When people think of pirates, they usually envision swashbuckling, adventurous figures who spend their time searching for buried treasure. But this is a distorted, romantic view. In reality, pirates were little more than thieves and murderers dedicated to plundering, looting, robbery, and enslavement. Milton Meltzer, who has been called "arguably the best writer of social history for children and adolescents ever," uncovers the true-and often bloody, always fascinating-stories of pirates and piracy, both past and present. Here are the real Blackbeard and Captain Kidd-and other notorious pirates-as well as the forms of piracy that plague us today. Meltzer's vivid, well-researched text and Bruce Waldman's striking monoprint illustrations give readers an unforgettable look at this nefarious world.