Thursday, our guest is journalist Colin Woodard, whose book "The Republic of Pirates" is the basis for a forthcoming TV series starring John Malkovich. Woodard tells the story of the Flying Gang, an 18th century coalition of men like Blackbeard and "Black Sam" Bellamy who were more than just criminals on the high seas. In age of oppressive governments and influential commercial interests, they had their sights set on social and political upheaval. We'll talk about the "golden age" of piracy and the mark it left on our world.
- Colin Woodard is an author and journalist. He is currently State and National Affairs Writer for Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. His books include The Republic of Pirates [Amazon|Indiebound] and American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America [Amazon|Indiebound]
- Woodard's new article The Last Days of Blackbeard appears in the February issue of Smithsonian Magazine.
- Crossbones, starring John Malkovich, is slated to air on NBC this summer.
