Enemies of All: The Rise and Fall of the Pirates

Everyone knows the popular image of pirates – how they dress, how they speak – and the most famous figures like Blackbeard. Yet they are only part of the fascinating history of piracy. 

In this talk introducing his new book, Enemies of All, Dr Richard Blakemore will reveal lesser-told tales of those who sailed and plundered on the high seas, including individuals like the Miskito man called ‘Will’ who survived for years alone on the Juan Fernández Islands; Abraham Samuel, who escaped slavery in the Caribbean and became a king in Madagascar; and the four musicians captured by Bartholomew Roberts and forced to play for the pirates’ amusement. 

This talk will reflect on why plundering in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century has come to dominate popular images of piracy down to the present day. It will examine how ideas about ‘piracy’ offer a way to discuss broader social and political issues, and ask why some pirates’ stories have been told more than others – and who has done the telling.