Laura Sook Duncombe

Dawn of the pirates -- Tour guides of Valhalla -- Medieval maiden warriors -- A Cinderella story among the corsairs -- The Virgin Queen and her pirates -- The Golden Age -- His majesty's royal pirates -- If he had fought like a man, he need not have been hang'd like a dog. -- Pirates of the new world -- Women on the edge -- The most successful pirate of all time -- Veterans of the American wars -- Evil incarnate and the dragon lady -- The pirates of the silver screen

The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers who Ruled the Seven Seas

Pirate Women

Pirates are a perennially popular subject, depicted often in songs, stories, and Halloween costumes. Yet the truth about pirates--who they were, why they went to sea, and what their lives were really like--is seldom a part of the conversation. In this Seven Seas history of the world's female buccaneers, A Pirate's Life for She tells the story of sixteen women 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 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 1,400 ships off China in the early 19th century. Author Laura Sook Duncombe also looks beyond the fact that these women are not easy heroines: they are lawbreakers. Rather than defend their illegal actions, A Pirate's Life for She tells their full stories, focusing on the reasons why these women became pirates. These stories of women who took control of their own destinies in a world where the odds were against them will inspire young women to reach for their own dreams.

Swashbuckling Women Through the Ages

A Pirate's Life for She

Pirates are a perennially popular subject, depicted often in songs, stories, and Halloween costumes. Yet the truth about pirates—who they were, why they went to sea, and what their lives were really like—is seldom a part of the conversation. In this Seven Seas history of the world's female buccaneers, A Pirate's Life for She tells the story of 16 women 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 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 1,400 ships off China in the early 19th century. Author Laura Sook Duncombe also looks beyond the fact that these women are not easy heroines: they are lawbreakers. Rather than defend their illegal actions, A Pirate's Life for She tells their full stories, focusing on the reasons why these women became pirates. It is possible to admire the courage, determination and skills these women possessed without endorsing the actions for which they used them. These stories of women who took control of their own destinies in a world where the odds were against them will inspire young women to reach for their own dreams.

En la primera historia de Seven Seas de las bucaneras del mundo, Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas cuenta la historia de mujeres, tanto reales como legendarias, que a lo largo de los siglos navegaron junto, y a veces al mando de -- sus contrapartes masculinas. Estas mujeres procedían de todos los ámbitos de la vida, pero tenían una cosa en común: el deseo de libertad. La historia ha ignorado en gran medida a estas espadachines femeninas, hasta ahora. Aquí están sus historias, desde la antigua princesa nórdica Alfhild y la guerrera Rusla hasta Sayyida al-Hurra de los corsarios de Berbería; de Grace O'Malley, quien aterrorizó las operaciones marítimas en las islas británicas durante el reinado de la reina Isabel I; a Cheng I Sao, quien comandó una flota de cuatrocientos barcos frente a China a principios del siglo XIX. La autora Laura Sook Duncombe también mira más allá de las historias a los narradores y creadores de mitos. ¿Qué prejuicios y agendas los motivaron? ¿Qué dejaron fuera? Pirate Women explora por qué y cómo se cuentan y transmiten estas historias, y cómo cambia la historia dependiendo de quién la esté grabando. Es la descripción más completa de las mujeres piratas en un solo volumen y repleta de aventuras de capa y espada que sacan a estas mujeres únicas de las sombras al centro de atención que se merecen.

Laura Sook Duncombe

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