Pirates are among the most heavily romanticized and fabled characters in history. From Bluebeard to Captain Hook, they have been the subject of countless movies, books, children's tales, even a world-famous amusement park ride. In Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition, historian B. R. Burg investigates the social and sexual world of these sea rovers, a tightly bound brotherhood of men engaged in almost constant warfare. What, he asks, did these men, often on the high seas for years at a time, do for sexual fulfilment? Buccaneer sexuality differed widely from that of other all-male institutions such as prisons, for it existed not within a regimented structure of rule, regulations, and oppressive supervision, but instead operated in a society in which widespread toleration of homosexuality was the norm and conditions encouraged its practice. In his new introduction, Burg discusses the initial response to the book when it was published in 1983 and how our perspectives on all-male societies have since changed.
Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition
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"Burg puts historians to shame by raising extremely interesting questions that no one before had asked." --Christopher Hill in New York Review of Books
"A great . . . very interesting book." --Johnny Depp
"A great . . . very interesting book." --Johnny Depp
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book after a random recommendation on QI, of all things, and haven't been disappointed. Although the book does focus primarily on pirates, there are other chapters which cover general society which does give a good context before moving onto the piratical aspects. The length of biblography is better than I was expecting for a book of this nature, although to be honest I took most things with a pinch of salt. However, the book does give you food for thought on the subject and possibly even approach it from a completely new viewpoint. You could quite happily read this book for entertainment only rather than educational study, and it does make an interesting addition to your coffee table. Just remember to hide it when the mother in law comes over for tea ;)
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).
Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).
Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Being an avid watcher of QI, I was intrigued by this publication mentioned by Stephen Fry and I have to confess, I felt compelled to buy it and read it. I was very pleased to read what can only be described as an informative insight to the ways of the pirate classes above and below decks. Its a brilliant book and everyone should read it before prejudging homosexual behaviour.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating- More about English society than Piratical behaviour?
Yes it's true, you won't see Pirates of the Caribbean in the same way ever again if you read this. What I especially found interesting was the cultural background information. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. T. S. Browning
3.0 out of 5 stars
Anchors away!
I bought this book after hearing it mentioned on the TV programme QI. The book is well written and covers very interesting subject matter, with some good scene setting to show... Read more
Published 4 months ago by BJShalts
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good so far
Interesting so far, but the new introduction contains a glaring error - the founder of the Scout Movement was ROBERT Baden Powell, not RICHARD as asserted by the author three... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Theexonian
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring read
Why does the author use the first 60 odd pages to try to justify sodomy and give constant examples of it not being "a great deal" in 17th century England? Read more
Published 5 months ago by mb
2.0 out of 5 stars
disappointed
I had high hopes for this book, but i've been sorely disappointed. The topic of scial life in London and the colonis is covered well, and indeed takes up most of the book, but Burg... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2011 by wildeyedangel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sodomy for me
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2003 by Jason.Scott-Lewis
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a second look (Or double take)
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no... Read more
Published on 30 Mar 1999
1.0 out of 5 stars
Missing the point
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
BRAVO!!
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well, it did happen, so there!
One needs to take their hat off to Mr. Berg for an excellent book of the life and times of family life of England in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Read more
Published on 14 Nov 1998
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