For a cheap book, "Pirates and Patriots of the Revolution: An Encyclopedia of Colonial Seamanship" by C. Keith Wilbur, M. D. is pretty good. It is part of Illustrated Living History Series, all by Wilbur, and published by The Globe Pequot Press of Old Saybrook, CT. The cover price is $14.95, but I bought it for less. It is about the privateers fighting for the patriots and mixes drawn pics based on primary source material-> relics (given after the title page, as a pre-text bibliography). The text is in a hand writen style. It is a good "quick reference book, and ideal for "armchair historians" and model makers (the minitures kind-> and I don't mean midgets or pygmies). It touches a topic which few other public books discusses. It offers decent details of sailor garb/kit, but is much better on ship construction, operation, and the details of life aboard a privateering voyage. It is better than most "cheap" books largely because it focuses on a VERY brief period, while being of a decent length and detail.

I'm sure those interested in 17th/18th century naval history would be glad to enlighten us all on better books on this topic (ships used by pirates and privateers and the life aboard them).

Kilted Pirate,