Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship
Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship
Couldn't load pickup availability
Sharon Simpson
Paperback
8 in0.41 in9.25 in
en
176
September 18, 2007
2007
National Geographic Kids
The riveting story of the slave ship Whydah,captured by pirates and later sunk in a fierce storm off the coast of Massachusetts, energizes this lavish companion book to a unique exhibition on a five-year U.S. tour. Packed with plunder from more than 50 captured ships, the Whydah was discovered by underwater explorer Barry Clifford in 1984. Now, for the first time, its treasure holds are unlocked for public view.
More than 200 items were retrieved from the ocean floor: the telltale ship's bell, inscribed "Whydah Galley 1716"; coins and jewelry, buttons and cufflinks; muskets, cannons, and swords; everyday objects including teakettles and tableware, gaming tokens, and clay pipes. The artifacts provide an unprecedented glimpse into the raucous world of 18th-century pirating and shed light on the link between the slave trade and piracy during those tumultuous times.
Built to transport human captives from Africa to the Caribbean, the Whydah made one such voyage before being captured in 1717 by Sam Bellamy, the boldest pirate of his day. Two months later, in one of the worst nor'easters ever, the ship sank, drowning all but 2 of the 146 people aboard. For anyone intrigued by the lore of piracy, the mystery of shipwrecks, or the sad and salty intertwining of slave and pirate history, Real Pirates has the answers.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

About Us
About Wildwood Books
Wildwood Books is not your average bookstore. We’re a local hub for readers, collectors, and anyone who gets a kick out of discovering something new or long-forgotten on a crowded shelf.
What you see here is exactly what you get: honest-to-goodness stacks, a living collection. Our shelves are lined with everything from American history, classics, and biographies, to cookbooks, crime fiction, textbooks, and deep cuts you won’t find at the chains. We’ve got rare finds, fresh bestsellers, and those odd gems you only notice when you slow down and actually look.
We buy, sell, and trade both new and used books. Our stock is sourced from local libraries, estate sales, and fellow readers all over town. What matters most to us is the story each book brings—not just what’s inside, but who picked it up, passed it on, or made space for it on their own shelves.
Wildwood Books is a space for real book people—teachers, students, nurses, collectors, history buffs, and everyday readers. If you see a title here, it’s because it matters to someone, not just because it’s a hot new release.
Come visit us in person, browse the shelves, and take home your next story—or shop online, where we ship our books nationwide and worldwide. Whether you’re after a classic American Revolution history, a modern thriller, or something you’ve never even heard of, you’ll find your place here.
Wildwood Books. Locally sourced, wildly curated. Read more books.