A General History of the Pyrates

A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates, or simply A General History of the Pyrates, is a 1724 book published in Britain containing biographies of contemporary pirates, which was influential in shaping popular conceptions of pirates. The prime source for the biographies of many well-known pirates, the book gives an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, and it is likely that the author used considerable artistic license in his accounts of pirate conversations. It is not considered a reliable historical source by many modern scholars and academics of pirate history, essentially being fan fiction, and the root of most pirate misconceptions throughout modern history.

Its author uses the name Captain Charles Johnson, generally considered a pen name for one of London's writer-publishers. The book also contains the first recorded use of the name Jolly Roger for the pirate flag, and shows the skull and crossbones design.