Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition
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Review
"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
Product Description
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.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intriguing history lesson,
By
This review is from: Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition: English Sea Rovers in the Seventeenth-Century Caribbean (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).
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Captures the interest,
By
This review is from: Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition: English Sea Rovers in the Seventeenth-Century Caribbean (Paperback)
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 ;)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
disappointed,
By wildeyedangel (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition: English Sea Rovers in the Seventeenth-Century Caribbean (Paperback)
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 fails to convince with his argument regarding piracy and homosexuality. He comes up with some good points, but he offers abslutely no evidence to prove this. A lack of women does not *necessarily* lead to an increase in sodomy - the lack of evidence is not evidence, and the comparison between the 17th century seas and modern-day prisons is ridiculous. The two situations are not the same at all. It is a shame, because it had potential, but as Burg says himself, there is practically no primary source material on the topic. Can someone really write a monograph with absolutely no evidence at all?
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