A brief account of the adventurers of a Philadelphia merchant sailing the piratical waters of the West Indies in the early 19th century.

"What has cast such a shadow upon you?""The Negro."With its intense mix of mystery, adventure, and a surprise ending, Benito Cereno at first seems merely a provocative example from the genre Herman Melville created with his early best-selling novels of the sea. However, most Melville scholars consider it his most sophisticated work, and many, such as novelist Ralph Ellison, have hailed it as the most piercing look at slavery in all of American liter...

A brutally incisive account of the darkest aspects of seafaring life.Informed by his own seafaring experiences, and those of the sailor’s he knew, White-Jacket traces the voyages of a naval Man-of-War. Melville’s most politically charged work, it is bitterly critical of perceived brutality and inhumanity aboard sailing vessels, particular cruel punishments such as flogging. It is a uniquely powerful work among Melville’s canon.Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring y...

"Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy" is a riveting compilation that delves into the darker chapters of maritime history, presenting a series of true accounts steeped in adventure and treachery. The anonymous author employs a vivid and engaging narrative style, blending historical detail with dramatic storytelling, which serves to immerse the reader in the tumultuous experiences of seafaring life. This collection not only highlights the individual tales of rebellion and barba...

If Melville had never written Moby Dick, his place in world literature would be assured by his short tales. "Billy Budd, Sailor," his last work, is the masterpiece in which he delivers the final summation in his "quarrel with God." It is a brilliant study of the tragic clash between social authority and individual freedom, human justice and abstract good. Melville also explores this theme in "Bartelby the Scrivener," his famous story about a Wall Street law clerk who takes...

First published in 1856, five years after the appearance of Moby Dick, The Piazza Tales comprises six of Herman Melville's finest short stories. Included are two sea tales that encompass the essence of Melville's art: 'Benito Cereno,' an exhilarating account of mutiny and rescue aboard a disabled slave ship, which is a parable of man's struggle against the forces of evil, and 'The Encantadas,' ten allegorical sketches of the Galapagos Islands, which reveal nature to be both enchan...

Originally published in 1824, this firsthand account describes how, in June 1822, young English seaman Aaron Smith was taken captive by Cuban pirates when his ship was boarded en route from Jamaica to England. A skilled navigator, fluent in Spanish, and regarded as what was then acceptable as a ship’s surgeon, he was an attractive candidate for conscription.Forced to work as a navigator and participate in pirate boarding parties for ten months, he suffered mightily and witnessed un...

The story of a near shipwreck and salvation of a small sloop off the coast of Australia in 1853. Good description of native customs. Illustrated.

Billy Budd, Sailor and Other Stories (1924) published posthumously, showcases Herman Melville at his most compassionate and socially engaged. In this final exploration of his self-proclaimed quarrel with God, Melville offers a blistering critique of slavery and social injustice while exploring the conflict between the individuals drive towards freedom and the inhuman absurdities of modernity. The New England Quarterly raves, Billy Budd is a book to be read many times.

Over the years, thousands of tales both true and fantastic have been told about the dastardly thievery of pirates, and their rum-drunk exploits and high-seas violence never fail to delight. Now in a brand-new series collection, The Best Pirate Stories Ever Told includes many of the very best pirate yarns ever created on history’s most debaucherous scalawags. Anyone who loves a good story full of excitement, adventure, thrills, and laughs will find this collection irresistible....

In 'Blackbeard; Or, The Pirate of Roanoke,' B. Barker intricately weaves historical narrative with vivid fiction to explore the life and legacy of one of history's most infamous pirates. Set against the backdrop of 18th-century America, the novel captures the tumultuous seas and tumultuous lives of its characters, emphasizing the themes of adventure, freedom, and moral ambiguity inherent in the pirate's life. Barker's prose, rich with descriptive detail and atmospheric tension, is reminisc...

A master of the american short storyIncluded in this rich collection are: The Piazza, Bartleby the Scrivener, Benito Cereno, The Lightning-Rod Man, The Encantadas, The Bell-Tower, and The Town-Ho's Story.