Pirates

Johnson, Charles, active 1724-1731Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 134K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pirates by active 1724-1731 Charles JohnsonAuthor: Johnson, Charles, active 1724-1731,Language: English, Class: F975: United States local history: Central American, West Indian, and other countries protected by and having close political affiliations with the United States, Release Date: Jan 27, 2008

Editor's review

This is the Project Gutenberg electronic edition of Charles Johnson's eighteenth-century work on piracy. Set against the backdrop of early seafaring and the Caribbean, the original belongs to the genre of historical geography and maritime records, and is useful for understanding the historical context of the Caribbean, the American colonies, and pirate activity during the Age of Exploration. As a public-domain e-book, it preserves the typography and language of early English, allowing readers to observe eighteenth-century English writing habits and modes of historical narration. It is best read as a historical source rather than a modern pirate adventure story; the place names, figures, and events in the book require consultation of historical maps and background materials. Suitable as further reading for those interested in maritime history, colonial history, and early English texts, and as a sample for digital humanities and public-domain book research.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in eighteenth-century maritime history and Caribbean colonial history
Readers studying early English texts and public-domain e-books
Those who enjoy learning the historical background of piracy from original sources

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting the plot of a modern pirate adventure novel
Beginners seeking light, casual reading
Readers impatient with early English style and source-based narration

Reading tips

Begin with the preface or publishing notes to understand the text's historical background and context of composition.
Read alongside historical maps of the Caribbean, marking unfamiliar place names and routes as you go.
Treat the narrative as a source of historical clues, and verify names and events elsewhere when needed.
Read in sections and take notes to avoid fatigue from reading straight through.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a historical document?

Based on the material, it belongs to the category of works on American local history and the Caribbean, containing records of early seafaring and pirate activity; it is not a modern adventure novel. It should be read as a historical source.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

The original is in English and preserves early English style, so the bar for reading is relatively high. Readers with limited English can use dictionaries and background materials for support, or start with related Chinese historical works.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

It is a free public-domain e-book that preserves the original content and early typography, making it freely accessible to researchers and readers. However, e-editions usually lack modern annotations, so readers need to supply background knowledge themselves.

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About the author

Johnson, Charles, active 1724-1731 Author · English

Charles Johnson (active 1724–1731) was a British writer whose true identity remains disputed, and public information about him is limited. He is known for A General History of the Pyrates, generally thought to have first appeared in 1724, which recounts the lives and exploits of many famous pirates in the Atlantic and Caribbean of the period. Combining reportage with anecdote, the work shaped a collective image of pirate communities and had a lasting influence on later literature and popular culture about pirates. Because “Charles Johnson” may be a pseudonym, scholars have long debated the authorship, yet the work published under that name has become an important document of pirate narrative. One work by this author is held in the collection, namely Pirates.