Marcus Rediker's "Villains of All Nations"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, unlike most historians, Marcus Rediker in his book "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age" takes a positive view of piracy and what they represented for the period in which they lived. The author points out that Rediker believes that the issue of piracy should not be observed from the damages they caused but rather from social, economic and human aspects, which justify their actions. Rediker offers several arguments; however, they are easily countered by suggesting that the actual motivation of these pirates was strictly connected to the accumulation of wealth and power. The paper states that Rediker's book is a shallow and inaccurate account of history of pirates.

From the Paper:

"By discussing the history of the first pirates at sea, the author points out the difficulties they are considered to have suffered especially during the Spanish war when they were sent in battles without their expressed will. In this sense, he considers that the eventual freedom they came to have after the end of the armed conflicts was an equitable reward of the situation. Through this perspective, the author tries to justify their actions from a moral point of view."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berstein, Serge, and Milza. Pierre. Histoire de l'Europe. Paris: Hatier, 1994
• Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.
• Ritchie, Robert C. "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age". Journal of Southern History, Vol. 71, 2005.
• Thomson, Janice E. Mercenaries, Pirates, and Sovereigns: State-Building and Extraterritorial Violence in Early Modern Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994.

More papers on Marcus Rediker's "Villains of All Nations":

• Book Review # 105529 : "The Slave Ship" by Marcus Rediker"
• Research Paper # 75342 : "Physics and The Economy of Developing Nations"
• Analytical Essay # 108510 : "Medical Systems of Advanced Nations"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: