone's survival. These 'Laws' were sets of rules that determined everything from how much each pirate earned from their plunder to compensation for injuries, punishments and even the entertainment allowed on ships. These rules became known as the 'Pirates' Code', which all pirates had to publicly swear by.

Using primary sources such as eyewitness accounts, trial proceedings and maritime logs, this book explains how these codes were the key to pirates' success in battle, both on sea and on land.

About the Author

Rebecca Simon is Professor of History at Santa Monica College. Her books include Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever (2020) and Pirate Queens: The Lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read (2022).