"[A fictionalized account of] the most powerful pirate in history was a woman who was born into poverty in Guangzhou, China, in the late eighteenth centure. When pirates attacked Zheng Yi Sao's town and the captain took a liking to her, she saw a way out. She agreed to marry him only if she got an equal share of his business. When her husband died, she took command of the fleet. On land and sea, Zheng Yi Sao's power rivaled the emperor himself. Over the next decade, the pirate queen built a fleet of over 1,800 ships and 70,000 men. Time and again, her ships triumphed over the emperor's ships. When she was ready to retire, the pirate queen surrendered--on her own terms, of course"--Provided by publisher.
