The Pirates’ Code: The Laws and Life Aboard Ship

Pirates have long captured peoples’ imaginations with images of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers, eye-patches and buried treasure. But what was life really like on a pirate ship? Piracy was a risky, sometimes deadly occupation, and strict orders were essential for everyone’s survival. These ‘Laws’ were sets of rules that determined everything from how much each pirate earned from their plunder to compensation for injuries, to punishments and even the entertainment allowed on ships. These rules became known as the ‘Pirates’ Code’, which all pirates had to publicly swear by. Using primary sources such as eyewitness accounts, trial proceedings and maritime logs, this book explains how each one of the pirate codes was the key to pirates’ success in battle, on sea and on land.