The Atrocities of the Pirates, by Aaron Smith (Prion £8.99 in UK)

Aaron Smith, a young British seaman, was captured by Cuban pirates in 1822, while on a voyage from Jamaica to England. As an alternative to beheading or walking the plank, he worked for them as a navigator and even joined in boarding parties, before he managed to escape in Havana. Here, however, he was arrested as a pirate and sent back to England for trial, a case which received much public attention. Smith was acquitted, married, and some years later was again tried and acquitted; his later life is obscure. His account is interesting in itself, but rather short and flatly factual.