Hacking: The Next Generation

Colophon

The image on the cover of Hacking: The Next Generation is a pirate ship, as its pirate flags unmistakably indicate. A pirate flag is also referred to as a Jolly Roger. Among several theories behind the name, the most prominent is that it is an English translation of the French jolie rouge, which literally means “beautiful red.” Pirates used red to conjure violent images of bloodshed and death in the heads of their potential victims.

Pirate flags were not always red, however. In fact, the most famous one is black with a white skull and crossbones. Pirates started adorning their flags with the skull and crossbones designs as early as 1687.

They would raise the Jolly Roger only once their victims were in sight to identify themselves as pirates and to give the other ship the opportunity to surrender. If the opposing ship failed to retreat, the pirates would lower the Jolly Roger and raise a red one to indicate their unwavering intentions to take the ship by force.

The images on the flags communicated to potential captives what the pirates planned to do with them if they did not surrender; for example, a skeleton with horns warned that the pirates intended to impose a slow, tortuous death, while a dart or spear indicated that the pirates were violent and there would undoubtedly be bloodshed. Pirate flags also often featured hourglasses to warn their victims that they were running out of time to surrender without being harmed.

Today some military units use the Jolly Roger with the ...