ake a step back in history and relive the terror of spotting a skull-and-crossbones flag with this fascinating look at the treacherous pirate ships that haunted the high seas in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Sneaky, speedy and deathly dangerous, these vessels ruined the careers and lives of many law-abiding sailors. The renegades who manned them lived outside t

In the golden age of exploration, when Spanish ships loaded with New World gold struggled across the seas to their homeland, one sight feared by all sailors was the dreaded "Jolly Roger" flag.

Under this threatening flag sailed the The Pirate Ships, swift, agile and dangerous. The Great Ships takes to the high seas alongside the pirates for a thrilling look at one of the most storied chapters in maritime history. Hear tales of legendary pirates like Sir Henry Morgan, whose band of buccaneers captured Panama in 1671! Details of the pirates' life is revealed through their own writings, and the stories of those who suffered at their hands. Get an up-close look at the ships that bore the pirates to glory or death through period art and computer reconstructions, and see incredible footage of recently discovered pirate and treasure ships in their watery graves.

Join the History Channel for a thrilling look at this fabled era, and the men and ships whose names have become legend.