Chapter 1 of Under the Black Flag: The Romance and The Reality of Life Among Pirates

Aside from most people viewing all pirates as portrayed in Peter Pan, some people believe that pirates were all fugitives, living haphazardly beyond the law. In Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, David Cordingly is quick to break these stereotypes. Some men, considered to be pirates, were actually permitted by countries, to seize ships in order to recoup stolen supplies, while others helped their home country fight for its freedom.