Former US Navy SEAL Benerson Little writes contemporary and historical novels, and is the author of four non-fiction books on piracy and privateering, and of multiple articles on the subject. He is a leading authority on modern and historical piracy, a recognized expert on pirate tactics and anti-piracy operations, and the historical consultant for the STARZ Black Sails cable network series. He has appeared in television documentaries on piracy and advised on others.

"Rich in colourful detail, and displays impressive knowledge of sailing and fighting skills."-Naval Review “This book on Golden Age piracy is as lively as its subject matter…With considerable gusto and an impressive understanding of the strategies of violence at sea, the author explores the material practices of piracy from the beginning to the end of a voyage. Little’s book is particularly strong in its description of the armaments and tactics of warfare at sea…The scholarship is also strong...Little’s achievement in The Sea Rover’s Practice is a considerable one; this well-priced and absorbing book allows the reader to appreciate the terms of engagement, and the stakes, in the much romanticized but little understood phenomena of early modern piracy.”-The Historian "As colorful as a Howard Pyle illustration and as compelling as an Errol Flynn film, The Sea Rover's Practice belongs on anyone’s short list of useful scholarship on the great age of piracy. Based largely on first-person accounts, the book provides a trustworthy description of how pirates, filibusters, buccaneers, and privateers went about their business, from planning and recruiting, through chasing, engaging, and boarding, to dividing the spoils. One of the many intriguing facts to be gleaned, for instance, is the origins of the practice of ‘small plunder by custom’ that continued to be included in the privateering articles of agreement of later eras. The reader, entertained as well as informed, is likely to have nearly as much fun reading this book as the author appears to have had in writing it."-Michael J. Crawford, naval historian and editor of The Autobiography of a Yankee Mariner: Christopher Prince and the American Revolution "A remarkably complete analysis of methods used in piracy, especially in Europe and America, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The book is based on solid research and is especially valuable for understanding the language and literature of the subject. It includes useful notes and bibliographies and is a highly recommended reference work for both general and specialized libraries."-Norman J. W. Thrower, professor emeritus of geography at UCLA, and author of Maps and Civilization: Cartography in Culture and Society "Benerson Little brings a unique and powerful perspective--that of a scholarly former U.S. Navy SEAL--to a fascinating subject. The result is a remarkable book that casts much new light on the sea rovers of the Age of Sail."-Frank Sherry, author of Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy "[The Sea Rover's Practice] will be of high interest to the maritime spectrum, from armchair sailors to admirals. . . . Within the book's well documented twenty-three chapters, Little provides fascinationg material on pirate personalities and their lives both ashore and at sea. . . This is a really good book. Be prepared--after reading only a few pages--to feel the wind in your face and taste the salt air."-Naval War College Review

• Dedication; Table of Contents ii; Preface viii; Chapter One; The Perils of Wealth by Stratagem and Force of Arms: Of Greed and Desperation 1-1; Chapter Two; Sea Rovers: Freebooters, Filibusters, Cruisers, Corsairs, Buccaneers, Privateers, and Pirates 2-1; Chapter Three; Wealth by Force of Arms: of Purchase as Purpose 3-1; Chapter Four; Roving Spirits, Charter Parties, and Stout Commanders: The Recruiting, Organization, and Leadership of Adventurers 4-1; Chapter Five; Piraguas, Sloops, and Ships: Tools of the Trade, Part One 5-1; Chapter Six; Of Small Arms and Fireworks: Tools of the Trade, Part Two 6-1; Chapter Seven; Cruising for Purchase: Forewamed is Forearmed 7-1; Chapter Eight; Baptisms, Pissdales, and French Volleys: The Routine at Sea 8-1; Chapter Nine; Riches and Dangers at Sea: Pirate Prey and Pirate Hunters 9-1; Chapter Ten; "A sail! A sail!" Descrying and Espying the Prey 10-1; Chapter Eleven; Colors True and Colors False: In None We Trust 11-1; Chapter Twelve; Stand to Her Forefoot: Giving Chase 12-1; Chapter Thirteen; Hailing and Showing Teeth: The Prey in Range 13-1; Chapter Fourteen; Plucking a Crow: Small Arms and Great Guns 14-1; Chapter Fifteen; Volleys, Grenades, and Cutlasse: Laying Her Aboard Under Fire 15-1; Chapter Sixteen; Surprizals at Sea: "Jesus! These Men are Devils!" 16-1; Chapter Seventeen; Surprizals at Anchor: Quiet Oars, Quiet Waters 17-1; Chapter Eighteen; More Surprizals at Anchor: Of Trade and Other Pretenses 18-1; Chapter Nineteen; Sending a Smoker and Catching a Tartar: More Stratagems at Sea 19-1; Chapter Twenty; Houses, Towns, and Cities Sacked: The Sea Rover as Soldier 20-1; Chapter Twenty-One; Plunder and Prisoners: The Sanguine Spoils 21-1; Chapter Twenty-Two; Rum, Women, Dice, Turtle, and Honor: The Routine Ashore, and Soon Another Venture 22-1; Chapter Twenty-Three; Of Greed and Force of Arms, Part Two: Dying by the Sword 23-1; Appendix One; Comparative Actions of Sea Rovers A1-1; Appendix Two; Privateer, Buccaneer, and Pirate: A Sea Rover's Lexicon, Part I A2-1; Appendix Three; Galley, Sloop, and Piragua: A Sea Rover's Lexicon, Part II A3-1; Appendix Four; Mariner's Language 1630 to 1730: A Sea Rover's Lexicon, Part III A4-1; Appendix Five; Roving Writers and Some I Wish Had Been A5-1; Appendix Six; Spirits and Belly Timber: Some Culinary History and Recipes for the Adventurous A6-1; Appendix Seven; Ranges, Distances, Weights, and Measures A7-1; Notes B-1; Bibliography; Author's Biography.

Former US Navy SEAL Benerson Little writes contemporary and historical novels, and is the author of four non-fiction books on piracy and privateering, and of multiple articles on the subject. He is a leading authority on modern and historical piracy, a recognized expert on pirate tactics and anti-piracy operations, and the historical consultant for the STARZ Black Sails cable network series. He has appeared in television documentaries on piracy and advised on others.

"Rich in colourful detail, and displays impressive knowledge of sailing and fighting skills."-Naval Review “This book on Golden Age piracy is as lively as its subject matter…With considerable gusto and an impressive understanding of the strategies of violence at sea, the author explores the material practices of piracy from the beginning to the end of a voyage. Little’s book is particularly strong in its description of the armaments and tactics of warfare at sea…The scholarship is also strong...Little’s achievement in The Sea Rover’s Practice is a considerable one; this well-priced and absorbing book allows the reader to appreciate the terms of engagement, and the stakes, in the much romanticized but little understood phenomena of early modern piracy.”-The Historian "As colorful as a Howard Pyle illustration and as compelling as an Errol Flynn film, The Sea Rover's Practice belongs on anyone’s short list of useful scholarship on the great age of piracy. Based largely on first-person accounts, the book provides a trustworthy description of how pirates, filibusters, buccaneers, and privateers went about their business, from planning and recruiting, through chasing, engaging, and boarding, to dividing the spoils. One of the many intriguing facts to be gleaned, for instance, is the origins of the practice of ‘small plunder by custom’ that continued to be included in the privateering articles of agreement of later eras. The reader, entertained as well as informed, is likely to have nearly as much fun reading this book as the author appears to have had in writing it."-Michael J. Crawford, naval historian and editor of The Autobiography of a Yankee Mariner: Christopher Prince and the American Revolution "A remarkably complete analysis of methods used in piracy, especially in Europe and America, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The book is based on solid research and is especially valuable for understanding the language and literature of the subject. It includes useful notes and bibliographies and is a highly recommended reference work for both general and specialized libraries."-Norman J. W. Thrower, professor emeritus of geography at UCLA, and author of Maps and Civilization: Cartography in Culture and Society "Benerson Little brings a unique and powerful perspective--that of a scholarly former U.S. Navy SEAL--to a fascinating subject. The result is a remarkable book that casts much new light on the sea rovers of the Age of Sail."-Frank Sherry, author of Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy "[The Sea Rover's Practice] will be of high interest to the maritime spectrum, from armchair sailors to admirals. . . . Within the book's well documented twenty-three chapters, Little provides fascinationg material on pirate personalities and their lives both ashore and at sea. . . This is a really good book. Be prepared--after reading only a few pages--to feel the wind in your face and taste the salt air."-Naval War College Review

• Dedication; Table of Contents ii; Preface viii; Chapter One; The Perils of Wealth by Stratagem and Force of Arms: Of Greed and Desperation 1-1; Chapter Two; Sea Rovers: Freebooters, Filibusters, Cruisers, Corsairs, Buccaneers, Privateers, and Pirates 2-1; Chapter Three; Wealth by Force of Arms: of Purchase as Purpose 3-1; Chapter Four; Roving Spirits, Charter Parties, and Stout Commanders: The Recruiting, Organization, and Leadership of Adventurers 4-1; Chapter Five; Piraguas, Sloops, and Ships: Tools of the Trade, Part One 5-1; Chapter Six; Of Small Arms and Fireworks: Tools of the Trade, Part Two 6-1; Chapter Seven; Cruising for Purchase: Forewamed is Forearmed 7-1; Chapter Eight; Baptisms, Pissdales, and French Volleys: The Routine at Sea 8-1; Chapter Nine; Riches and Dangers at Sea: Pirate Prey and Pirate Hunters 9-1; Chapter Ten; "A sail! A sail!" Descrying and Espying the Prey 10-1; Chapter Eleven; Colors True and Colors False: In None We Trust 11-1; Chapter Twelve; Stand to Her Forefoot: Giving Chase 12-1; Chapter Thirteen; Hailing and Showing Teeth: The Prey in Range 13-1; Chapter Fourteen; Plucking a Crow: Small Arms and Great Guns 14-1; Chapter Fifteen; Volleys, Grenades, and Cutlasse: Laying Her Aboard Under Fire 15-1; Chapter Sixteen; Surprizals at Sea: "Jesus! These Men are Devils!" 16-1; Chapter Seventeen; Surprizals at Anchor: Quiet Oars, Quiet Waters 17-1; Chapter Eighteen; More Surprizals at Anchor: Of Trade and Other Pretenses 18-1; Chapter Nineteen; Sending a Smoker and Catching a Tartar: More Stratagems at Sea 19-1; Chapter Twenty; Houses, Towns, and Cities Sacked: The Sea Rover as Soldier 20-1; Chapter Twenty-One; Plunder and Prisoners: The Sanguine Spoils 21-1; Chapter Twenty-Two; Rum, Women, Dice, Turtle, and Honor: The Routine Ashore, and Soon Another Venture 22-1; Chapter Twenty-Three; Of Greed and Force of Arms, Part Two: Dying by the Sword 23-1; Appendix One; Comparative Actions of Sea Rovers A1-1; Appendix Two; Privateer, Buccaneer, and Pirate: A Sea Rover's Lexicon, Part I A2-1; Appendix Three; Galley, Sloop, and Piragua: A Sea Rover's Lexicon, Part II A3-1; Appendix Four; Mariner's Language 1630 to 1730: A Sea Rover's Lexicon, Part III A4-1; Appendix Five; Roving Writers and Some I Wish Had Been A5-1; Appendix Six; Spirits and Belly Timber: Some Culinary History and Recipes for the Adventurous A6-1; Appendix Seven; Ranges, Distances, Weights, and Measures A7-1; Notes B-1; Bibliography; Author's Biography.