Piratas

What is the truth behind the legends that portray pirates as fearless "princes of the sea"? Faced with the romantic image of pirates in the movies and the increase in cold-blooded assaults off the African coasts that we often see on the news, Peter Lehr, an expert on maritime terrorism, escapes the simplicity of myths to offer us a global story about piracy. From vikings and medieval Wako pirates to today's Somali raiders, Lehr looks at the motivation that drives some individuals to become pirates, as well as their organization, violence at sea, and terror tactics used to loot ships and coastal regions. It also addresses the role of the state in the development of piracy from privateers acting under legitimate authority to pirates who operate taking justice into their own hands, and explores how the combination of structural factors such as weak maritime surveillance and trade liberalization has made it possible for piracy to persist to this day.