Buccaneers of America by John Esquemeling dates to 1678 and has had an interesting history as a book. It was first published in Dutch in Amsterdam under the title De Americaeneche Zee-Roovers. It was next published in a Spanish translation in 1681, and the English version appeared in 1684. The author was originally listed as Alexander Olivier Exquemelin, but in the first english translation he was identified as John Esquemeling. The hero of the story in the English version was Morgan the Pirate, with the author representing himself on the title page as a buccaneer "who was present at these tragedies." The publisher of the Spanish edition questioned the identity of the author and the truth of the tale he tells, though the author insists that this is a true account "of Sir Henry Morgan, our English Jamaican Hero" and his exploits. This is precisely what the book entails, telling of Morgan and specifically of his attacks on Porto Bello, Panama, and other islands in the Caribbean region. Esquemeling says he was present at these events and participated, and he tells his story in a lively and detailed fashion that says much not only about the events described and about the man the author makes into a hero, but also about the times and the way of life in this part of the world during this era.
Esquemeling's book was very influential and was one of several works that contributed to the image of the pirate that persists to this day. The pirates constituted a continuing menace to the sea lanes and to travelers on the sea, so it seems surprising that they acquired an aura of glamour and romance and that they are particularly associated with children through children's stories. Two histories of piracy were largely responsible for the beginning of this trend. In addition to the work of Esquemeling, there was A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson, published in London in...