E104: Pirates, part 2

E104: Pirates, part 2

Author: Working Class History April 23, 2025 Duration: 30:07
Second of a double podcast about the Golden Age of Piracy, with historian Marcus Rediker. 
Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistory
Part 2 covers the extent of piracy, how pirates organise themselves, how colonial powers fought them, the decline of pirates, and their legacy today.
More information, and eventually a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e103-pirates/
Get Marcus's Books:
Acknowledgements
  • Thanks to our Patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman, Fernando López Ojeda, Nick Williams and Old Norm.
  • Written by Audrey Kemp and Tyler Hill
  • Produced by Tyler Hill
  • Episode graphic: Contemporary illustration of the execution of two pirates. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
  • Our theme tune is Bella Ciao, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.

Podcast Episodes
E88: Indigenous resistance since 1992, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:28
Following on from his excellent book, 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance, Gord Hill of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation gives us an overview of over three decades of Indigenous resistance in the Americas since 1992. A podcast in…
E87: Class struggle in Palestine, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
Part 2 of our double-episode podcast about workers' struggles in Palestine during the British Mandate (1920-48). In this episode, we cover the Palestinian labour movement during World War II, new Palestinian workers’ org…
E86: Class struggle in Palestine, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:53
First of a double podcast about workers' struggles in Palestine during the British Mandate (1920-48). In this episode we cover the Balfour Declaration and establishment of the British Mandate, the campaign for 'Hebrew La…
E85: [TEASER] May Day with Upstream [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:49
Teaser extract from an episode exclusively for our patreon supporters. Episode produced by Upstream in conversation with John from Working Class History talking about the history of May Day, International Workers’ Day, f…
E84: Angry Brigade, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:11
Second in a double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of the group.Our podcast is broug…
E83: Angry Brigade, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:26
Double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of the group.Our podcast is brought to you by…
E82: Workmates collective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
Podcast episode about the Workmates collective, a rank-and-file initiative on the London Underground using unofficial direct action and workplace assemblies to fight privatisation in the late-1990s/early 2000s.Our suppor…
E81: Miners' strikes 1972-4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:08
Podcast episode about strikes by miners in Britain in 1972 and 1974, in conversation with Dave Douglass.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive e…
E80: Italian resistance, part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:45
The fourth and final episode of our podcast series on the Italian resistance to fascism in conversation with anti-fascist partisans themselves.In this episode, we look at the postwar anti-fascist resistance: from armed p…