Introduction
Captain Johnson's Introduction
The life of Captain Avery
The life of Captain Martel
The life of Captain Teach
The life of Major Bonnet
The life of Captain England
The life of Captain Vane
The life of Captain Rackham
The life of Mary Read
The life of Anne Bonny
The life of Captain Davis
The life of Captain Roberts
The life of Captain Anstis
The life of Captain Worley
The life of Captain Lowther
The life of Captain Low
The life of Captain Evans
The life of Captain Phillips
The life of Captain Spriggs
The life of Captain Gow
The life of Captain Kidd
An account of the piracies and murders committed by Philip Roche, etc.
An abstract of the civil law and statute law now in force in relation to piracy
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography

Charles Johnson's real identity is unknown, but his writing shows a knowledge of the sailor's speech and life, which suggests that he could have been a sea captain. He may also have been a professional writer well versed in the ways of the sea; some have suggested that he might have been the author Daniel Defoe.

A facsimile edition of a classic source for the history of piracy, as used by Robert Louis Stevenson in the writing of Treasure Island.
Captain Charles Johnson's General History of Pirates was one of the best-selling books of 1724, when it was first published. It provides a sweeping account of what has come to be called the Golden Age of Piracy. It went through four editions in two years, and without doubt owed a substantial part of its success to a dramatic writing style that vividly captures the realities of pirates' savage existence. The book contains documentary evidence of events during the lives of its subjects.
In the 270 years since its original publication, Johnson's work has come to be regarded as the classic study of one of the most popular subjects in maritime history.