Masterman Ready

Frederick Marryat

Jan 2010 · Marryat cycle Book 12 · Fireship Press

About this ebook

If you seek to understand nautical fiction, you must begin with Frederick Marryat. "Forster was certainly correct in declaring [Masterman Ready] the most read, and the most willingly reread, of its class. For its mere cleverness alone the book can be enjoyed by the oldest of readers... [It] is one of the best, perhaps the very best, thing of its kind in English." - David Hannay Only Frederick Marryat would have the nerve to take a shopworn theme like a group of people shipwrecked on a deserted island, and turn it into a classic. Masterman Ready is clearly worthy of standing next to Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and Johann David Wyss' Swiss Family Robinson. A family is en route to Australia by ship. The ship is caught in a storm and abandoned by the crew-leaving a lone family and an aging seaman (Masterman Ready) on board. The ship does not sink, however, but makes it to an uninhabited island. They make it to shore, only to run into a whole different set of problems trying to survive. The ending is one you will never forget.

About the author

Frederick Marryat was born on July 10, 1792 in London, England. He entered the Royal Navy at the age of 14 and served with distinction in many parts of the world before retiring in 1830 with the rank of captain. From 1832 to 1835, he edited the Metropolitan Magazine. His first novel, The Naval Officer, was published in 1829. His other adult novels include Mr. Midshipman Easy, The Kings Own, Newton Forster, Peter Simple, Jacob Faithful, and The Phantom Ship. He also wrote a number of children's books including Masterman Ready, Settlers in Canada, The Mission, The Children of the New Forest, and The Little Savages. He travelled in Canada and the United States from 1837 to 1839. Afterward, he recorded his impressions in A Diary in America. He died on August 9, 1848.