This book offers true stories of bloodthirsty pirates and the courageous men trying to stop them during the Western Hemisphere's golden age of piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries. The real world of piracy is brought vividly to life in this authoritative and entertaining new two-volume reference. Incorporating a wealth of new research, Pirates of the Americas offers hundreds of entries on the most famous-and infamous-buccaneers of the 1600s and 1700s, separating fact from fancy as it describes the men, their exploits, and the era in which they prowled the seas of North and Central America. Pirates of the Americas begins in the mid- to late-17th century Caribbean-the earliest cradle of piracy in the New World-with detailed coverage of Dutch and French corsairs, English rovers such as Henry Morgan, and the Spaniards who fought against them all. The second volume marks the retreat of piracy into new hunting grounds-the Pacific and Red Sea-from the 1690s to the early 18th century, ending with the final pursuit into extinction in North America of last-gasp renegades such as William Kidd, Bartholomew Roberts, and Blackbeard. Comprises 400 A-Z biographical entries on pirates and privateers, as well as those officials who fought them, plus numerous related topics A brief chronology details related events at the end of each volume Includes 150 ancient maps, ship views, harbor charts, and modern renderings, plus 12 maps commissioned for this work Offers a select bibliography at the end of each volume Presents a glossary at the end of each volume, including some colorful and unusual expressions Provides a comprehensive index at the end of each volume