Persistent Piracy

Warfare and legitimate violence have long been seen as key elements in state formation. Persistent Piracy brings into the picture the long missing component of maritime violence - and shows it to be of vital importance to the formation and, on occasion, disintegration, of states. Spanning from the Caribbean to East Asia and covering almost 3,000 years of history, from Classical Antiquity to the eve of the twenty-first century, the book is an important contribution to the history of state formation as well as the history of violence at sea.

The book has contributions by leading authorities in the field of piracy studies and history more generally: Philip de Souza, Neil Price, Wolfgang Kaiser, Guillame Calafat, James K. Chin, Robert J. Antony, David J. Starkey, Matthew McCarthy, James Francis Warren and Stig Jarle Hansen. Review: 'This collection of eight essays, preceded by an insightful, theoretical introduction, is a winner.

Almost every part of the globe is treated, as is almost every historical period ... The authors are first-rate, their arguments are new, and the writing is precise ... This is an important contribution to the history of the state and will be of interest to a far wider audience than just maritime historians.' - Rafe Blaufarb, Florida State University, USA