It’s September, and the 19th day of the month is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Prepare to walk the plan. . . errr, hear some piratical language — words like blimey, ahoy, and swab, for instance. To get a jump and be ready to talk like a pirate to get in on the fun, The Renaissance Place Apartments Blog has pulled together some pirate-themed books and movies to recommend to members of our apartment community here in Williamsville, New York — so blow the man down!
Pirate-Themed Books
Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates
Written by David Cordingly, this book presents an overview of the history of pirates covering a range of topics about pirates for the general public. It’s a great jumping off point to learning more about the myths, legends, and pirate life.
Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas
An article from the Smithsonian, The Swashbuckling History of Women Pirates, touts Laura Sook Duncombe’s book as a tomb that “does more than revel in the mystery and infamy of lady pirates: It contextualizes them, providing history and background on the societies they came from.”
For more reading, we like this selection of Recommended Books on Pirate History from the blog Colonies, Ships, and Pirates.
Pirate-Themed Movies
If you are looking for a good movie simply to get into a pirate-speaking-frame of mind, may we suggest The Pirates of Penzance? This movie, originally a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta (which is still regularly performed), is a delightful parody romping through pirate lore. A telling line from the movie sums up the role of pirates quite nicely.
Geoffrey Rush, who plays Captain Hector Barbossa captain of the Black Pearl in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, is arguably the best-voiced pirate in cinema history. Check for yourself by watching (or rewatching) the movies from this Disney franchise and listening to the accents and phrasing of all the characters.
The Princess Bride, while not exclusively about pirates, does make reference to The Dread Pirate Roberts. It is a wonderfully crafted tale, and as the grandfather says, it has “Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles….” It’s definitely worth a watch!
This Complete List of Every Pirate Movie Ever Made list is a great resource for finding movies and listening to a plethora of pirates speak. Thanks for taking the time to peruse our post today! Here’s luck and a fair wind to you.
PS: To up your pirate speak, go ahead and pillage from this piratical resource from Autumn Creek Apartments!
