By the early 1600's, Spain had colonized most of the West Indies. To their dismay, the English, French and Dutch soon followed, attracted by the islands' wild and abundant livestock, which they slaughtered and smoked and sold at large profits to ships returning to Europe.

To rid the colonies of these unwelcome intruders, Spanish officials ordered them shot on sight. This treatment boomeranged, and created a totally new kind of monster -- the buccaneers, or pirates, who banded together and formed a strong organization called the Brotherhood of the Coast.

In time, some of these men, and even women, took to the sea and became the most vicious pirates the world has ever known. Here are the daring exploits of Henry Morgan, William Kidd, Blackbeard, Mary Reed, Anne Bonney and Jean Lafitte. Few lived to enjoy their illicit gains.

From the book