William Goldman's modern fantasy classic is a simple, exceptional story about quests—for riches, revenge, power, and, of course, true love—that's thrilling and timeless.Anyone who lived through the 1980s may find it impossible—inconceivable, even—to equate The Princess Bride with anything other than the sweet, celluloid romance of Westley and Buttercup, but the film is only a fraction of the ingenious storytelling you'll find in these pages. Rich in character and satire, the novel is set in 1941 and framed cleverly as an “abridged” retelling of a centuries-old tale set in the fabled country of Florin that's home to “Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions.”

The Republic of Pirates features the 18th-century pirates Edward “Blackbeard” Teach and “Black Sam” Bellamy, both of whom rose from England's underclass to become wealthy, notorious, and enormously powerful. Along with their associates in the Bahamas-based Flying Gang, Teach and Bellamy banded together to form a pirate cooperative, culminating in a form of government in which blacks were equal citizens, the rich were imprisoned, and a sailor could veto his captain by egalitarian means. For a brief, glorious period they were astoundingly successful, and so disruptive to shipping that the governors of Jamaica, Virginia, Bermuda, and the Carolinas all began clamoring for intervention. One man volunteered to take on the pirates—a man named Woodes Rogers, once a privateer himself and now the owner of a merchant fleet. Rogers vowed he would not rest until he had destroyed Teach and Bellamy. Here is the true story of the rise and fall of the Republic of Pirates. Publishers Weekly Woodard (The Lobster Coast) tells a romantic story about Caribbean pirates of the Golden Age (1715-1725)-whom he sees not as criminals but as social revolutionaries-and the colonial governors who successfully clamped down on them, in the early 18th-century Bahamas. One group of especially powerful pirates set up a colony in the Bahamas. Known as New Providence, the community attracted not only disaffected sailors but also runaway slaves and yeomen farmers who had trouble getting a toehold in the plantation economy of the American colonies. The British saw piracy as a threat to colonial commerce and government. Woodes Rogers, the governor of the Bahamas and himself a former privateer, determined to bring the pirates to heel. Woodard describes how Rogers, aided by Virginia's acting governor, Alexander Spotswood, finally defeated the notorious Blackbeard. Woodard's portrait of Rogers is a little flat-the man is virtually flawless (courageous, selfless, and surprisingly patriotic), and the prose is sometimes breathless (they would know him by just one word... pirate). Still, this is a fast-paced narrative that will be especially attractive to lovers of pirate lore and to vacationers who are Bahamas-bound. Maps. (May)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Robert Louis Stevenson’s rousing seafaring classic.“Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest—Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From young Jim Hawkins’s first encounter with the sinister beggar Pew to the climactic battle with the most memorable villain in literature, Long John Silver, this novel has fired readers’ imaginations for generations. A rousing tale of treachery, greed, and daring, Treasure Island continues to enthrall readers of all ages.With an Introduction by Patrick Scottand an Afterword by Sara Levine

The Republic of Pirates features the 18th-century pirates Edward “Blackbeard” Teach and “Black Sam” Bellamy, both of whom rose from England's underclass to become wealthy, notorious, and enormously powerful. Along with their associates in the Bahamas-based Flying Gang, Teach and Bellamy banded together to form a pirate cooperative, culminating in a form of government in which blacks were equal citizens, the rich were imprisoned, and a sailor could veto his captain by egalitarian means. For a brief, glorious period they were astoundingly successful, and so disruptive to shipping that the governors of Jamaica, Virginia, Bermuda, and the Carolinas all began clamoring for intervention. One man volunteered to take on the pirates—a man named Woodes Rogers, once a privateer himself and now the owner of a merchant fleet. Rogers vowed he would not rest until he had destroyed Teach and Bellamy. Here is the true story of the rise and fall of the Republic of Pirates. Publishers Weekly Woodard (The Lobster Coast) tells a romantic story about Caribbean pirates of the Golden Age (1715-1725)-whom he sees not as criminals but as social revolutionaries-and the colonial governors who successfully clamped down on them, in the early 18th-century Bahamas. One group of especially powerful pirates set up a colony in the Bahamas. Known as New Providence, the community attracted not only disaffected sailors but also runaway slaves and yeomen farmers who had trouble getting a toehold in the plantation economy of the American colonies. The British saw piracy as a threat to colonial commerce and government. Woodes Rogers, the governor of the Bahamas and himself a former privateer, determined to bring the pirates to heel. Woodard describes how Rogers, aided by Virginia's acting governor, Alexander Spotswood, finally defeated the notorious Blackbeard. Woodard's portrait of Rogers is a little flat-the man is virtually flawless (courageous, selfless, and surprisingly patriotic), and the prose is sometimes breathless (they would know him by just one word... pirate). Still, this is a fast-paced narrative that will be especially attractive to lovers of pirate lore and to vacationers who are Bahamas-bound. Maps. (May)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

“Powers writes action and adventure that Indiana Jones could only dream of.”—Washington Post“Tim Powers is a brilliant writer.”—William GibsonThe remarkable Tim Powers—who ingeniously married the John Le Carrè spy novel to the otherworldly in his critically acclaimed Declare—brings us pirate adventure with a dazzling difference. On Stranger Tides features Blackbeard, ghosts, voodoo, zombies, the fable Fountain of Youth…and more swashbuckling action than you could shake a cutlass at, as reluctant buccaneer John Shandy braves all manner of peril, natural and supernatural, to rescue his ensorcelled love. Nominated for the Locus and World Fantasy Awards, On Stranger Tides is the book that inspired the motion picture Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides—non-stop, breathtaking fiction from the genius imagination that conceived Last Call, Expiration Date, and Three Days to Never.

Peter Blood Is A Physician Who Becomes A Pirate Not For Infamy And Riches, But Out Of A Rankling Sense Of Injustice. Barely Escaping The Gallows After His Arrest For Treating A Wounded Rebel Fighting The Oppressive King James, Blood Is Unjustly Transported To A Barbados Plantation. Upon His Escape, No Ship Sailing The Spanish Main Is Safe From Blood And His Companions. Abounding With Adventure, Color, Romance, And Strong Social Commentary On The Evils Of Slavery And The Dangers Of Intolerance, This Classic Adventure Is A Story About How Oppression Drives Men To Desperate Actions, How Fate Plays A Hand In Everyone's Life, And How Love Is Ultimately The Greatest Power Of All. The Messenger -- Kirke's Dragoons -- The Lord Chief Justice -- Human Merchandise -- Arabella Bishop -- Plans Of Escape -- Pirates -- Spaniards -- The Rebels-convict -- Don Diego -- Filial Piety -- Don Pedro Sangre -- Tortuga -- Levasseur's Heroics -- The Ransom -- The Trap -- The Dupes -- The Milagrosa -- The Meeting -- Thief And Pirate -- The Service Of King James -- Hostilities -- Hostages -- War -- The Service Of King Louis -- M. De Rivarol -- Cartagena -- The Honor Of M. De Rivarol -- The Service Of King William -- The Last Fight Of The Arabella -- His Excellency The Governor. Rafael Sabatini ; With An Introduction By Gary Hoppenstand. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [xxvii]-xxix).

It is 1667 and the Dutch and the English are at war. Sir Francis Courtney and his son Henry 'Hal' Courtney, in their fighting caravel Lady Edwina, are on patrol off the Agulhas Cape of Southern Africa: lying in wait for one of the galleons of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient laden with treasure to fall into their net.\nIt is the beginning of the quest that will sweep them from the new settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north. The bloody capture of the Dutch merchantman, and three valuable hostages, launches Hal into a perilous adventure which only the bravest will survive... \nAlong the way Hal will encounter many enemies. A dangerous mutineer, sworn to extract to revenge. A fellow Knight Templar, now his father's betrayer. And the most dangerous adversary on the African continent, the Dutch swordsman Schreuder. \nHis spirit will also be tested by love. For the rich and pampered Dutch heiress, Katinka. For the beautiful slave girl, Sukeena. And for a woman whose unstinting courage will outshine them all...\nFrom the dungeons of Good Hope to the uncharted wilderness of the Dark Continent and then to the fatal narrows of the Red Sea, Hal's faith will lead him to his destiny. To the defense of the final Christian stronghold in Africa. The kingdom of Prester John, historic guardian of the priceless Holy Grail...\nBirds of Prey is a Courtney Family Adventure from bestselling author Wilbur Smith.

A literary treasure, The Pirate Hunter is a masterpiece of historical detective work, and a rare, authentic pirate story for grown-ups. Captain Kidd has gone down in history as America's most ruthless buccaneer, fabulously rich, burying dozens of treasure chests up and down the eastern seaboard. But it turns out that most everyone, even many respected scholars, have the story all wrong. Captain William Kidd was no career cut-throat; he was a tough, successful New York sea captain who was hired to chase pirates. His three-year odyssey aboard the aptly named Adventure galley pitted him against arrogant Royal Navy commanders, jealous East India Company captains, storms, starvation, angry natives, and, above all, flesh-and-blood pirates. Superbly written and impeccably researched, The Pirate Hunter is one ripping good yarn. RunTime: 19 hrs 7 min, 2 CDs. * Mp3 CD Format *. Captain Kidd has gone down in history as America's most ruthless buccaneer. However, Captain William Kidd was no career cut-throat; he was a tough, successful New York sea captain who was hired to chase pirates. Across the oceans of the world, the pirate hunter, Kidd, pursued the pirate, Culliford. One man would hang in the harbor; the other would walk away with the treasure. The Pirate Hunter is both a masterpiece of historical detective work and a page-turner.

From renowned pirate historian David Cordingly, author of Under the Black Flag and film consultant for the original Pirates of the Caribbean, comes the thrilling story of Captain Woodes Rogers, the avenging nemesis of the worst cutthroats ever to terrorize the high seas. Once a marauding privateer himself, Woodes Rogers went from laying siege to laying down the law. During Britain’s war with Spain, Rogers sailed for the crown in sorties against Spanish targets in the Pacific; battled scurvy, hurricanes, and mutinies; captured a treasure galleon; and even rescued the castaway who inspired Robinson Crusoe. Appointed governor of the Bahamas in 1717, the fearless Rogers defended the island colony of King George I against plundering pirates and an attempted Spanish invasion. His resolute example led to the downfall of such notorious pirates as Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and the female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. A vividly detailed and action-packed portrait of one of the early eighteenth century’s most colorful characters, Pirate Hunter of the Caribbean serves up history that’s as fascinating and gripping as any seafaring legend.