Peter Simple

by Frederick Marryat, Louis J. Parascandola (Introduction)

In this seminal story of naval life during the Napoleonic War, Frederick Murrayat's young hero embarks upon a life at sea and finds it be a rough school indeed. Simple's trials and triumphs, alongside his faithful mentor, Terence O'Brien, Mirror Marryat's personal experience, from the hand-to-hand combat of cutting-out missions to the devastating hurricane off St. Pierre and the mutiny aboard the "Rattlesnake". "Peter Simple" is a towering tale from the great age of sail, filled with keen wit, vivid characters, and gripping adventure.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Nautical, Adventure, Audiobook, British Literature

482 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1834

About the author

Captain Frederick Marryat was a British Royal Navy officer and novelist, an early pioneer of the sea story.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic...

Reviews

[Steve R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly charming blend of bildungsroman, anecdotal incidents of both the perilous and humorous variety and truly imaginative characterization, this 1833 novel never ceased to engage. Told in virtually a picaresque manner, it progresses from incident to incident, with only a couple of major concerns dominating the overall narrative.

Peter is as gullible as they come when, as a fourteen-year-old, he is essentially cast off by his family, for their practice is that the most foolish of all their children must join the navy. The dupe he is played for by both his shipmates and the girls on the docks are almost laughably obvious, but his earnest, moral nature never allows him to perceive the fool of which he is being made. Self-effacing to a fault, he never seems to stick up for himself, but rather allows his purity of soul to carry him through one vicissitude after another. Eight years later, as a lieutenant, he is capable of making insightful analyses on the evils of slavery, the degradation of the lower orders by the practice of primogeniture then adhered to by the aristocracy and the grievous lack of knowledge of navigation required by captains of ships in the Royal Navy. It is a true education, and a virtual flowering of his latent goodwill and sense of moral balance.

Both page-turning suspense and laugh-out-loud incidents abound. Captain Savage shows his acute seamanship in keeping their man-o-war off the rocks in a gale; Peter’s friend O’Brien, having been taken for dead and buried in the sand on a beach, is startled by a girl who steps on his nose which protrudes from the soil; the devastation of a hurricane which overcame both a town in Martinique and Peter’s crew in longboats is vividly described; his father’s increasing infirmity of mind has him imagining he is filling with air and will soon float away only to later believe he is a water pump and then a donkey. Averaging at the most about five pages in length, these anecdotes succeed one another in such a quick manner that the reader is never allowed to become weighed down by tedious descriptions.

There are many bizarre characters with whom Peter comes in contact, but my favourite had to be Captain Horton, whom his crew nicknamed ‘Sloth’ for his overwhelming embrace of a totally sedentary lifestyle. During a raging storm, he remains in his cabin, and when summoned to give advice to the crew, only responds ‘Tell me when it blows harder’. When they reply that it cannot blow any harder, he laconically instructs them to ‘Call me when it blows less hard’. Then, there is Captain Kearney, who is so fond of telling fabrications of the truth that the crew says that it is only by accident that he tells something which is actually real. On his tomb, some wag underlined the verb in the phrase: ‘Here lies Captain Kearney’. The ship’s carpenter who believes that all personalities and events reappear on Earth every 26,672 years; Chucks, who wants so much to be a gentleman that he doesn’t mind dying since he is wearing a captain’s uniform and the thoroughly mean-spirited Captain Hawkins are further examples of the outlandish persona with whom Simple has to deal and manages to do so in ways which give the narrative so much life.

Highly recommended and a thoroughly pleasant, diverting read.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1834. Frederick Marryat (1792-1848) was a British Royal Naval officer, novelist and knew Charles Dickens. Marryat developed the widely used system of maritime flag signaling known as Marryat’s Code. He wrote a semiautobiographical novel “The Midshipman Easy.” He is famous as an early pioneer of sea stories.

This book is probably the most accurate account about life at sea in the Napoleonic era as it was mostly likely taken from the authors own experiences. Patrick O’Brian had stated he was inspired by Marryat’s writings.

Marryat writes with such vivid descriptions it makes the story most enjoyable. Peter Simple is a young British Midshipman sailing for fame and fortune in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic War. Marryat writes with humor and the English is as it was in 1834. Marryat provides the reader with the slang of the sailing navy of the time along with the definitions. The social life reveals life as it was then including the prejudices and racism of the period. The author is a great story teller and he writes mainly of human nature.

If you enjoy sea stories of the Napoleonic era you will most certainly enjoy this story. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Frederick Davidson narrated the book.

[Jersy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really wholesome book about coming of age and making a career at sea.
This story is full of humor, excitement, character moments and sweet relationships. While most of it consists of seperate little occurrences and stories, there are some consistent arks throughout the book.
The author himself was a navy officer, so I could rely on the book being accurate about the depection of on-board activities.
The ending felt a little rushed, a lot of things were happening all of the sudden, but it still ended quite satisfyingly.
It's a book for all ages and I highly recommend it.

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Said it before, but I'll say it again...I love this author!!!

This is an early Marryat (his fourth to be exact) and I marvel so at his command of the language.

I know it has become generally known that a good book "should" catch you in the first sentence, but I don't go by that rule all that much as many, many, books fail to do so and only improve upon further acquaintence.

However, Marryat can be counted on to hook the reader immediately.

1st paragraph:

"If I cannot narrate a life of adventurous and daring exploits, fortunately I do not have any heavy sins to confess; and, if I do not rise in the estimation of the reader for acts of gallantry and devotion in my country's cause, at least I may claim the merit of zealous and persevering continuance in my vocation. We are all of us variously gifted from Above, and he who is content to walk, instead of to run, on his allotted path through life, although he may not so rapidly attain the goal, has the advantage of not being out of breath upon arrival." (emphasis added)

So begins "Peter Simple" who is sent off to sea because, "it has been from time immemorial the heathenish custom to sacrifice the greatest fool of the family to the prosperity and naval superiority of our country, and, at age of fourteen, I was selected as the victim."

I understand that 19th century naval fiction isn't for everyone, but Marryat is completely deserving of a foray into the untested. I don't think you'd be sorry.

His one detraction, which was the worst in his first book "Frank Mildmay" cursing, such as "d--n your eyes" etc. (as written, with spaces, not the whole word,) but he cleaned that up in the later novels, and there is none of it in his books for children. Fairly mild in this one.

This book was absolutely a delight to read. Any boy (or other discerning human) would enjoy it greatly. I would say probably 14 and up, only because Marryat's characters always fall in love and get married and what youngster under 14 or so cares about that element?

Adventures and trials and triumphs aplenty. k

BTW, if anyone is interested...I may be induced to loan one of my two copies, or the audio version which I have on CD.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Peter Simple is given a place aboard ship as a midshipman, and he tells us his adventures on the high seas. He distinguishes himself in battle, earning the respect and admiration of his fellow officers. He is shipwrecked, imprisoned, and somehow manages to fall in love in the middle of it all. Peter meets a variety of interesting characters all over the world, who play a part in his epic story.

The plot is full of action and intrigue, betrayal and sneaking plots, raging storms and bloody battles, and of course a little romance. I love the setting of the British frigates cruising through the West Indies looking for trouble with the French. The politics of a warship, and the little rivalries between officers make the story even more dramatic.

I especially liked the concept of "honor" and "chivalry" between the French and British officers. Often prisoners (mostly officers) would be "put on parole", where a prisoner gives his word of honor that he will not try to escape, so he is set at liberty to roam around town, and told to report to the jail in a few weeks. These men had such a high sense of honor that they would not even take a chance of escaping if it meant besmirching their integrity. I love these high ideals!

Peter is painfully naive at the beginning of the book, earning the double meaning of his "Simple" surname. He is foolish and silly and ignorant of the ways of the world, but he begins to grow and learn and becomes a little more wary. However, despite his loss of childish innocence, he never loses his gentle heart, his generosity, and solid sense of fairness. He rises to meet every challenge with vigor and honesty.
He thoroughly embarrasses himself in the beginning, but gradually you see him develop into a strong man, a wise officer, and a capable gentleman. The best part of this book was that beautiful character development! I adore Peter from start to finish!

I really loved the friendship between Peter and O'Brien, and how they stick together through thick and thin. Their loyal friendship is one of the pillars of this book, and a strong emotional force to draw the reader into the story.

The ending was very rushed, suddenly throwing things together in about 15 pages. The story definitely could have used a little more denouement.

Minor spoilers with no names mentioned:
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The ending was hurried and slapdash with ridiculously convenient circumstances resolving each difficulty all at once.
One of the villains conveniently dies in an accident at the last second, and another villain is killed in a duel... conveniently... at the last second. After years of separation, the major love interest just happens to show up in England.... conveniently... at the right time.
The long-lost relative that no one can find, who has disappeared without a trace just happens to be at the theater the same night that Peter just happens to go to the theater.... conveniently.... at the right theater.
That woman who was needed as a witness at the trial just happens to come back from years and years in India... conveniently... just before the trial.

All of this happens in the last 15 pages!! It's a bit too much. The ending needed more finesse, but the rest of the book is wonderful!

[Charles Merzbacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though largely forgotten today, Frederick Marryat was a successful author in his day. Nowadays, he mostly appears in footnotes and asides, particularly with respect to the work of Patrick O’Brien. Marryat is sometimes mentioned as a forebearer in the genre of nautical fiction epitomized by O’Brien. Once thus invoked, his name is allowed to recede into dust.

Judging by Peter Simple— my first foray into Marryat’s literary output— it’s a shame that Marryat is thus neglected. Marryat was a clever writer, and he knew his subject, having served as a captain in the British navy in the early 19th century. His descriptions of sailing maneuvers and warfare have the tang of experience. I continue to admire O’Brien’s seafaring fiction, but in reading Marryat, I kept having the sense of discovering buried treasure, or more specifically having discovered the trove of material from which O’Brien drew not just technical information but narrative ideas as well.

Peter Simple morphs curiously as it unfolds. In its first pages, it reads like a picaresque fable in the vein of Cervantes. In place of fully drawn characters, we have a parade of stereotypes, each tagged with descriptive sobriquets (Peter Simple, Lord Privilege, etc.) that needlessly underscore their essential qualities. From this unpromising start, the book develops into a series of increasingly complex comic set pieces such that by the midpoint, the reader is enjoying an amusing bildungsroman. In its second half, the narrative develops real cultural and historic sweep, with visits to far-flung ports and episodes of international intrigue. In its final chapters, Marryat borrows from the machinations of penny dreadful suspense to bring his story to a neat conclusion.

All of which is to say that there is a great deal going on here, and—setting aside the rather clumsy start of his saga—Marryat navigates these shifting modes of storytelling with surprising panache. It’s my understanding that this novel was published in serial form, which probably accounts for some of its vicissitudes, since the author didn’t have the luxury of editing his work as a whole before sending it out to his public. If this brings Dickens to mind, the association is entirely apt, for Marryat was not only a contemporary of Dickens but a member of his circle. It’s easy to imagine Dickens admiring Marryat’s work and even drawing insights from the latter’s keen observations of the working class.

But Dickens isn’t the only author that Marryat’s writing may have inspired. Though his novels and stories are far removed from Marryat in both time and setting, I wonder if P.G. Wodehouse weened himself on Marryat’s fiction. In his mix of guilelessness and capability, the character of Peter Simple brings no one more clearly to mind than Bertie Wooster.

Like Wodehouse, Marryat manages to pull off a breezy tone, but he also occasionally shows a taste for ribaldry that evokes the memory of jaded and jolly precursors like Fielding and Thackeray. For instance, Marryat faithfully reproduces several sailor’s curses in all their glorious and epic vulgarity. In this respect, the book is an interesting artifact, revealing the early Victorian era to be less restrained than one might guess.

Indeed, Peter Simple offers a useful and vivid look into a particular period in British history, and this means that it features many of the prejudices and practices of its time. There are scenes of domestic violence, and cultural stereotypes abound. Reckoning with these vestiges from the past also allows us to see Marryat in full, for it seems he was not simply blinkered to issues of race and equality. Amid all the casual racism that marks this text, the reader will also find a call for the criminalization of all slave-trafficking. This is just one of the many surprises that makes Peter Simple a voyage well worth taking.

[M. Kei · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful novel by a man who was himself a naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars, it concerns the adventures of Peter Simple, the 'greatest fool in his family,' as he becomes a midshipman, falls in love, has adventures, and rises to high position. It bears a great resemblance to Voltaire's Candide in the earstwhile hero who suffers many adventures, falls in with colorful characters, who in turn relate their own adventures, including how they managed to survive a variety of picturesque deaths. The difference is that Marryat believes in happy endings, and although comedy abounds, the tale comes to a satisfying 'happily ever after' ending. The numerous digressions make it more a collection of anecdotes that an actual novel, but there is a rather tenuous thread strung through it as various friends work on Peter's behalf to secure his inheritance from a usurping uncle.

[Radosław Magiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Są pisarze, których twórczość można rozpatrywać nie wspominając o nich samych oraz tacy, którzy są z nią związani w sposób sprawiający, iż ich dzieł nie można prawidłowo ocenić bez wiedzy o ich życiu i czasach, jak również wszelkie możliwe kombinacje pośrednie pomiędzy wspomnianymi skrajnościami. Frederick Marryat jest świetnym przykładem twórcy, który na wieki pozostanie częścią swej epoki.


Marryat to nazwisko znane, przynajmniej ze słyszenia, każdemu miłośnikowi marynistyki. Pierwszą część niezwykle barwnego życia, które przypadło na przełom wieku XVIII i XIX, przyszły pisarz poświęcił służbie w brytyjskiej marynarce wojennej, do której wstąpił już w wieku lat 14(!). Odnosząc sukcesy na tym polu zaczął jednocześnie pisać. Początkowo były to teksty publicystyczne związane z jego pracą, jak te wyrażające sprzeciw wobec nieprawidłowości w brytyjskiej marynarce i społeczeństwie. Do dziś docenia się jego zasługi dla marynarki, nie ograniczające się tylko do niezwykłego bohaterstwa, ale i do twórczych osiągnięć, jak wynalezienie łodzi ratunkowych czy opracowanie książki kodów sygnałowych, która była używana na całym świecie. Obecnie znany jest jednak przede wszystkim jako powieściopisarz marynistyczny.

Proza Marryata jest niezwykle ciekawa. Krytycy tradycyjnie jej nie doceniają, w przeciwieństwie do czytelników, którzy nadal, po prawie dwóch wiekach, znajdują w niej upodobanie.

Prawie każda biografia czy notka encyklopedyczna inne dzieła Fredericka Marryata uznaje za najwartościowsze. To pokazuje, jak trudnym orzechem do zgryzienia dla krytyków są jego powieści, jak ich istota wymyka się stetryczałemu profesjonalizmowi teoretyków literatury. Może dlatego, iż ci panowie są świetnie przygotowani do oceny formalnych zalet dzieł literackich, ale z powodu oderwania od życia i rzeczywistości nie mają kompetencji do weryfikacji takich aspektów jak wierność morskim realiom, szczególny klimat świata żaglowców czy, ogólniej rzecz biorąc, realizm. Ilu z nich bowiem widziało na swe oczy nieodwracalną obojętność śmierci czy przejmujące do szpiku kości piękno sztormu miotającego żaglowcem? Może dlatego są w miarę zgodni w wartościowaniu dzieł tworzonych przez ludzi, którzy tematu nie poznali na własnej skórze, a tak często różnią się w ocenach, gdy chodzi o ludzi piszących o tym, na czym się znają?

Peter Simple (po naszemu Piotruś Prostaczek), to opowieść o życiu i przygodach angielskiego chłopca, który jako najmłodszy z rodzeństwa zostaje wysłany na morze, zgodnie z ówczesną brytyjską tradycją, by marynarce oddawać najmłodszego, gdyż nie dziedziczy, lub najgłupszego, gdyż nie rokuje*. Największą zaletą powieści jest oczywiście wierność ówczesnym realiom, nie ograniczająca się tylko i wyłącznie do spraw morskich. Prawdopodobnie to leży u podstaw faktu, iż najlepszymi nazwiskami w marynistyce są często byli ludzie morza. Klimat i romantyzm świata żaglowców jest oddany w prawdziwą maestrią, co zresztą sprawia, iż szczury lądowe, nie potrafiące odróżnić bukszprytu od baksztagu, powinny się w trakcie lektury wspierać odpowiednim słownikiem, najlepiej ilustrowanym, inaczej utracą zbyt wiele. Przygody głównego bohatera, których tradycyjnie nie będę opisywał, są godne sfilmowania w Holywood. Na pewno wymagałoby to rekordowego budżetu, ale efekt byłby niesamowity i z pewnością nie tak infantylny, jak Piraci z Karaibów.

Książka zaludniona jest mnóstwem barwnych postaci. Można mieć nawet wrażenie, na tle ubóstwa person drugoplanowych dzisiejszej literatury, iż są aż nazbyt charakterystyczne, gdyby nie fakt, iż jak twierdzą znawcy, Marryat używał w swej twórczości sylwetek osób napotkanych w trakcie swych rzeczywistych wojaży. Mamy w Peterze Simple wszystko to, co uwielbiają dzisiejszy czytelnicy (i czytelniczki), a także kinomani, czyli knowania podstępnych krewnych, wielkie miłości, niesamowite zwroty intrygi oraz niepowtarzalny, bezcenny humor. Wszystko zaś przesycone jest autentyzmem nie do podrobienia, który może osiągnąć tylko bystry obserwator piszący o swoich czasach i swojej pasji. Dzisiejszy autor nie jest w stanie, choćby nie wiadomo jak się przykładał, oddać w każdym szczególe sposobu myślenia, widzenia i oceniania świata charakterystycznego dla ówczesnego społeczeństwa i w dodatku zależnego od pozycji społecznej każdej postaci.

Z Piotrusiem zapoznałem się po raz pierwszy jako nastolatek, zanim jeszcze sam poznałem smak słonego pyłu pchanego sztormem i niepowtarzalny trzask rozdzieranych szkwałem żagli. Było to wiele, wiele lat temu. Wówczas po prostu bardzo mi się podobał, gdyż podsycał mój pęd ku morzu. Teraz przeczytałem go ponownie i stwierdziłem, że jest w nim ukrytych wiele perełek, których wcześniej nie doceniałem. Do tego potrzeba jednak trochę doświadczenia życiowego, znajomości życia i dystansu do świata. Można więc powiedzieć, iż Peter Simple to powieść dla każdego, od nastolatków poczynając, a na staruszkach kończąc. Warunkiem jest znajomość morskiej terminologii. W razie jej braku musimy zaopatrzyć się w protezę w postaci odpowiedniego leksykonu. Tylko to pozwoli nam oderwać się od rzeczywistości i przenieść się na pokład brytyjskiej fregaty. Jeśli ten warunek spełnimy, każdy znajdzie w Peterze własne wartości i na swój sposób doceni piękno tej rozbudowanej powieści, o czym z pełną odpowiedzialnością Was zapewniam

recenzja pierwotnie opublikowana na blogu klub-aa.blogspot.com dokąd zapraszam na wymianę wrażeń z lektury i nie tylko

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, if long, story! This book follows the life of Peter Simple from the beginning of his life until well, that would be telling! The last few chapters I stayed up most of the night to read!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rollicking, light-hearted sea tale set in the time of the Napoleonic wars. I really enjoyed this, much more than the Hornblower series, to be honest, because it doesn't go into minute detail about all the bad stuff that happened onboard ship in the days when fourteen-year-olds were sent to sea as officers (shakes head). I also suspect several plot points were taken from here and applied to Horatio, though it's no cut-and-paste job.

If you like your sea stories with fun and excitement as opposed to gritty realism (it is realistic, just doesn't go into unnecessary - to me - detail), I highly recommend this one.

[Vincent Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent episodic account of the life of a young seaman in the age of the Napoleonic Wars. Rousing, very funny and historically informative. If you’re P.C. sensitive this is not the book for you....it was written in 1834 with all prejudices and opinions of the era.

[Elizabeth Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost put this book down, I thought the first 15% was so boring, but I'm glad I persevered. This book has adventure, integrity, and lots of naval life in it. However, I think my favorite part was when Peter was captured and all the shenanigans that happened as he attempted to escape.

[Gu Kun · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the last twenty pages of this 507-page book that bring it down one star. That chance discovery by his bosom friend of the protagonist confined in Bedlam, followed by a hasty happy ending, was too much of a stretch. Pity.

[Zaira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Versión cómic.

[Caitlín K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Peter Simple has been told he lives up to his surname, and when he joins Nelson's Navy (as it is the "custom to sacrifice the greatest fool of the family to the prosperity and naval superiority of the country"), he certainly fits the role; He's a naïve boy of fourteen when he boards the H.M.S. Diomede, still prone to tears, sure to believe any lie he is told, and ripe for tormenting. But he learns--albeit slowly--and is soon off having adventures, both daring and embarrassing, with his friend O'Brien. At first I found Peter to be almost pathetic, but he grows on you, as do the rest of the characters. Peter's ship and acquaintances are filled with some rather eccentric characters, such as the captain who swears every lie he tells (which are many) is the truth, the carpenter who believes the history of the world repeats itself every 27,672 years, and more.

Overall, this book was good; some parts were funny, others sad, the long seafaring stories told by the crew were broken up into two or more chapters so you didn’t get bored, and the ending was satisfactory. Also the version I read (not listed on this site) had helpful footnotes and explanations of sailing terms, Marryat's typos, and archaic words and phrases, making the reading experience even better.
One of the coolest things about this book is that the author was actually once Captain Frederick Marryat and served in the Royal Navy during the nineteenth-century, giving the events that take place in the book a deeper credibility.

But so you know, there were a few racial stereotypes throughout the book--especially when Peter's ship was moored in Barbados—which bothered me slightly, but I reminded myself that it was first published in 1833 and that's probably what most of the gentry's opinions would have been.

[Kate Millin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up to read as I have fond memories of reading 'The children of the New Forest' written by the same author when I was a child (even though I don't remember much of the story). I found this very interesting and readable despite being written in the early 19th century - although it was a slow read.

Simple, peter may have been at the start. Early i the story , there is a delightful scene where he finds that his ship-mates have been using his account with the bumboat woman to make their own purchases and yet another when the young innocent wanders into the red light district and is accosted by 'a young lady, very nicely dressed "Well, Reefer, how are you off for soap"' she said....'

But he does not stay simple for long; by the end of this yarn Peter has become Viscount Privilege, a husband and father. he is no longer the fool, but the head of the family. The intervening chapters are full of high adventure - the old sailing navy is portrayed with realism and attendance to detail.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verhalen over avonturen op zee spraken zeer tot mijn verbeelding in mijn jeugd. Dat een echte kapitein dit boek heeft geschreven, heeft daartoe bijgedragen. Het heeft mij geboeid.
Ik heb overigens een Nederlandse editie gelezen: 'De lotgevallen van Pieter Simpel' naverteld door P. de Zeeuw J.Gzn, als deel 29 in de serie Oud Goud uitgegeven door G.B. van Goor Zonen, 2e druk (jaar niet vermeld, in de beschrijving gegokt en 1960 vermeld; 1e druk is uit 1953). JM

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember that I loved this book. Sadly, no luckly, I cannot remember the details of it. I know I read a lot of it in the cold winter of Canberra, tucked away in a bath. It was my last year at ANU and I just recall that the words were beautiful and stole me away from my reality. I must read this again. LOL- i wonder what I thought of the story other than it was a 'Boys Own' adventure?

[Steve Goble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young man joins the Royal Navy and learns the ropes from a colorful cast of mentors. The book is slow-paced to start, and rather old-fashioned, but it is a good read. It also is rather humorous in many aspects. Fun stuff.

[Cheryl Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled across this in another book and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. There was a little too much about sailing, but as it was the fictional autobiography of a UK sailor in the early 1800's, that was to be expected. I would highly recommend it.

[Julia Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting for its depictions of the experiences and work of a British sailor of the period. And endearing for the main character: a young man of good will and honor, disposed and discounted as "the fool of the family."

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. The author has an uncommon knack for humor and turn of phrase.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this swashbuckling snapshot into British naval history. All the maritime vocab threw me a bit, but the underlying story was solid and a real page turner.

[Bogi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old friend I read as a child and I still like it at the age of 60!

[Samantha Glasser]

Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21577/...

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious. Very enjoyable.

[Shiruji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a Norwegian version of it printed in 1925. Very funny humour in this book.

[Matthew Ewoldt]

This a wonderfully rollicking, frolicking sea story that is extremely hard to lay down once you have had the privilege of being piped aboard her. It has all the essentials of becoming a frequent visitor to one's most beloved books. It had something for everyone, romance; thrills, danger, betrayal and revenge.