Pirates of Barbary Corsairs, Cnquest and Captivity in the 17th Century Mediterranean

[7eat51]

I see what you mean. We in the West do have a rather uncomfortably way way of romaniticising criminals, especially those who on the high seas committed the most heinous forms of barbarism

Not only do we romanticize criminals, but we are selective of which criminals we romanticize.

I was OK until the author chose to use "we" -- um, last I checked, I wasn't consulted on the east-African-piracy problem.

This is another example of being provocative. There are passages in this book which call for a response, even if the responses are rejection. In some ways, this is a strength of the book; it can force a reader to move from passively reading the book to engaging it.

I doubt I'll be getting the book. The pirates of the past and present are what they are, no matter were they come from, and there was/is only one way to handle them.

I think your point, Bobby, highlights an important differentiation - pirates vs. lawbreakers. Some lawbreaking is worthy of commendation because the laws being broken are unjust, laws that diminish or inhibit human flourishing. Such laws need to be overthrown, however, not in a manner that becomes unjust itself. Piracy, in my opinion, does not fall into that category. Piracy, as I understand it, does not set individuals free, does not promote justice in any universal sense, but enslaves. The irony is that it enslaves the captors as well, by making them less human. As you say, such piracy needs to be eradicated.