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Pirate Enlightenment

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Pirate Enlightenment
AuthorDavid Graeber
SubjectAnthropology
PublisherFarrar Straus & Giroux
Publication date
January 2023
Pages208
ISBN9780374610203

Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia is a 2023 book by David Graeber.

Description

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In Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia, author David Graeber argues that Ratsimilaho of the Zana-Malata Malagasy ethnic group and descendent of a pirate oversaw a period of democracy and peace as a precursor to the Age of Enlightenment. Graeber contests the common portrayal of Ratsimilaho as a European civilizer.[1]

Publication

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The author, pictured in 2015

The book began as an expansion of a chapter of Graeber's On Kings (2017). Revisiting his early 1990s anthropology dissertation work in Madagascar, Graeber focused on the Zana-Malata and Betsimisaraka ethnic groups.[1] Graeber finished writing the book in 2013.[2]

Allen Lane acquired the book's UK rights via Janklow & Nesbit in September 2022.[3] Its first print run with Farrar Straus & Giroux was 200,000 copies in the United States.[4]

Reception

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Pirate Enlightenment placed on LitHub and The Guardian's most anticipated books of 2023.[5][6] Upon its release, it appeared on the Indie Bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction, based on reporting from independent bookstores in the United States.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dean, Sam (January 21, 2023). "Did pirates advance democracy? David Graeber's last book makes the case". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  2. ^ Polonsky, Naomi (October 31, 2022). "A Joyous Carnival to Celebrate David Graeber's Lasting Legacy". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Bayley, Sian (September 21, 2022). "Allen Lane to publish posthumous book by anthropologist Graeber". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "The On-Sale Calendar: January 2023". Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  5. ^ "Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2023". Literary Hub. January 12, 2023. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Jordan, Justine; Shariatmadari, David (December 31, 2022). "2023 in books: highlights for the year ahead". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  7. ^ "The Indie Bestseller List for the Week Ending Jan. 29, 2023". Daily Freeman. February 1, 2023. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.

Bibliography

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