Pirate women : the princesses, prostitutes, and privateers who ruled the Seven Seas /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Duncombe, Laura Sook, author.
Imprint:Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, [2017]
Description:1 online resource
Language:English
Subject:
Format: E-Resource Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/12482843
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9781613736036
1613736037
9781613736043
1613736045
9781613736029
1613736029
9781613736012
Digital file characteristics:text file
Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Print version record and CIP data provided by publisher.
Summary:"In the first-ever Seven Seas history of the world's female buccaneers, Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas tells the story of women, both real and legendary, who through the ages sailed alongside -- and sometimes in command of -- their male counterparts. These women came from all walks of life but had one thing in common: a desire for freedom. History has largely ignored these female swashbucklers, until now. Here are their stories, from ancient Norse princess Alfhild and warrior Rusla to Sayyida al-Hurra of the Barbary corsairs; from Grace O'Malley, who terrorized shipping operations around the British Isles during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I; to Cheng I Sao, who commanded a fleet of four hundred ships off China in the early nineteenth century. Author Laura Sook Duncombe also looks beyond the stories to the storytellers and mythmakers. What biases and agendas motivated them? What did they leave out? Pirate Women explores why and how these stories are told and passed down, and how history changes depending on who is recording it. It's the most comprehensive overview of women pirates in one volume and chock-full of swashbuckling adventures that pull these unique women from the shadows into the spotlight that they deserve."--Amazon.com.
Other form:Print version: Duncombe, Laura Sook. Pirate women. Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, [2017] 9781613736012
Publisher's no.:MWT11808140
Review by Booklist Review

Pirate. The word typically evokes images of a rum-drinking, swashbuckling male scoundrel who prowls the Caribbean plundering and searching for treasure. Duncombe turns this stereotype on its head in her wave-making history chronicling the females who ruled the Seven Seas. From women who commanded fearsome fleets in the ancient Mediterranean, to the powerful and daring women who terrorized the South China Sea, readers meet women from all walks of life in this engrossing exploration of the legends, myths, and truths of an aspect of global piracy that has been woefully overlooked. In addition to gathering and presenting information about these successful women pirates, Duncombe also illuminates the periods in which they lived and asks what drove them to piracy. Why were their lives and feats ignored or concealed? Their stories are wonderfully varied and fascinating, as one theme resonates: their desire for freedom. Duncombe's well-researched account will appeal to history and women's studies aficionados, lovers of myth and lore, and all interested in viewing the past through a new lens. For more group biographies, see the Core Collection on p.22.--Smith, Patricia Copyright 2017 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review