Angus Konstam

(born 1960 - ) - Aberdeen

Angus Konstam

Although born in Aberdeen, historian Angus Konstam was raised in Orkney. He started a naval scholarship in 1978, studying at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, and history at Aberdeen University. In 1983 he left the navy to study underwater archaeology at St Andrews University, combining his interests in both history and diving. Later jobs included Curator at the Tower of London, and a maritime museum in Key West, Florida.

Since 1999 he has been a full-time writer, and moved back to the UK in 2001 to pursue this career. He is the author of over 50 books; initially writing about Peter the Great for Osprey Military History. Preparing an exhibition on pirates for the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Florida laid the foundations for his first major book, Pirates! : Pirates and Piracy of the Americas (1997), and later books on pirating for Osprey. The History of Pirates, first published in New York in 1999, has sold over 65,000 copies, and he is has written over 30 books for Osprey.

In 2003 Angus Konstam settled in Edinburgh. Many of his books are published by American companies, and not all are available in the UK. He is secretary of the Society of Authors in Scotland, and his most recent book is There Was A Soldier. A more extensive biography can be found on Angus Konstam's website.

  • Cover scan of Blackbeard
    Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate - Hardback
    Blackbeard was one of the most fearsome pirates of his day. Konstam has produced the definitive biography of Blackbeard, from his pirate apprenticeship in the Caribbean to his gory death in a sea battle fought off North Carolina's Outer Banks.
  • Cover scan of British Battlecruisers, 1939-45

    £9.99
    British Battlecruisers, 1939-45 - Paperback
    Tracing the pre-war development of these spectacular warships, then describing their wartime exploits, Konstam uses this to demonstrate their operational and mechanical performance. He examines what life was like on these wartime battlecruisers when they sailed into action.
  • Cover scan of The Forts Of Celtic Britain
    The Forts Of Celtic Britain - Paperback
    In order to defend their lands from outside invaders, the Celts established powerful fortified sites. This work examines these forts, which varied considerably from the mysterious brochs and duns found in northern Britain, to the hill-top forts ranging in size, to the promontory forts that formed powerful coastal strongholds.
  • Cover scan of Hunt The Bismarck
    Hunt The Bismarck - Paperback
    The breakout of the German battleship Bismarck into the North Atlantic in May 1941 was one of the most dramatic naval episodes of World War II. For nine days it became the most sought after ship in the world. This is a new illustrated account of the episode.
  • Cover scan of Piracy: The Complete History
    Piracy: The Complete History - Hardback
    Pirate expert Angus Konstam sails through the brutal history of piracy, from the pirates who plagued the ancient Egyptians to the Viking raids and on to the era of privateers. He then discusses the 'Golden Age of Piracy' and colourful characters like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, before examining the phenomenon of the modern pirate.
  • Cover scan of Privateers & Pirates, 1730-1830
    Privateers & Pirates, 1730-1830 - Paperback
    This text details the privateer captains of the golden age of 'state-sponsored piracy' - men such as John Paul Jones, Jean Lafitte, and Benito de Soto. It includes episodes such as Bonhomme Richard's epic battle with HMS Serapis.
  • Cover scan of Salerno 1943
    Salerno 1943: The Allied Invasion Of Italy - Hardback
    This is the story of the tense, bitter struggle around the Salerno beach-head which decided the issue and changed the course of the campaign - for those ten critical days the fate of Italy hung in the balance. Using documentary records, memoirs and eyewitness accounts, Konstam recreates every stage of the battle.
  • Cover scan of San Juan 1898
    San Juan 1898 - Paperback
    The background to this conflict, covered here, lay in the Cuban insurrection of 1895-1898 and its suppression by Cuba's Spanish overlords. The author, Angus Konstam, has researched extensively into the primary source materials.
  • Cover scan of Scapa Flow

    £11.99
    Scapa Flow: The Defences Of Britain's Great Fleet Anchorage, 1914-45 - Paperback
    This text recounts the war history of Scapa Flow, a strategically important natural harbour in the Orkney Islands, which served as Britain's main fleet anchorage during World Wars I and II.
  • Cover scan of Sovereigns Of The Sea
    Sovereigns Of The Sea: The Quest To Build The Perfect Renaissance Battleship - Hardback
    Charting the politics, technological innovations & the histories of the ships, this work follows the course of the European battle for maritime supremacy, from the marriage of guns and ships in the mid-15th century to the grandiose national flagships 200 years later that led to the ship of the line.
  • Cover scan of There Was A Soldier
    There Was A Soldier: First-Hand Accounts Of The Scottish Soldier From 1707 To The Present Day - Hardback
    For hundreds of years, the Scottish soldier has been recording his experiences. The result is a wealth of primary information, telling the story of the Scottish soldiers who fought in Europe, America, Africa, India & the Far East. Included in this collection are song lyrics, poems, Highland anecdotes, official reports & interviews.

Internet Links

Angus Konstam's Bibliography

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