Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Calico Jack - Paperback

by Charles River (Author)

*Includes historic illustrations of Calico Jack and important people in his life.
*Includes a profile of Calico Jack from the famous English pirate history "A General History of the Pyrates".
*Discusses common legends about Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.

"The Day that Rackam was executed, by special Favour, he was admitted to see Anne Bonny]; but all the Comfort she gave him, was, that she was sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a Man, he need not have been hang'd like a Dog." - Captain Charles Johnson, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates
The people who have lived outside the boundaries of normal societies and refused to play by the rules have long fascinated the world, and nowhere is this more evident than the continuing interest in the pirates of centuries past. As the subjects of books, movies, and even theme park rides, people continue to let their imaginations go when it comes to pirates, with buried treasure, parrots, and walking the plank all ingrained in pop culture's perception of them. Charles River Editors' Legendary Pirates series covers the lives, piracy, legends, myths, and legacies of history's most famous pirates.
One of the most famous pirates of all time is Calico Jack, and though he would accomplish many things in his career that would earn him notoriety among the pirates of his age, the simple truth is that he is remembered mostly for his association with Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two of history's most famous women pirates. In fact, had it not been for his involvement with them, his name might have disappeared from the history books entirely. And fittingly, even his nickname, "Calico," came from the type of fabric he preferred for his shirts, the same fabric typically used for women's everyday clothing. Rackham preferred attractive print fabrics produced for trade with natives in the New World, a flamboyant taste worthy of the common pirate stereotype.
Before Rackham had even met Anne Bonny, who would become his lover, he had managed to make a name for himself as part of Charles Vane's pirate crew, and it was after a mutiny that he became the captain of a pirate ship. This would allow Calico Jack to make yet another contribution to pirate history and legend: the "Jolly Roger" pirate flag. Flying the simple yet frightening flag that featured a white skull and crossed swords against a black banner, Calico Jack ensured his targets knew they were in trouble as soon as they could spot the flag. To this day, the flag remains synonymous with piracy.
Still, it seems Calico Jack will never escape the shadow of his famous female shipmates, despite the fact he was their captain, For his part, Jack never seems to have minded the women who stood beside and behind him through most of his short career, and if anything it seems he enjoyed having the fairer sex aboard, in more ways than one. Their most adventurous and notorious year, 1720, would also be Rackham's last, after they were eventually caught by authorities and tried. In one of the Golden Age of Piracy's most famous anecdotes, one of Calico Jack's last wishes was to see Anne Bonny one more time, and she "consoled" him by telling him that if he fought like a man he wouldn't have been hanged like a dog.
Legendary Pirates: The Life and Legacy of Calico Jack looks at the mysterious life and legends of the famous pirate, attempting to separate fact from fiction while analyzing his lasting legacy. Along with pictures depicting Calico Jack and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about the pirate captain like you never have before, in no time at all.