The Italian places attacked by pirates between 1516 and 1798. Naturally, people tended to move inland, and to steep places that were harder to attack. Think of that next time you see an Italian village on a steep hill.

In my new release, Hook, Lyon and Sinker, the hero’s life is completely changed by Barbary pirates.

The Barbary states were a collection of North Africa states along what was known as the Barbary Coast. Through until the early 19th century, these states sponsored three kinds of economic activity that other nations eventually ended by force: slave-taking, abduction for ransom, and a protection racket.

The ships that operated out of their ports attacked ships of other nations sailing in the Mediterranean and out into the North Atlantic and also conducted raids into coastal areas in the Mediterranean, the west coast of North Africa, and what is now Europe.

They took goods, but also people who would either become slaves or–if they had wealthy relatives–be offered for ransom. Some of the slaves were offered for redemption, and various charities were set up in Europe and the United States to collect money to buy these captives out of slavery.

Muslims being forbidden to enslave (or even rob) other Muslims, the corsairs attacked any underprotected European or American ship that strayed into their path, thus combining the religious duty of harrying the infidel with the economic pleasure of making a profit.

Except when those ships came under the third kind of activity. The protection racket was an agreement that their ships would not attack ships showing the flag of a nation or merchant who had paid tribute to stop such attacks.

It was not until France took over Algiers in 1830 that the last of the barbary pirates ceased operating out of those ports.