内容简介
The“GossipGirl”seriesrevolvesaroundthelivesandromancesamongsttheprivilegedteenagersattheConstanceBillardSchoolforGirls,aneliteprivateschoolinNewYorkCity'sUpperEastSide.TheseriesprimarilyfocusesonBlairWaldorfandherbestfriend,"itgirl"SerenavanderWoodsen,andfollowsthecharactersthroughtheirhighschoollivesupthroughtheirgraduationandmovingontocollege.Thisbooksetsouttodiscoverthetruthbehindthestereotypicalimageofthepirate.ExaminingtherichliteraryandculturallegacyofpiraticaliconsfromBlackbeardtoCaptainHook,theauthorcomparesthelegendswiththeirhistoricalcounterpartsandcomesupwithsomesurprisingconclusions.Inawideroverviewofthepiracymyth,heexploresitsenduringandextraordinaryappealandassessestherealitybehindtheromance,answeringintheprocessquestionssuchas:whydidmenbecomepirates?Werethereanywomenpirates?Howmuchmoneydidtheymakefromtheirplunderingandlooting?WhateffectdidtheiractivitieshaveontradeintheCaribbeanandelsewhere?Andwerepiratesreallydashinghighwaymenofthesevenseasorjustviciouscutthroatsandrobbers?FromLongJohnSilvertoHenryMorgan,RobertLouisStevensontoJ.M.Barrie,thisbookexaminesalltheheavyweightsofhistoryandliteratureandpresentsasurveyofthisphenomenon.