The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists
Encyclopedia
The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists is the first book in The Pirates!
series by Gideon Defoe
dealing with a hapless crew of pirates. It was published in 2004 by Orion Books (ISBN 0-297-84885-2).
and Mister Bobo, a highly trained and sophisticated "man-panzee", who have been exiled from London by a rival scientist. Having sunk The Beagle, which he believed was a Bank of England treasure ship thanks to a tip-off from Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain agrees to take Darwin home and help him defeat his enemies.
His pirates are never given names, only descriptions, such as "the pirate with a scarf", "the pirate in green" and "the pirate with gout". These descriptions are used consistently throughout the series for each character, and the pirates occasionally refer to each using them, but always use "The Pirate Captain" as if it were their captain's name.
We are also introduced to Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain's cunning and black-hearted arch nemesis, and Jennifer, a sensible Victorian Lady who becomes an invaluable member of the crew.
, and in particular the Pirate Captain's prize honey-glazed ham; the relationship between the Pirate Captain and his crew; and the use of footnotes to introduce historical and scientific facts relevant to the narrative.
The book is not aimed at children, and much of the humour relies on an adult appreciation of cliché and irony, though children may well enjoy it.
is adapting the first two books of the series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists, and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling
, into a 3-D stop-motion animated film internationally titled The Pirates! Band of Misfits. The film is set for release on March 28, 2012, and it is being directed by Peter Lord
, the director of Chicken Run
.
The Pirates!
The Pirates! is a series of four comedy books following a group of pirates on their adventures. It is written by British author Gideon Defoe and was published starting in 2004 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson...
series by Gideon Defoe
Gideon Defoe
Gideon Defoe is a British writer and author of The Pirates!, a series of comedy books following a group of pirates on their adventures.His publisher claims that Gideon started writing stories about pirates to convince a young lady to leave her boyfriend for him .-Bibliography:*The Pirates!...
dealing with a hapless crew of pirates. It was published in 2004 by Orion Books (ISBN 0-297-84885-2).
Plot
The book is set in 1837, and follows the adventures of "The Pirate Captain" and his crew of non-orthodox pirates. They meet a young Charles DarwinCharles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and Mister Bobo, a highly trained and sophisticated "man-panzee", who have been exiled from London by a rival scientist. Having sunk The Beagle, which he believed was a Bank of England treasure ship thanks to a tip-off from Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain agrees to take Darwin home and help him defeat his enemies.
Characters
The Pirate Captain is vain, self-deluded and mostly incompetent as a pirate and as a sea captain, but he's ultimately kind-hearted and very much respected by his crew. He doesn't appear to possess any of the stereotypical pirate accoutrements, though he dresses in the traditional manner, and much is made of his luxuriant beard. He is said to have a "pleasant, open face", though he is quite successful at terrifying non-pirates.His pirates are never given names, only descriptions, such as "the pirate with a scarf", "the pirate in green" and "the pirate with gout". These descriptions are used consistently throughout the series for each character, and the pirates occasionally refer to each using them, but always use "The Pirate Captain" as if it were their captain's name.
We are also introduced to Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain's cunning and black-hearted arch nemesis, and Jennifer, a sensible Victorian Lady who becomes an invaluable member of the crew.
Series
The book introduces many themes and devices that are revisited throughout the series, including the Pirate Captain's bizarre behaviour and ridiculous schemes; the pirates' love of hamHam
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
, and in particular the Pirate Captain's prize honey-glazed ham; the relationship between the Pirate Captain and his crew; and the use of footnotes to introduce historical and scientific facts relevant to the narrative.
The book is not aimed at children, and much of the humour relies on an adult appreciation of cliché and irony, though children may well enjoy it.
Film
Aardman AnimationsAardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
is adapting the first two books of the series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists, and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling
The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling
The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling is the second book in The Pirates! series by Gideon Defoe, published in 2005 by The Orion Publishing Group....
, into a 3-D stop-motion animated film internationally titled The Pirates! Band of Misfits. The film is set for release on March 28, 2012, and it is being directed by Peter Lord
Peter Lord
Peter Lord CBE is a British film producer, director and co-founder of the Academy award-winning Aardman Animations studio, an animation firm best known for its clay animated films and shorts, particularly those featuring plasticine duo Wallace & Gromit.-Biography:In cooperation with David...
, the director of Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
.