Forget the drunken brawler. The most prolific pirate of the golden age avoided alcohol, preferred tea, dressed in crimson silk, and enforced a strict code of conduct. This deep dive traces how Welshman Bartholomew Roberts, an underpaid merchant sailor forced into piracy in 1719, captured over 400 ships in just three years.

An expert navigator captured by Howell Davis, Roberts was elected captain after Davis was killed, proved himself with a brutal revenge raid, and built a disciplined criminal enterprise governed by a detailed pirate code before falling to the HMS Swallow in 1722.

• Why his rare navigation skills made him invaluable and then a leader
• The audacious capture of the Sagrada Familia off Brazil
• The pirate code's rules on voting, lights out, and compensation for lost limbs
• His custom flags broadcas ...