{"title":"Angus Konstam","description":"\u003cp\u003eANGUS KONSTAM is a Scottish writer and historian who has written well over a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, and piracy. His recent books include \u003cem\u003eSovereigns of the Sea: The Quest to Build the Perfect Renaissance Battleship\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBlackbeard: America’s Most Notorious Pirate\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2022, Konstam became a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He previously served as curator of weapons at the Royal Armouries in the Tower of London and later as chief curator at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen not writing, Konstam draws on his background as a former Royal Navy officer and maritime archaeologist. That expertise in seafaring history shapes his work across naval and piracy subjects.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAngus lives on the Orkney island of South Ronaldsay, Scotland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAngus Konstam’s books are published by Trade Paper Press, an imprint of Turner Publishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse more: \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/books-new-releases\"\u003eNew Releases\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/award-winning-books\"\u003eAward-Winning Books\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"blackbeard-americas-most-notorious-pirate","title":"Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"A thorough, exciting examination of 18th-century pirate life, with wonderful details.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e--Publishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Interesting and exciting . . . a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle of an interesting life and interesting era.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e--Booklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe definitive biography of history most fearsome and famous pirate\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOf all the colorful cutthroats who scoured the seas in search of plunder during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early eighteenth century, none was more ferocious or notorious than Blackbeard. As unforgettable as his savage career was, much of Blackbeard's life has been shrouded in mystery--until now.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDrawing on vivid descriptions of Blackbeard's attacks from his rare surviving victims, pirate expert Angus Konstam traces Blackbeard's career from its beginnings to his final defeat in a tremendous sea battle near his base at Ocracoke Island. Presenting dramatic accounts of the pirate's very effective tactics and his reputation for cruelty, Konstam offers a fascinating examination of the life and business of piracy and the lure of this brutal and bloody trade.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0470128216\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780470128213\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"Angus Konstam","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40592057237691,"sku":"9780470128213","price":13.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":40592057270459,"sku":"9780471758853","price":25.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9780470128213_FChigh_mockup_v2_1623732658_bf9ecf66-c3da-4420-a323-fd9cc4fe26cf.jpg?v=1790966952"},{"product_id":"sovereigns-of-the-sea","title":"Sovereigns of the Sea: The Quest to Build the Perfect Renaissance Battleship","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Ultimate Warship\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHer keel measured 126 feet, and she stretched to 160 feet overall. Her 46.5-foot beam sacrificed speed for the sake of stability, and the 19 feet\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eof water she drew denied her access to smaller ports. Some saw her\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eenormous size and ungainly proportions as serious drawbacks, but\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethe 102\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eheavy bronze cannon that bristled from her flanks guaranteed\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat this black-hulled, ornately decorated monster would live up to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eher name:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSovereign of the Seas.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eThe Dutch sailors who faced her in battle called her by another name, “The Golden Devil.”\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis immensely powerful floating fortress was the culmination of more\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethan two hundred years of competition among the kingdoms of Europe\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto create the perfect marriage between guns and ships. Their relentless\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003equest for maritime supremacy had produced a seemingly endless\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esuccession of grandiose flagships, from Henry V’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eGrace à Dieu\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto Sweden’s ill-fated\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eVasa. Emerging nation-states had invested vast portions of their\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etreasuries, kings had vied as much for prestige as for power, and thousands of hapless seamen had perished in pursuit of this goal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSovereigns of the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a gripping tale of an arms race that created and ruined empires, changed the map of the world, and led Europe out of the Renaissance and into the modern age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0470116676\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780470116678\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"Angus Konstam","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43185548624088,"sku":"9780470116678","price":25.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/SovereignsoftheSea_FC_mockup_v2_1660766843_aed4db29-b5de-426a-bc9e-1d66e2d18e5c.jpg?v=1790988198"}],"url":"https:\/\/turnerpublishing.com\/collections\/author-angus-konstam.oembed","provider":"Turner Publishing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}