Britain and the Ocean Road for maritime beginnings

Ian Friel's book combines maps and images with maritime history covering 1297 to 1825. A passage about pirate ships named Resolution follows a teenager who joined a pirate crew in 1683 and eventually faced trial for his life in London. His experience places piracy within the insecurity of Atlantic seafaring and colonial settlement. Stronger state navies, social and economic change, and the loss of elite sponsorship reduced piracy in European waters. Sea robbery increasingly concentrated in regions that were harder to police, including the Americas, Caribbean and Africa. These smaller stories provide context for the wider maritime world of the Age of Sail.