Women and English Piracy, 1540-1720: Partners and Victims of Crime

This is a very good book, I had to buy it for a book report for my graduate class

Given that Dr Appleby is one of my university lecturers I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to leave a bad review about this book and with his usual concise yet incredibly knowledgeable way Appleby puts forward some brilliant arguments. I have to admit that I was sceptical, at first as to how far the thesis could be taken but I was proven wrong from almost the second I picked up the book. Overall, I think that this latest book complements, and builds upon, the ideas put forward in `Under the Bloody Flag` in the sense that the underlying theme of both is that, although Dr Appleby is far to polite and politically correct to actually come out and say it (virtues that I am glad to say haven't contaminated me), piracy is inherently parasitic in nature - both on a national, international and social level. My only qualm with this book is the lack of extended quotations from primary sources but that is a matter of personal preference and should in no way detract from one of the best academic texts on piracy (indeed one of the only academic as oppose to popular texts).Although this book is quite pricy I would ignore the price because this is one of the best books that I've read all year and to be perfectly honest the childish aspect of all of us should jump up and down in ecstasy at the mere mention of piracy - a feeling that Appleby, with great skill, maintains to the very last page and makes you feel slightly sad when it's over.

Excellent and very readable book by one of my past tutors. I took modules on piracy with Dr Appleby and this book expands and informs on those. The primary sources used are extensive and elevate the subject above popular culture. I would have liked more on Grainne O'Malley, but maybe there is another book in that; I do hope so! Well done Dr Appleby!

Good but not quite what I expected, not many individual women pirates written about.