The book by St. Petersburg historian Dmitry Kopelev is dedicated to the era of great geographical discoveries and the subsequent struggle for dominance in the World Ocean. It combines scientific accuracy, an abundance of information (more than 700 bibliographic sources in several languages) with a fascinating style of lively storytelling, accurate psychological characteristics and with the most curious historical details previously unknown to the Russian-speaking reader. You will learn about the polysemy and heterogeneity of the concept of “piracy”, its historical and ideological background, about the everyday, everyday life of its “heroes”, you will be disappointed in common myths and find new charm in real stories. Text accompanied by more than 300 illustrations, including such world-famous artists as Rubens, Van Dyck, Bosch.