He stalked the Caribbean trade routes, striking fear into the hearts of all who dared sail the treacherous waters by pillaging no less than forty ships in the short time span of just two years. Now, thanks to the folks at National Geographic, viewers can board the ship of notorious pirate known the world over by the ominous moniker Blackbeard for a two-hour, high-definition look at the exploits of the intelligent and charismatic marauder born Edward Teach. A cunning thief whose terrifying and carefully constructed visage struck fear into the hearts of sailors while inspiring wild stories of wretched savagery, Blackbeard (portrayed here by actor James Purefoy)'s notorious reputation alone was often enough to cause his prey to give up without so much as a fight. With this documentary, history buffs will find out just why the old adage about truth being stranger than fiction has more merit than some give credit for.