n.org. ahoy, mate and welcome to tonight s great lives presentation on america s ahoy, mates. and welcome to tonight s great lives presentation on america s packs. the top is faltered by the community bank of chesapeake to whom we are grateful for their generous support over the past several years. and it s that kind of commitment that enables it the program to bring to the university in the community outstanding speakers such as our guest tonight. aaron jay dolan is the author of the fascinating book black flags blue waters. the epic history of america s most notorious pirates eric grew up near the coast of new york and connecticut. in from an early age developed an interest in maritime affairs. toward that end, he earned the double major in biology and environmental studies than getting a masters degree in environmental management from yale. that was followed by a ph.d. in environmental policy and planning from mit. where his dissertation focused on the role of the courts i