Enemies of All, Richard Blakemore
Enemies of All, Richard Blakemore
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Enemies of All
The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age of Piracy

Author: Richard Blakemore

Narrator: Peter Noble

Unabridged: 16 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/15/2025


Synopsis

The pirates that exist in our imagination are not just any pirates. Violent sea-raiding has occurred in most parts of the world throughout history, but our popular stereotype of pirates has been defined by one historical moment: the period from the 1660s to the 1730s, the so-called "golden age of piracy."

A groundbreaking history of pirates, Enemies of All combines narrative adventure with deeply researched analysis, engrossing listeners in the rise of piracy in the later seventeenth century, the debates about piracy in contemporary law and popular media, as well as the imperial efforts to suppress piracy in the early eighteenth century.

The Caribbean and American colonies of Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands are the main theater for Enemies of All, but this is a global story.

Familiar characters like Drake, Morgan, Blackbeard, Bonny and Read, Henry Every, and Captain Kidd feature here, but so too will the less well-known figures from the history of piracy, their crew-members, shipmates, and their confederates ashore.

Enemies of All presents not only the historical evidence but explains the consequences of piracy's influence on colonialism and European imperial ambitions.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tony on October 15, 2024

I’ve absolutely loved pirates ever since I was a wee lad. This book has a ton of great historical information and has a lot of knowledge and thought put into it. The stories are overall very interesting and seeing how historical trends still impact today is something I love reading about. It may be......more

Goodreads review by Prof. on February 12, 2025

Enemies of All by Richard Blakemore: A History of Treachery, Ambition, and the Enduring Folly of Mankind History, Red in Tooth and Claw It is a peculiar habit of the human species to believe, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that history is a linear ascent toward something resembling enl......more

Goodreads review by historic_chronicles on June 20, 2024

When I think of a "pirate", there is an instant evocation of swashbuckling adventures, peg legs, cutlasses, parrots sitting on the shoulder and black flags. It is all very Treasure Island. Associate Professor in Social and Maritime History at the University of Reading, Richard Blakemore is here to s......more

Goodreads review by Erdogan on August 19, 2024

I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I have to give credit where it's due—Blakemore knows his stuff, and his research is top-notch. The book is impressively balanced, with each topic getting just the right amount of attention. Whether he's diving into the gritty details of pirate life or exp......more

Goodreads review by Eric on March 17, 2025

Solid read but should not be your first in the genre. Meticulously researched but maybe spends too much time debating legal terms. He doesn’t write the story chronologically or by character or subject so it’s sometimes a jumble. Lots of useful facts and recommendations for further reading. Let’s too......more