You've probably heard of a few pirates including: horrible Henry Morgan and his flaming fire ships; awful Anne Bonny and her flaming temper; and, barmy Blackbeard and his — er — flaming black beard. But have you heard that: Henry Morgan ate his own shoes? Anne Bonny scared strong men shirtless? Blackbeard guzzled his rum with a dash of dynamite? Now you can get the inside story from pirates' long-lost log-books, read the terrible truth about real pirate life and find out all about the biggest, baddest buccaneers who ever sailed the bounding main! The book is horribly funny, horribly gripping, and horribly famous.

The atmosphere of Bleak House, the sensuous thrill of Perfume, and the mystery of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell all combine in a story of murder, deceit, love, and revenge in Victorian England. After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper. So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver--booklover, scholar, and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. A chance discovery convinces him that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. Overwhelmed by his discovery, he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he knows is rightfully his. Glyver's path to reclaim his prize leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels, and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England's most beautiful and enchanting country houses, and finally to a consuming love for the beautiful but enigmatic Emily Carteret. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition. And at every turn, driving Glyver irresistibly onward, is his deadly rival: the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt. The Meaning of Night is an enthralling novel that will captivate readers right up to its final thrilling revelation.