Captain MacWhirr cannot fathom anything outside the facts of his own life. His first mate, Mr. Jukes, is the perfect contrast as an imaginative man prone to speaking in figurative language. Though they are opposites, MacWhirr and Jukes respect each other and run a tight ship, until the crew notices the barometer predicting a serve storm. Jukes and the crew suggest alternate paths to MacWhirr, but he is unconvinced. Since MacWhirr has not experienced...

"Almayer’s Folly" (1895) is Joseph Conrad’s debut novel. It centers on the Dutch trader Kaspar Almayer, who comes to Borneo with a suitcaseful of dreams. He settles on the exotic island among the Malays and mainly deals in river trade. His half-Malay daughter, Nina, is met with reluctance by the local community. But Almayer wants to put an end to his waning career as a merchant and hopes to find the island's hidden gold mine, so that he can return...

Joseph Conrad's thrilling history of a fictional South American country, its precious resources, and the men who will decide its fate The fictional country of Costaguana, loosely based on Colombia, has suffered a long string of despots more interested in lining their pockets than strengthening the nation. Discontent simmers throughout the land, but in the major port city of Sulaco, industry chugs along. Keeping the silver flowing are capable men like...

Outside pure Naval history it would be difficult to find any period so full of incident and contest as that which is covered by the exploits of the English Preventive Service in their efforts to deal with the notorious and dangerous bands of smugglers which at one time were a terrible menace to the trade and welfare of our nation. As we shall see from the following pages, their activities covered many decades, and indeed smuggling is not even to-day...

True stories of the stirring adventures, bravery and resource of Pirates, Filibusters & Buccaneers.

Featuring eight works of short fiction, South Sea Tales by Jack London is an adventurous collection with a nautical theme. With settings on islands or ships, South Sea Tales tell the exciting, but often heartbreaking tales of violence, colonialism, and racism. The House of Mapuhi follows the son of a trading magnate, who travels from island to island buying valuable items for his mother's business. When he learns of a brilliant pearl owned by one...

"Dagon" is a 1917 short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. One of the first stories he wrote as an adult, it centres around the recollection of a tortured, morphine-addicted narrator who was captured by a German ship during World War I. After escaping his captors, he drifted for many miles before winding up stranded in a hellish place littered with rotting carcasses and home to an ancient horror. A chilling tale by a master story-teller, "Dagon"...

Captain Fracasse (French: Le Capitaine Fracasse) is an 1863 novel by the French writer Théophile Gautier. It is an adventure novel set in the seventeenth century. The story has been adapted for film and television numerous times. An 1866 edition of the novel was illustrated by Gustave Doré. The novel recounts the story of the baron of Sigognac during the reign of Louis XIII of France (reign 1610-1643), a destitute nobleman who decides to abandon...

This vintage book contains a collection of short stories by American writer Jack London. The stories include: "When God Laughs", "The Apostate", "A Wicked Woman", "Just Meat", "Created He Them", "The Chinago", "Make Westing", "Semper Idem", "A Nose For The King", "The 'Frances Spaight'", "A Curious Fragment", "A Piece Of Steak", etc. John Griffith London (1876 – 1916), commonly known as Jack London, was an American journalist, social activist, and...

The epic life saga of the tenth-century king of Norway from the British author of The Thirsty Sword and other historical adventures. Norse history comes alive in this story of a Viking who became a king. Though he had a humble start in life-orphaned as a child and sold into slavery-Olaf became known for bringing the Roman Catholic religion to the early Norwegians. Olaf's heroic life-from his time in King Valdemar's court to his Viking...