Pirates : a new history, from Vikings to Somali raiders /

Pirates is a magisterial historical synthesis of global piracy from the Middle Ages to the present time. The monograph is divided into three sections, each of which comprise a specific historical era: 700--1500, 1500--1914, and 1914--present. Each focuses on seaborne crime in three geographic regions: the Mediterranean, Northern seas, and Eastern seas. Lehr's nuanced analysis brilliantly illustrates piracy's temporal and regional variations while simultaneously demonstrating its continuities and commonalities, which transcend time and space. It notes, for example, that irrespective of when and where, piracy has "common root causes," such as natural disasters, abject poverty, and endemic warfare, and is dependent on an "enabling environment" of officials, markets, and manpower to survive. Whereas its respectability has gradually waned in the West, in some areas of Southeast Asia and Africa it remains an honorable profession when performed in the service of nationalist or religious ideals. In Pirates, Lehr has taken an exceedingly complex and horribly romanticized topic and rendered it both accessible and authentic. As such, this work offers an exceptional historical survey of piracy that every interested reader should consult. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Matthew Reardon, West Texas A&M University

Expanding on the scope of his earlier work on piracy and terrorism (Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism), Lehr thoroughly covers the global history of pirates, ranging from Viking raiders to the pirate threats of today. As he breaks down the major pirate groups and activities from history, Lehr explains the often highly entangled impact of economics, politics, and religion that influence people to become pirates. Considering both legitimate and convenient excuses for pirates' actions, Lehr helps listeners understand the perspectives of individuals who would embrace the pirate lifestyle as a means to settle their grievances or satiate their greed. Lehr's discussion of modern-day piracy will help listeners connect the content to current events. This work provides a deep and systematic analysis that is appropriate for the scope of the work but can get a little dry at times for the nonexpert. Narrator Matthew Waterson couples a steady cadence with a smooth tone that makes for easy consumption of content that can get dense at times. VERDICT Recommended for listeners interested in a serious treatment of pirates, maritime history, and terrorism.--Sean Kennedy, Univ. of Akron Lib., OH