David Head, a UCF History lecturer, says he can’t remember exactly when his affinity for pirates began — but it could have been when he was in the first grade and the Disney Channel showed the miniseries Return to Treasure Island, a child’s sequel to the classic story.
“I watched every Friday night with my older brother — 10 episodes in all,” Head said.
Through the years, his interest in the high-seas robbers led him to study and write about the plunderers and how they thrived in the 17th and 18thcenturies.
Head, who teaches courses in American history and western civilization, came out with his latest book on the subject this year, an edited collection of essays, The Golden Age of Piracy: The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Popularity of Pirates (University of Georgia Press).
To help commemorate International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is observed Sept. 19, we walked the plank with Head and asked about the scurvy rogues who wrote their own rules — but who today are often viewed as lovable characters.
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