Blackbeard was the most fearsome pirate of his day - a man who terrorized the Caribbean and the Spanish Main, who dared to blockade Charleston, South Carolina, and who became, as a result, the most famous pirate of all. Drawing on the latest historical and archaeological findings - including the discovery of Blackbeard's flagship - Angus Konstam has produced the definitive biography of Blackbeard, from his pirate apprenticeship in the Caribbean to his gory death in a sea battle fought off North Carolina's Outer Banks. For anyone who enjoyed Under the Black Flag or The Pirate Hunter, this book will definitely be required reading.

Six loaded pistols dangled from his shoulder sling. Beneath a cocked fur cap, lighted candles sprouted from a bramble of whiskers the color of midnight. And the eyes. Wild, fierce and, malevolent, they haunted the memories of those few who were lucky enough to survive their piercing gaze.

Of all the colorful cutthroats who scoured the seas in search of plunder during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 18th Century, none was more ferocious or notorious than Blackbeard (who probably went by the name of Edward Teach). Nearly three centuries after his death his is still synonymous with piracy. Not content with becoming the scourge of the Caribbean, this brutal and fearless hell-raiser then sailed north to strike terror in the hearts of American colonists from New York to the Carolinas.

As unforgettable as his savage career was, much of Blackbeard's life, , has been shrouded in mystery - until now. Who was this remarkable sea-dog? Did he hail from Bristol, in England, or were his roots in colonial America? How did he rise from the being an ordinary seaman to become the archetypal pirate? At a time when captured pirates were either being hanged by the cartload or colonial governors offered full pardons to those who surrendered, what gave him the audacity to blockade the port of Charleston, South Carolina and remain defiant to the last?

Blackbeard: America’s Most Notorious Pirate traces Teach’s career from the time he went to sea, to his final defeat in a tremendous sea battle near his base at Ocracoke Island. Pirate expert Angus Konstam follows in Blackbeard’s bloody wake through the Caribbean and describes his encounters with many others in the trade, especially at Benjamin Horngold’s “pirate school” in the Bahamas. He also reveals how Teach assembled the most powerful pirate fleet of his day and examines his fateful alliance with the “gentleman pirate” Stede Bonnet.

Drawing on vivid descriptions of Blackbeard’s attacks from his rare surviving victims, Konstam presents dramatic accounts of the pirate’s very effective tactics as well as his reputation for cruelty. Angus also examines the life and business of piracy, explains the lure of the trade, and reveals how contraband played an important part in the establishment of colonial America’s fragile community.

Tales of Blackbeard and his exploits have entertained readers ever since his death. In real life, however, a run-in with this fearsome pirate was no laughing matter. After reading Blackbeard, you’ll count yourself lucky to have avoided experiencing the Golden Age of Piracy for yourself!