history
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Pirate Legends Resurfaced: The Black Pearl and Real Pirate Ships, by Luke Walters
Despite the countless interpretations of the pirate ship, from Captain Kidd’s Adventure Galley to Captain Hook’s Jolly Roger, it has above all else been characterised as a theatrical stage. Images of dashing rogues rejoicing on deck swearing and drinking, all… Continue reading
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Pirate Legends Resurfaced: The Golden Age of Videogame Pirates, by Luke Walters
It has been said that “dead men tell no tales”, though if one looks at the wider history of the so-called Golden Age of Piracy and how it has affected our perception of maritime predation, this is evidently not the… Continue reading
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14 July 1789: The storming of the Bastille and the birth of the people of Paris as political force, by Prof Joël Félix
The storming of the Bastille was one of a series of unexpected events that led to the downfall of the Old Regime in France between May and August 1789. News from Versailles of popular minister Jacques Necker sacking had caused… Continue reading
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Dead Men Film No Reels: A Short History of Pirate Films, by Dr Richard Blakemore
When I began to teach a module on the history of piracy in 2017, I shamelessly called it ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to piggyback on the global film franchise, though with the subtitle ‘Empire, Slavery, and Society, 1550-1750’ to show… Continue reading
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History Department’s Favourite Pirate Films – July 2023
To start us off on our Pirates of the Caribbean 20th anniversary month, the pirate specialists in the History Department here at the University of Reading have nominated their favourite pirate films of all time)… Luke Walters – Treasure Island… Continue reading
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