The General History of the Pyrates is a particular favorite of mine! I talked Dover into reprinting it. They were, let us say, skeptical about it, but it has done well for them.
When it came time to keep going with pirate and buccaneer titles, I insisted they use the uncommon Brown translation of the classic Buccaneers of America. As Peter Earle detailed, it had been translated twice (Dutch to English to Spanish) and changed every time that was done. Dover eventually found Ms. Brown living in France and obtained permission to use her excellent work. If you want the real thing your choices are to find the Penguin paperback, the elegant Folio Society hardcover reprint, or learn to read Dutch.
Good luck to all,
The Old Bookaroo
now for the bad news --they have barred metal detecting along the Nassau sound- area -beach areas of both northern Talbot island and southern tip of Amelia island ...
Thats what jason in enid did. Sure. Just remember to take out the top secret ones. And all the maps that have Xs on them. Lol.
I own perhaps hundreds of maps.... never counted them...
My oldest map is from 1591... which is debatable... some say 1561.
Tis the oldest known map of Florida.
Just be sure you purchase the Alexis Brown translation of The Buccaneers of America. Otherwise, you are getting an altered version of the original.
I saw that Dover has reprinted the classic History of Piracy by Philip Goose. When he was a child he was told bloodthirsty tales of shipwrecks and pirates and buried treasure by the gentleman who watched him and his brother. His "babysitter" was Robert Louis Stevenson.
Highly recommended, as well, is The Pirates of the New England Coast, 1630-1730 by Dow and Edmonds. Don't let the title fool you - there's plenty here about the Caribbean.
Piracy in the West Indies and Its Suppression by Bradlee is an excellent discussion of the last days of the Caribbean corsairs. As you well know, many pirate books are fiction - even when presented as fact. These are very well documented and quite accurate. As is the Pirates on the West Coast of New Spain by Peter Gerhard. It covers the Pacific pirates.
The book that got me started on all this decades ago remains my personal favorite - the late, great Robert Nesmith's Dig for Pirate Treasure. I can clearly remember the day I found it in a corner of my hometown's little public library. I just couldn't believe, after having my Dad read us Treasure Island (with the N.C. Wyeth illustrations, of course!) so many times he could recite passages by heart, that there was actually a factual book about pirates and sunken and buried treasure. I recommend the Devin-Adair first edition, rather than the Bonanza reprint, because the photos of the coins are on slick paper and they are much more clear. About the same time my Mother ordered for me Treasure Maps and Charts in the Library of Congress and I was hooked. Many years later my miserable shipwreck chart was listed in the revised edition of that bibliography and I still marvel at that!
For many years Bob sold books, pamphlets and maps from his Foul Anchor Archives. From time to time you'll see his bookstore label in out-of-print books. When I started Books of Adventure my goal was to duplicate what he'd done, and provide for others the many wonderful hours his wares gave me.
Good luck to all,
The Old Bookaroo
No no AARC, hide your maps. No respectable treasure hunter would dare ask a fellow treasure hunter for his maps. What I meant was to hide all the ones with Xs on them from the camera.