For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at Englands National Maritime Museum has combed original documents and records to produce a most authoritative and definitive account of piracys Golden Age. As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. walking the plank is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex and often bloodier. 16 pp. of photos. Maps. From the Hardcover edition.