# An Old Pirate Book
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 29, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535 "2011-08-29T19:39:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/1 "2011-08-29T19:39:54Z")
We were at the Pirate Museum in St. Augustine a few days ago. On display there was pirate history book written during the time of Blackbeard. It’s said that Blackbeard got PO’d when he read it because of the unfavorable way he was described.
Do you think I thought to jot down the name of the book or the author? Since it was written in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s, it may be out of print 😃 but with the resurgence of pirate popularity, I thought it may be reprinted.
I’ve Googled and haven’t found anything that looks like it. Grump grump grump.
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### Author:  [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/2 "2011-08-29T20:09:25Z")
You might try emailing the museum, or even giving them a call. I’m sure they’d be glad to help you out. Good luck!
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/3 "2011-08-29T20:54:51Z")
The only popular pirate book I can think of from around Blackbeard’s day was published a few years after his death.
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### Author:  [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/4 "2011-08-29T20:59:58Z")
> [@Odesio](#):
>
> The only popular pirate book I can think of from around Blackbeard’s day was published a few years after his death.
Odesio is probably thinking about [Pirates](http://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Captain-Charles-Johnson/dp/1871592364) by Captain Charles Johnson, first published in 1726. It reports Blackbeard’s death, as I recall, but I would not put it past Blackbeard to be pissed about it anyway.
Well worth looking up, and widely available, though my own Amazon link suggests that it is not in print (as a paper book).
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/5 "2011-08-29T22:06:02Z")
Well, since Teach(Blackbeard) probably only became a pirate around 1716 and died in 1718, we must be looking for a book written in that two year span. That is, if the folks at the museum were telling you correctly.
That’s the problem. Museum guides, and those at historical places in general, are rather prone to giving out much false(unproven) information. I think that’s what you got.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/6 "2011-08-29T22:14:03Z")
BTW, **Ruby** , was anything on [this website](http://thepiratemuseum.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=196) the one you saw?
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### Author:  [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/7 "2011-08-30T03:24:01Z")
> [@samclem](#):
>
> BTW, **Ruby** , was anything on [this website](http://thepiratemuseum.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=196) the one you saw?
:smack:
Well, checking the museum’s website didn’t even occur to me. **samclem** hit the nail on the head. _Bucaniers of America_ is the one. I’m going to order this when I get home.
Thanks all! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-pirate-book/594535/8 "2011-08-30T04:28:59Z")
> [@Ruby](#):
>
> Well, checking the museum’s website didn’t even occur to me. **samclem** hit the nail on the head. _Bucaniers of America_ is the one. I’m going to order this when I get home.
Yeah, Alexandre Exquemelin’s _Buccaneers of America_ is a real classic. It’s public domain, so you can download various editions for free. (Look up Exquemelin on Wikipedia - there’s a link there for the Internet Archive.) He predates Blackbeard, though. The most famous pirate described in the book is Henry Morgan - Exquemelin was a member of Morgan’s crew during his sacking of Panama.