Expert sailors and ferocious fighters pirates grew rich by hijacking cargoes or enslaving crew. Known also as corsairs picaroons buccaneers and freebooters all were robbers and many were murderers. Yet their recklessness has inspired countless stories songs and plays - today it's hard to separate pirate fact from fiction.Intricate models bring to life the slave galleys of the Baarbary corsairs the great Spanish treasure ships and the sturdy merchantmen who carried cargoes from the East Indies. Discover how privateers got royal permssion to rob foreign vessels. See how pirates lived at sea on land. Learn about the grisly death that awaited those who were caught and tried for their crimes.Pirate is an exciting introduction to the world of sea-thieves - their origins adventures and evil deeds.