The King's Own (Classics of Naval Fiction) [Paperback]

Captain Frederick Marryat (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classics of Naval Fiction | Publication Date: April 1, 1999

William Seymour grows up on shipboard in the Royal Navy, after his father is hanged during the mutiny at the Nore (1797), and later, he is impressed into the crew of a daring smuggler. This amusing and exciting novel blends in the classic true tale of an English captain who deliberately lost his frigate on a lee shore, in order to wreck a French line-of-battle ship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . [Marryat's] greatness is undeniable" -- Joseph Conrad

"Marryat has the power to set us in the midst of ships and men and sea and sky all vivid, credible, authentic." -- Virginia Woolf

"When all your Patrick O'Brians are out, recommend Marryat." -- Library Journal

. "This was Marryat's navy, his world, and no one brings it to us with greater authenticity." -- Alexander Kent

About the Author

Captain Frederick Marryat (1792–1848) was an actual 19th-century British naval hero who lived a saga worthy of the novels of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian. He survived fifty naval battles on the crack frigate Imperieuse under Lord Cochrane—the real-life model for Horatio Hornblower and Jack Aubrey. In addition to plenty of cannonfire, battle strategy, peril, and passion—liberally sprinkled with wit and fine turns of phrase—Marryat's real-life naval experiences lend his novels a truly remarkable authenticity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: McBooks Press (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935526560
• ISBN-13: 978-0935526561
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,235,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engrossing tale with an extiting surprise ending, March 30, 2000

By 

Kenneth S. Smith (Goleta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Own (Classics of Naval Fiction) (Paperback)

Marryat had a way with words (I found myself constantly looking them up in the dictionary). This is an engrossing tale of a young lad who's Father is hanged after the mutiny at Nore (where his mother also dies after the hanging). He is then adopted by the Navy and spends his life at sea. From ship's boy, to midshipman, to lieutenant, the tale encompasses engagements at sea with smugglers, pirates, and the French. The lad was also the grandson of an admiral, unbeknownst to him, and the heir to a vast estate. Thus part of the tale revolves around the inheritors of his estate, who believe him dead. Although this book is a great read, Marryat at times wanders far a field. And, at times departs completely from the story on some other tack. The ending of the book is exciting and surprising, and for Marryat, different from his other works. He apparently took a lot of flack from his readers at the time. There are some great characters introduced in the book, in particular some of the crew of the frigate that the hero (Willy Seymore) spends several years on (voyaging to the West and East Indies). The surgeon reminds me much of the good doctor in O'Brien's books. Many a good character passed before my eyes, but they were mere shadows of what could have been literary legends. In some respects, this book is disappointing; it could have been so much more. But all told mate, it is still a great read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed but Engrossing, July 11, 2011

By 

M. Kei "~K~" (Chesapeake Bay, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Own (Classics of Naval Fiction) (Kindle Edition)

'King's Own' by Captain Frederick Marryat is a flawed but engrossing novel. Typical of Marryat's style, it is conversational, informal, and vivid. Marryat--who actually served as a naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars and Victorian period--was writing what he knew, and his portraits of characters are memorable, engaging, amusing, and discursive, so that the tale often wanders far from its plot. This, however, is typical of Marryat, and not necessarily a flaw, once you realize you have sat down for a pint with a true seaman who's going to spin you plenty of yarns. Being a tall ship sailor myself, reading this book was very much like gathering around the mess table with rum and potables to hear the adventures of my mates. Nonetheless, the novel does depart from the plot in rather flagrant ways. For example, a scene in which Marryat breaks the fourth wall to give us a description of his actual condition, his ship being tossed by a gale, and he clinging to his table attempting to write, the table itself having been lashed down, his feet hooked into the lashings to keep him from pitching over, and a river of water streaming across the deck beneath him. Such moments let you know you are in the hands of a real sailor.

The tale concerns the adventures of Willy Seymour, tattooed with the broad arrow that denotes the king's property, and a host of varied characters, such as the rake Rainscourt, the honest smuggler McElvina, the daring Captain M. who wrecks his ship and loses his life, and various minor but amusing characters such as the mouthy Mr. Midshipman Jerry and the surgeon-naturalist, Macallan. In this latter character we find the inspiration for Stephen Maturin as written by Patrick O'Brian. Full of mordant humor and with a long casualty list, 'The King's Own' is not a good choice for the first time Marryat reader; whereas for the seasoned fan of the captain, accustomed to more lighthearted works such as 'Frank Mildmay', 'Peter Simple', or 'Mr. Midshipman Easy,' it will come as a surprise that the book does not have a happy ending. In spite of the flaws, I prefer it to the Patrick O'Brian books; Marryat is an entertaining and accessible writer. POB can give you brilliant research, but Marryat was really there. --M. Kei, author of The Sallee Rovers (Pirates of the Narrow Seas)

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Marryat's best novel, May 30, 2011

By 

e. verrillo (williamsburg, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Own (Classics of Naval Fiction) (Paperback)

This was the first of Captain Marryat's novels, and it shows. The book drifts about, sometimes following the story of "our hero", the young William Seymour, but often as not, spending whole chapters describing elephants, yellow fever epidemics, and even ants! (Marryat freely admits that he has nothing to say at the start of that particular chapter in order to prepare his reading public for several pages which have nothing to do with anything.) The reason for these many forays into terra inconsequentia is that the book was published as a serial. Marryat was obliged to write a certain number of pages a week, and occupied as he was by his ship, he frequently had little to say about his characters. I have to confess that by the time Marryat finally got around to his entirely unsatisfactory ending, I was so disgusted I tossed the book to the floor.

Fortunately, Marryat is an engaging and thoroughly charming writer, no matter what he writes. So, his many cruises into other adventures, as well as his personal observations, while distracting, were at least entertaining. If you are just embarking on the Marryat books, however, I would advise that you start with Mr. Midshipman Easy or Percival Keene, both of which show Marryat at his best and are infinitely more accessible.