It is 1837, and for the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain and his rag-tag pirate crew, life on the high seas has gotten a little dull. With nothing to do but twiddle their hooks and lounge aimlessly on tropical beaches, the Captain decides it's time they had an adventure. A surprisingly successful boat raid leads them to the young Charles Darwin, in desperate need of their help. And so the pirates set forth for London in a bid to save the scientist from the evil machinations of a diabolical Bishop. There they encounter grisly murder, vanishing ladies, the Elephant Man — and have an exciting trip to the zoo.

encompassing Charles Darwin, Queen Victoria and a villainous secret society. A photographic retelling of the original uproarious story by acclaimed author Gideon Defoe. 'I HATE pirates!' declares Queen Victoria. Nevertheless, deterined to win the coveted Pirate of the Year Award, the Pirate Captain takes his life in his hands and enters the city of London. With the help of Darwin, a manpanzee and a crew of motley misfits, the Pirate Captain struggles to seize booty and restore his pirate honour. Having written the script for the film, Gideon Defoe has brilliantly revisited his story for younger readers. This hilarious book will delight a new generation of fans.

London, 1840: Wagner's latest opera plays to packed houses while disgruntled workers gather in crowded pubs to eat ice cream and plan the downfall of the bourgeoisie. And the Pirate Captain — his disguise proving something of a letdown — finds himself incarcerated in Scotland Yard, in a case of mistaken identity. Discovering that his doppelganger is none other than Karl Marx, the Captain and his crew are unwittingly caught up in a sinister plot to discredit the communists. From the gloomy streets of Soho to the leafy boulevards of Paris, The pirates! In an Adventure with Communists is a story of intellectual giants, enormous beards, volcanoes and valkyries, doubloons and dancing girls, and a quest to discover whether ham really might be the opium of the people.