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Once again I'm recommending the Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels as a pirate fantasy flavored romance with a ton of wit and humor. HEAVILY recommend.
I really don't know what it is about Merphy's voice, but it's so easy to listen to. She's easily in my top 3 satisfying voices. Up there with Markiplier and ProZD. Honorable mention to JohneAwesome.
I wonder if you've ever seen Black Sails. If you love pirates, enjoyed Treasure Island, and have a strong stomach for adult content (think Game of Thrones) it's a must watch. One of the best shows i've ever seen, and what started my own pirate obsession
I really hope you'll give The Bone Ships another shot and continue with the series, but I'm glad you gave it a shoutout anyway, I hope it'll reach people who will like it because it's a hugely underrated series
I know you're not a TV person Merphy but I could not recommend the show Black Sails enough. One of my favourite shows ever and so underrated, a perfect blend of fiction and non-fiction it's absolutely a must watch for all fans of all things pirate!!
If you haven't seen it Black Sails is a great pirate show, with a lot of real pirates as characters. It features a lot of real events. The acting and the script are amazing.
Ahoy Merphy! If I may suggest a couple more secondary sourced books on pirates: (like Under the Black Flag and Republic of Pirates) - If a Pirate I Must Be: The True History of “Black Bart” King of the Caribbean Pirates, Richard Sanders - The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth Behind Pirate Myths, Benerson Little - Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates, Eric Jay Dolin - Enemy of Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History’s First Global Man Hunt, Steven Johnson - Pirate Nests and the Rise of the British Empire, Mark G. Hanna - The Pirate Wars, Peter Earle - The Life and Tryals of the Gentlemen Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet, Jeremy R. Moss
Good grief! I have no idea what it was you were talking about, but I enjoyed watching you talk about it… you really appear passionate about this stuff. Great video!
As someone who has read The Tide Child trilogy and also loooves ship-themed novels, I definitely want to say give it another go! I agree the beginning is a bit slow but it picks up later in the book, and the second and third are even more amazing. It is one of my favourite series of all time now. For me it ticked all of the boxes of what I need in a pirate-esque story, if not more.
Mark Keating has written a 4 book pirate series The Pirate Devlin Hunt For White Gold Blood Diamond Cross of Fire Very well researched using historical characters & actual events. Often called the pirate version of Sharpe ( by Bernard Cornwell).
Fun fact: Oda was inspired by Real pirate stories with Vikings as well for the creation of One Piece, so I agree about your list, there's nothing wrong about it Napier 😍💖👍💪👊✨⚡🔥
Of course he had to!! One Piece is a reskin of the “real world”. Just like any other author, you gotta steal from real history and then take those ideas and transform it into a masterpiece like One Piece!
Great list, I recommend reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn based on your love of fairy tales, pirates and Peter Pan. Huck Finn tells the story of a runaway slave Jim and a on the run Huck as they travel across the Misspi River and face various prejudices and daring-adventures. It captures the tone of works like Peter Pan and Peter's attitude being greatly reflected in Huck but unlike Peter Pan, the book tries to bring a maturity and horror throughout with the horrors of slavery. Huck also wears a straw-hat which is a bonus.
Flint & Stone (John Drake) is a a sort of prequel to Treasure Island, exploring how John Silver met Captain Flint and turned into his more infamous self. There are more books in the series Pieces of Eight, Skull & Bones & The Traitor of Treasure Island. They are pretty solid pirate books with plenty of action, skulduggery and treacherous deeds.
Another suggestion is The Princess Bride It’s not really about pirates, but there are pirates involved to some degree. The movie is actually better than the book imo, but I still loved the book and would highly recommend :)
New subscriber here! I really appreciate these book recommendations because I've been a fan of pirates ever since I was a little boy dressing up as a pirate on Halloween lol. I definitely enjoy books about pirates, both real pirates and romanticized ones, and I'm going to check out some of the books you featured. The Republic of Pirates sounds really cool. Also, I am gradually making my way through watching your One Piece videos. Love them :)
There's a new pirate book that came out recently called The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa and I would highly recommend it! Its about a nonbinary trans, latino pirate who is basically fighting the devil himself and it has a bunch of magic, deals with the devil, and a lot of piracy. Very found family and more moral pirates than you normally see as they're basically helping to supply their people in revolution near the end of this pirate era. Very good read though!
Nonfiction rec: Jolly Roger: the Story of the Great Age of Piracy by Patrick Pringle. This was the first "real" history book I read when I was in junior high and was a huge factor in eventually earning a History BA. Originally published in 1953, it looks like there's a 2001 edition, so it should be something that you might be able to get through Interlibrary Loan.
I couldn't find if you've read it already or not, but I have a recommendation: Natalie C Parker's Seafire Trilogy. Found Family? Yes! Cool gadgets? Yes! I think you would like it. I'll try to find a more recent video that would be appropriate to post this on as well.
I'd add "The Invisible Hook" an Rational Theory approach to explain the behavior of pirates. Interesting and spoilery fact, they had a constitution and civil rights before anyone
ARRRRRRRRR what a grrrrrreat list! my faves for all pirates are Treausre Island, Frenchmans Creek, Pirate Latitudes and Republic of pirates but i must admit some on this list sound amazing too
Would like to see what you'd think about some older pirate stories written by Rafael Sabatini in the early 20th century like "Captain Blood" (that was made into a movie starring Errol Flynn) or "The Seahawk".
Hi Murphy, if you haven't yet I highly recommend you read "Long John Silver: The True and Eventful History of My Life of Liberty and Adventure As a Gentleman of Fortune & Enemy to Mankind" By Bjorn Larsson. It is written from Silver's point of view and is a brilliant mix of historical accuracy and fiction
David Cordingly is good, so is Colin Woodard's The Republic of Pirates. For another looking into myth, legend and reality, I recommend Helen Hollick's Pirates: Truth and Tales
I haven't finished it yet, but Steal the Sky by Megan O'keefe is a good steampunky pirate story. Since I know you like Scott Lynch Merphy I think you will like this one. The vibe is similar!
If memory's serves me right, you read Bone Ships *before* you read Hobb's Liveships, The Magicians, and even One Peice, but a bit after Red Skies (but it could have been before Red Skies as well, if anyone could refresh my memory on this that be okay.). I think you read it at a time when you wanted far "faster" paced books, You weren't about the "worldbuilding" as much and was more about the plot. If you read Liveships around the same time, you would have been extreamly annoyed I think too back then. So if you want to try Bone Ships again, I think now would be a good time because you've experienced other story telling that isn't as fast paced and you can maybe there would be a better idea. (The reason why I put in The Magicians, is another example of some of different type of story telling that you didn't gravitate at the time. I know it doesn't have Pirates but wanted to give an broad idea how vastly different your reading was since that video you talked about it.)
Now we just need recommendations for stories with _sky pirates_ 🏴☠😁 Here, I'll start: 1. Arm of the Sphinx (aka 2nd book in the Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft) 2. Castle in the Sky (Ghibli movie) 3. Trails series (JRPG series, where sky pirates are not the main feature, but are important) Any other recommendation is welcome, so long it's whimsical 😊
@@oakuvalentine7734 They have flying ships (which usually entails some kind of steampunk-ish flying ships) as something normal and because it's normal, then (the fun/romanticized version) of piracy happens. Hopefully that answers your questions? 😊 Sorry if I misunderstood them.
@@natasagajic1061 exactly what I wanted to know, ty. Steampunk ships are dope but ive had an itch for Ships that sail…clouds? Lmfao, just cant find anything
@@oakuvalentine7734 If you find any cool whimsical stories that sail the clouds, please do share! 😊 The closest thing that comes to my mind atm is the Disney movie Treasure Planet (and I am appalled at myself for not remembering to add it to the list! 😱)
One thing I'd be very curious to hear: with your knowledge and interest in pirates, what is your opinion on CGP Grey's pair of videos on piracy. It's a very concise look at why piracy worked and why you get the dichotomy of pirates showing mercy one time and being absolute monsters another time. It's short and very rapid fire by virtue of the format he's going for, as well as showing the general trend rather than how specific examples worked, but he squeezes a fair bit into the videos.
I'm just starting "Tress of the Emerald Sea". If you love historical fiction, then read "Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas", also steeped in true history! ❤️📚❤️
I just finished The Legend of Black Jack by A. R. Witham. It’s a self-pub, YA, portal fantasy adventure, and is absolutely fantastic. It’s not the most piratey, but there is a section on a pirate ship. I thought I’d mention it in case you want to read it. -T
I can't decide if "snow pirates" or "pirates that stay" is funnier, but as a Viking lover and a pirate , I agree, the vibes are similar enough to combine them 🤣
I've only watched Black Sails and I loved it, it's itching me to watch it again. From what I've read in the book summary of The Republic of Pirates, there are many similar things between it and the series. Have you watched it?
Thanks for the recommendations! Have you ever tried “Cinnamon and Gunpowder” by Eli Brown? It’s historical fiction set in 1819 about a famous chef who’s kidnapped by pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot and tasked with cooking her lavish meals in exchange for his life. It’s a fun read. Beautifully written. A bit slow moving though.
I read Cinnamon and Gunpowder this year and was surprised by how much I liked it! Definitely not my usual read. I didn’t find it slow though. Kept reading to find out what happens. Highly recommend !
At least I have one book on this list already! I really enjoyed Tress, and it's my new favourite Brandon Sanderson book. I've been curious about Vinland Saga for a while now, maybe I'll check in out sometime. 😄
I'm not particularly drawn to pirate stories, but The Bone Ships sounds really interesting. Also, a great pirate song, in my opinion, is The Last Saskatchewan Pirate by the Derina Harvey Band.
Tide Child trilogy is so good! Hopefully you finish the series, the quality remains solid throughout. I was thinking while reading it that I wonder if you had.
Also a great pirates comedy tv-series: our flag means death. Its about a rich gentleman that always wanted to be a pirate, so he bought a ship and became a pirate. But of course he isnt really a capable one 😂
Liveship traders is amazing. You need to read the Rain Wilds books too! Not pirates so much as Liveship, but still pretty nautical and I think you would love the main characters.
Pirate Freedom by Gene Wolfe. If Vikings count, then The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson. And of course my favorite picture book as a child, My Grandpa is a Pirate by Jan Lööf.
Not really a pirate novel, but a novel about hunting for pirate treasure (based on Oak Island) is Riptide by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Highly recommended.
This isn't a pirate book, but Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan is about the shipwreck of the Pulaski and involves time spent in the modern day and during the wreck. It's so good!
If you want a novel with Airships, magic powers, 1700s era politics and musketeers, and a cool female protagonist try "An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors". And it gets increasingly final fantasy as the story goes on.
Thanks for including Tress of the Emerald Sea, jerk face. If you didn't I was gonna sledgehammer my computer monitor. The merch are awesome, I'm saving up for a hoodie or two. Thank you.
Great pirate reviews! Some additional recommendations. For true history, Enemy of All Mankind, by Steven Johnson, is fantastically interesting and entertaining. And for fiction, you can do worse than Rafael Sabatini's novels, Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk. Those two books were also made into movies in the 1930s starring Errol Flynn.
You are my new best friend, or me hearty, or whatever the heck. A General History of the Pyrates is a cool supposed "history" book. Captain Blood! Cutthroat Island had a ridiculously poorly (stiff) acted movie but with cool action scenes, and it was one of the worst box office bombs in history, making the Guinness Book of World Records even.
Creatures of Conquest - epic adventure that combines folklore and mythology with historical events and figures of the early 1800s. Captain Ryker Venges cannot remember the last time he felt human, exiled from society because of his left hand’s tiger-like claws. For over a decade, he has sought refuge at sea as captain of The Conquest, a ship of scientific exploration, sailed by a crew of outcast creatures, each looking for answers while on the run from humanity.
If you are looking for a really good YA duology that deals with pirates the Daughter of the Pirate King and the Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller were really good.
My favorite thing about Captain Kennit is how everyone around him gets his character and motivations 180 degrees wrong. It is by far one of the best character trajectories I have ever read. Robin Hobb is a genius to have imagined and rendered him.