Mr. Midshipman Easy (5 out of 5)

I just finished reading Mr. Midshipman Easy by Captain Frederick Marryat. Forget those books by Patrick O'Brian, C.S. Forrester and Alexander Kent¹, this one was written by a man who actually lived during period he wrote about. I liked the fact that the McBooks Press edition I read kept the most of the original spelling and punctuation intact. McBooks also added a dictionary and a nice diagram of a frigate at the end of the book which would be very helpful to a new reader of nautical fiction.

The book follows Jack, the title character, from birth through his navy career. Jack is born in to a life of ease and unfortunately nearly ruined thanks to an indulgent, over protective mother and a father with more concern for his philosophy than the upbringing of his child. Convinced that everyone shares everything equally Jack ends up running off to the Royal Navy where he believes that the lowliest sailor is treated equal to the captain. So much for that theory...

If your a fan of historical or nautical fiction I highly recommend Mr. Midshipman Easy. Even if you're not a fan I recommend the book. There isn't long drawn out descriptions of formations or extended battles to slog through. Marryat focuses on the people in the story while keeping the events of the time flowing along with the story. Project Gutenberg has an etext version of Mr. Midshipman Easy, so you can read a few chapters as a sample. Sure you could read the whole book, but I find it much more satisfying to hold the book in my hand.

1. I do not think O'Brian, Forrester and Kent are bad writers. I just have to give more weight to someone who writes about a subject that they actually experienced versus one they researched. Sorry boys, but that's my opinion.