Five Books for International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Avast, me hearties!

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a chance for all landlubbers to adopt a swaggering pirate attitude. It was created in 1995 when John Baur and Mark Summers discovered that their racquetball games were much more enjoyable when they communicated using pirate slang. They decided that a new holiday was needed and selected September 19 as the official date. After seven years of celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day with their friends, Baur and Summers approached humourist Dave Barry for help publicizing the event. The column he wrote about the holiday drew international attention. Talk Like a Pirate Day is now celebrated with parties and events around the world.

Want to participate? Arrr! It's as easy as walking the plank. Frequent use of the word "Arrrr!" is a good start.  More help is available on the Toronto Public Library website. The Mango Language Learning database includes a Pirate Language Course.

If you prefer to read about pirates, try these books:

The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates by Peter T. Leeson
The business practices of pirates are analysed by economist Leeson.

Pirates: a History by Timothy Travers
This comprehensive history of pirates examines the ancient roots of piracy, the golden age, and pirates in the modern world.

The Pirates' Pact: the Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious Buccaneers and Colonial America by Douglas R. Burgess
Pirate authority Burgess presents evidence that pirates were actively involved in the battle for American independence.

Real Canadian Pirates: Buccaneers and Rogues of the North by Geordie Telfer
While it is often assumed that pirates were motivated by greed, pirates in Canadian waters were influenced by politics and culture as Telfer explains in this history of Canadian piracy.

The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodward
In the early 18th century the most notorious gang of pirates in history founded a community in the Bahamas that embraced democratic and egalitarian principles.