A year after a whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind: avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. But the administrators see men as the sole guardians of science. When a doctor she idolizes marries a friend of hers in Germany, Felicity believes he could change her future. A mysterious young woman will pay Felicity's way, if Felicity...

"How did a single manhunt spark the modern era of multinational capitalism? Henry Avery was the seventeenth century's most notorious pirate. The press published wildly popular--and wildly inaccurate--reports of his nefarious adventures. The British government offered enormous bounties for his capture, alive or (preferably) dead. But Steven Johnson argues that Avery's most lasting legacy was his inadvertent triggering of a new model for the global...

Explores the history of piracy from ancient times to the present day. Topics include piracy in antiquity and the Middle Ages, the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean, female pirates, the pirate code of conduct and pirate slang, strongholds and hideouts, ships, weaponry, and sea battles, pirates in literature and film, and modern maritime piracy.

If it is possible to make an individual ship fairly safe from pirate attack, why is it so difficult to eradicate the worldwide practice of piracy? Governments in the Americas and Asia have tried to eliminate entire pirate-friendly coastal settlements, but their efforts have never been truly successful. Explore the complex motivations that still attract individuals to "turn pirate."

Spain's empire in the New World spawned a vast commercial revolution. Learn about Spanish silver mining in South America, and agricultural riches from giant haciendas producing sugar and tobacco. Follow the transport of Spanish goods in armed convoys, and the resulting golden age of piracy, as both pirates and government-sanctioned privateers preyed on treasure-laden ships.

"Piracy costs the movie and music industry billions. No one has been able to stop it. But that won't stop Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck. His latest client, Imani Nichols, is a Grammy-winning popstar whose career has skyrocketed. Despite her success, she's the most underpaid superstar on the planet because of an onerous record contract she signed as a teenager with her now ex-husband Shaky Nichols, who has made himself rich off her royalties....

A swashbuckling adventure inspired by the historical exploits of real-life female pirates. Anne Bonny had it all--her own ship, a pirate crew, and a fearsome reputation--but a new enemy has her on the run and it'll take all of Anne's courage to stay afloat. The night before a major heist, Anne has an unsettling dream, and come morning, the robbery is thwarted by Woodes Rogers, a zealot who has sworn to eliminate piracy. With no plan to escape, Anne...

"Millions of teenagers and adults download music from the Internet using a technology called peer-to-peer file sharing. With a few mouse clicks or taps on the screen, people can listen to their favorite songs without buying the album or tracks, and they can share them with their friends. Movies, games, and software can be shared as well. But most of this material is copyrighted, and downloading deprives the artists that created it. Find out what is...

"After years of relative calm, piracy has returned to the high sea. But the days of AK-47s and outboard engines are over. The new pirates hit like a SEAL team. Highly trained and using cutting-edge technology, they make sure their victims are never heard from again. Ships and crews are vanishing at a staggering rate. As the threat to international shipping grows, United States authorities become determined to find the source of this new danger. CIA...