Adrian Tinniswood

Adrian Tinniswood is obsessed with all aspects of 17th-century history. When he was researching his last book, The Verneys: A True Story of Love, War and Madness in 17th-century England, he came across Sir Francis Verney, a Buckinghamshire squire who converted to Islam and became a Barbary Coast pirate. That is what led to his current fascination with pirates. Research for his new book, Enemies of Mankind: Tales of the Barbary Pirates, has shown him that the pirates of history are surprisingly similar to the pirates of today.