Bartholomew Roberts was the greatest of Caribbean pirates, seizing 400 ships in a career that lasted little more than 2-1/2 years. Yet today, he is virtually forgotten. Originally a tea-sipping, disciplined third mate, when captured by pirates for recruitment, he begged to be released. But, he was fearless, and a born leader. With the words, "I have dipped my hands in muddy water. And, if a pirate I must be, t'is better being a commander than a common man.", he became the most successful, most exciting and dynamic pirate there ever was. Through the telling of this remarkable story, Richard Sanders explodes the myth of pirates as ruthless cut-throats, and explores the egalitarian and homo-erotic sub-culture of pirates including Roberts' own 'intimate' relationships. But more, he provides a pirates' tour of the strange and cruel world of the early 18th century Atlantic. With searing research and swashbuckling anecdotes, Sanders has written a biography of one of the most intriguing men in history, but also a thorough portrait of the 18th Century Atlantic maritime economy. Here is the real story of the myths which spawned a million childhood fantasies.