Pirates

by Charles Johnson

"Pirates" by Charles Johnson is a book published in 1724 containing biographies of contemporary pirates. Written under a pen name by an unknown London author, this work became the prime source for tales of infamous figures like Blackbeard and shaped modern conceptions of piracy. It introduced now-familiar elements including the Jolly Roger flag, treasure burial, and pirates with missing limbs. Though more literary fabrication than historical record, the book profoundly influenced later pirate fiction, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson and J. M. Barrie.