If a Pirate I Must Be is the story of the many adventures of the early 18th century pirate Bartholomew Roberts, also known as Black Bart. While many perceive pirates as rum-drinking, treasure-hunting savages, Black Bart was quite the opposite. Black Bart was a simple man who was initially reluctant to become a pirate. This book clearly illustrates why Black Bart is said to be the most successful pirate who lived during the Golden Age of Piracy. This book also clearly states how Black Bart influenced the Caribbean and other economies more than one would expect. Roberts was born in May 1862 in the village of Casnewydd Bach, South Wales. As a child, Bartolomeo always wanted the sea. He had the chance to face the sea for the first time by joining the Royal British Navy. Roberts and crew would sail to the west coast of Africa. There the ship he sailed on, the Princess, would pick up and transport the slaves. The slave trade was a very difficult task for the crews. “Roberts knew that at the end of his journey he was more likely to be dead than one of the slaves. Studies conducted later in the century showed that more than one in five slaves died during the three-legged journey between Europe, Africa and the West Indies, compared to one in eight slaves – although, of course, they were only on board for one leg. of the journey." (Page 4) This is the first instance in the book where Roberts clearly impacts the economies of Africa and all other countries involved in the slave trade. The slave trade was a huge business; millions of Africans were sold into slavery every year. On June 6, 1719 along the Gold Coast of West Africa, pirates captured the Princess. At the head of the pirates who captured the Princess was Captain Howell Davis with his two ships, the Royal Rover and the Royal James. Davis was also Welsh and was born a few miles south of the town where Rogers was born. Thirty-four men of the Princess's crew, including Roberts, were forced to join the Davis's crew. “As Roberts looked around the Royal Rover, one of the most striking features of Davis' crew was that nearly a third of the men were black.” (Pages 42-43) It is ironic that Roberts was once at sea transporting black men as slaves, now he works alongside them as his equal.