A Thousand Years of Pirates

November 30, 2009
Beginning with Vikings and conquistadores, this account of pirate history chronicles swashbucklers up through the 19th century, accompanied by alluring illustrations. Gilkerson's paintings have exceptional detail, as moonlit seascapes evoke both danger and grandeur. The notorious Blackbeard, described in his own time as “altogether an idea of a fury, from hell,” is shown armed with multiple muskets and a menacing glare. Gilkerson's affection for the subject is clear, especially in an epilogue about a sailing trip with a few modern-day smugglers in the Caribbean: “the cast of characters had not changed, nor the moon, nor the dark seas sliding under us.” Readers should be entranced both by the art and the visceral descriptions of life at sea. Ages 10–up.

February 1, 2010
Gr 6-10-Pirates are much in the news at present, what with kidnappings off Somalia and ships threatened. This informative, beautifully illustrated book gives context to these modern-day buccaneers by presenting a cohesive, sequential look at the pirates who plied European, Caribbean, and African waters from AD 900 through the mid-19th century. Fitting European pirates neatly into their long legacy from the Aegean pirates of 4000 years ago, the author covers rationale, techniques, and common practices. His treatment of the Spanish conquistadores, who are often mentioned for their brutality but rarely considered in histories of piracy, is particularly eye-opening and thoughtful. Chapters on the more famous figures are succinct and informative. They include Sir Francis Drake, John Paul Jones, Henry Morgan, William "Blackbeard" Teach, Ann Bonny, Mary Read, and the fascinating Woodes Rogers, who went from privateer to appointment as captain general and governor in chief of the Bahamian archipelago, overseeing in that capacity the neutralization of the buccaneer community in the Caribbean. Gilkerson's scholarly background shows clearly in the pacing and vocabulary. The text is brisk and informative, and the reading level will challenge older middle school students, who will likely stick with it for the content. The illustrations, full-page, detailed paintings, are a sure draw as well. An attractive addition."Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2009
Grades 6-10 So often rendered as caricatures, pirates are given scholarly scrutiny in this handsome and invigorating overview. Short but dense chapters introduce the major factions, characters, and incidents that connect the scattered history of seagoing bandits. Early on, Gilkerson explodes the very concept of piracy by claiming Spains plundering of the Aztecs and other Native peoples may be seen as the greatest act of piracy in the history of the Americas. The biographical sketches of the criminals-for-hire, scalawags, and rogues include Englands Sea Dog Francis Drake; the pirate queen of Ireland, Granuaile; and Scotlands Captain Kidd, whose shriveled, hanging corpse for a while served as a warning message to seafarers. Mutinies and murders are the easy stuffits Gilkersons grasp of the politics surrounding each nations pirates that is most impressive. Although maintaining a narrative flow is difficult when covering so much ground, the abundant paintings lend a swashbuckling visual consistency. For report writers, this sequel of sorts to the authors Pirates Passage (2006) is essential reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)