Milton Meltzer's goal in writing this book is to discuss the dark history behind these characters whose reputation in modern western society has become more wonderful and tantalizing through literature than the bloodthirsty maritime thugs actually were. In this survey of pirates from the seventeenth century to modern times, Meltzer discusses what makes one a pirate, how one comes to be a pirate, how pirates lived their lives, and of course the more infamous pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Blackbeard. This work is very well researched, as indicated by an extensive selected bibliography displayed in the back of the book. Meltzer used that research to weave an almost more wondrous image of the brutal, sadistic brigands than that of the swashbuckling anti-heroes that literature such as Star Wars and Treasure Island had before.
The fact that this book is free of any sort of political bias or sensationalism gives a more authentic feel to the book that you would want and expect in a survey of pirates. Meltzer is also very clear about what a pirate is and makes distinctions between them and privateers, those who act outside the law but on the payroll of an official agency, and how some people switched between the two. I loved the illustrations by Bruce Waldman, but I wished there were more of them, or perhaps some other visuals such as photographs or more maps. There were some pages that just felt too bare while looking at a wall of text, but then again, this was done in some places so that on the following page, a huge, detailed illustration could be presented across both pages. I would recommend this book to anybody wanting to know more about how pirates really were, but be cautious of some of the slightly graphic descriptions of carnage. ( )

6-8. Piracy & Plunder: A Murderous Business, written by Milton Meltzer, is an engaging overview of this captivating time in history. Perfect for a middle school crowd, the information is wonderfully offered within rich stories of these scoundrels and cutthroats. Beautiful illustrations also fill the book, along with side bars with interesting tidbits that students will gravitate to, learning a little bit more as they go. ( )

Large amounts of text on several different topics. There are a few pictures, but this is definitely for profient readers. The advantage is that it goes more in depth.