The Chinese lady pirate Ching Shih was the most successful pirate of all time, and the Irish pirate Grace O’Malley ran her a close second—but they weren’t alone. Meet Artemisia, the Persian pirate, Alfhild the Viking, and the terrifying and bold Lady Killigrew, who plundered ships from the comfort of her own living room on the rocky coast. These girl pirates (like all pirates, I suppose) had a lot if wild stories told about them, and sometimes it’s hard to sort out the fact from the fiction, although this author gives it a try. But fact or fiction, they’re a lot of fun to read about.