BOOK REVIEW 69 Thomas Modyford commissioned buccaneer captains to defend the islands and thus made their activities legal and^changed their status to that of privateers. Henry Morgan's life story illustrates the close link between politics, commerce and the rise of piracy (pp. 27-40). 'A basic distinction,* argues Black, 'between buccaneer and pirate was that the former carried the war to the Spanish only, whereas the pirate attacked and stole from all and owed authority to none. When, however, the Europian governments made privateers of the buccaneers in time of war, open or undeclared ... by arming them with commissions, their range widened, as in the case of Modyford's use of the buccaneers against the Dutch/ (p. 10). But these commissions could not restrict the operations of pirates; they rather legitimized looting, for the commission could always be stretched. My commission is large and I made it myself, And the capstan shall stretch it full larger by half ... thus runs a ballad on the famous pirate Henry Every (p. 10). Apart from personal greed there were other factors which influenced them to continue with piracy, though the money they get was 'pittance at the end*. With little choice of employment, once the privateer crews were thrown out of work after the war it was only the piracy which 'offered the prospects of quick gain, a free and easy life and escape from the harsh discipline of the naval and merchant services, especially the severe floggings which drove many seamen to desert and join vessels' (p. 13). Thanks to Black, the young reader is treated to ten incredible life stories of pirates of West Indies: Henry Morgan, Richard Sawkins, Howel Davis, Bartholomew Roberts, George Lowther, Charles Vane, Captain Teach or 'Black beard'. Jack Rackham, John Evans and Nicholas Brown, the 'Grand Pirate'. How the oppressive social morality and to some extent the lure of adventure on the seas drove even women into this 'career' is illustrated by the history of two facinating women pirates—Mary Read and Anne Bonny (pp. 101-117). With a broad social approach, the author gives us a vivid picture of pirates' social life: while ashore they indulged in 'wild deeds'— women and wine, street brawls, gambling and even willing to spend 'unto a common strumpet five hundred pieces-of-eight only that he might see her naked.* Always flushed with hard liquor, poorly dressed, the pirates could 'melt the dollars' just to forget for a while the tedium and basic pointlessness of their existence. While on piratical voyage or 'on the account' as it was called they beat the grimness of life with music, singing, dancing and often play-acting and mock trials at which each crewman took his turn at being judge and prisoner. This was a cynical form of pleasantry since there was always the possibility that each man would stand before a real judge in a real court of law' (p. 17).