This has been hit upon over the course of several other Frequently Asked Questions about Pirate History. I would suggest looking over there first, and if something more specific isn't answered there, post a follow up question:
r/AskHistorians's FAQ for Pirate History

In addition to the FAQ section already mentioned, I will note that the AskHistorians podcast just did the first of a two part episode on piracy, featuring /u/davidAOP himself.