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The Barbary Pirates were a major force in the Mediterranean for several centuries, preying on Christian shipping partly as auxiliaries of the Ottoman Empire, partly for religion, but mainly for profit. Their home ports became major centres of the slave trade, and their raids spread out from the Mediterranean into northern European waters, even reaching Ireland, Britain and on one occasion Iceland!
This book looks at the evolution of the Barbary Pirates – their development amidst the religious warfare of the sixteenth century, and their long career of skillful piracy. After an historical introduction, Konstam provides a details chronology of Barbary, before moving onto an examination of the Barbary Coast and its main ports, the types of ships used (starting with galleys and similar ships and ending with sailing ships almost identical to those used by the European powers), the crews and their commanders and finally their methods of operation.
The Barbary Pirates (or Corsairs) haunted the Mediterranean coasts of Europe for several centuries, attacking shipping and raiding the coasts. This book gives a good idea of how they achieved their successes, and the appeal that attracted so many European renegades to join them. As always the text is supported by an impressive number of illustrations, including many contemporary drawings and paintings including some impressive pictures of their warships.
Chapters
Historical Background
The First Corsairs
Chronology, 1450-1660
The Barbary Coast
The Barbary States
The Ships
The Pirates
Techniques and Tactics
Author: Angus Konstam
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 64
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2016