Pirates? the Politics of Plunder, 1550-1650

' Pirates? The Politics of Plunder is a first-rate collection of essays on a perennially interesting topic. Drawing on a wide variety of source materials, the contributors explore how piracy was legally defined and culturally interpreted in the early modern period. Striking for its geographical and generic reach, the book explores texts as different as Portuguese epic, English drama, and narratives of North African Muslims enslaved by Christians. Fresh scholarship and lively writing make Pirates? The Politics of Plunder both an outstanding contribution to current scholarship and a pleasure to read. ' - Professor Jean E. Howard, Columbia University, USA

' . . . this collection of essays not only cogently draws together some outstanding samples of current work on piracy and its representations during the early modern period but also offers a rich vein of new ideas and approaches for further research on this culturally eclectic and highly stimulating topic. ' - Michael G. Brennan, Notes and Queries

' . . . the collection is exemplary for a productive dialogue between literary, historical and cultural approaches, all aiming to locate the questionable figure of the pirate and all based on careful tracing of its textual evidence. ' - Tobias Döring, Journal for the Study of British Cultures

' This compact but wide-ranging collection of essays on early modern piracy in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean should appeal to students of history, literature andinternational law. . . this collection represents the vanguard of piracy studies. ' - Kris Lane, The Mariner' s Mirror