Percival Keene (Library Edition) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Captain Frederick Marryat (Author), William Sutherland (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

[This is the Audiobook Cassette Library Edition in vinyl case.]

Captain Frederick Marryat of the Royal Navy knew well both the thunder of the broadside and the laughter of the gun room. In Percival Keene, he takes us on a thrilling and authentic ride through the naval world of the Napoleonic wars.

This is the gripping tale of the mischievous young midshipman Percival Keene, whose adventures begin when he learns that the demanding Captain Delmar, a member of the wealthy and titled De Versely family, is actually his natural father. Stung by his father's refusal to acknowledge him, Keene sets about to win his love and the family fortune. To do so, he must survive a shipwreck and capture by murderous pirates, fight duels of honor with his fellow officers, and battle against the French.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''[Marryat's] adventures are enthralling; the rapidity of his action fascinates . . . His greatness is undeniable.'' --Joseph Conrad

''Over [Percival Keene] I have been chuckling, and grinning and clenching my fists, and becoming warlike.'' --Charles Dickens

''Vivid, credible, authentic.'' --Virginia Woolf

About the Author

CAPTAIN FREDERICK MARRYAT (1792-1848) first attempted to run away to sea at fourteen. His father, a member of Parliament, helped him secure a midshipman's berth on a frigate commanded by the daring Thomas Cochrane. Frederick would go on to serve in the British Royal Navy for over twenty years, serving in the Battle of Aix Roads and the War of 1812. When he turned his pen to naval life, he became the preeminent chronicler of British naval seamen in the great Age of Nelson. The author of more than twenty novels, he was admired by such authors as Hemingway, Thackeray, Coleridge, and Washington Irving.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; Unabridged edition (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786118512
• ISBN-13: 978-0786118519
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,215,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun with great characters., March 30, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Percival Keene (Heart of Oak Sea Classics) (Paperback)

This book was a lot of fun. There are a few great characters besides Percival. Captain Delmar, heir to a title and a large estate, is the father of illegitimate Percival and never acknowledges him as his son. He does take Percival on as a midshipman and guides his career. My favorite character is the young coxswain, Bob Cross. He takes care of our hero, protecting and advising him, and teaching him the ways of the navy. Our hero voyages on and goes through some adventures, fights some good battles, is captured by pirates, and saves the life of his future love. The book ends with a violent storm off the French coast and a shipwreck that is described in great detail. The first part of the book is devoted to Percival's Mother and his early childhood. Young Percival is a scamp, a rogue, and a prankster. He is not a particularly pleasant young man. His antics are funny and I felt sorry for his first schoolmaster. All of Marryat's books have a similar theme. A young man of noble birth (usually unknown to him) goes to sea, does good, wins promotion, meets his love, then return home to title, wealth, and fame. But Marryat's books are all a lot of fun and worth reading. They were written by a Royal Navy Captain that served in the Napoleonic War.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Adventure Wnderful Humor, January 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Percival Keene (Heart of Oak Sea Classics) (Paperback)

A truly wonderful British man of war seafaring novel. Marryat is a wonderful story teller. Good characterizations a little mystery. One difference in the Marryat novels is the stories he tells about the pranks that some of the sailors and officers get up to onboard ship and ashore. And of course this is a usual part of shipboard life but the other officers such as O'Brien don't give us as much of this side of life at sea. Some of the pranks had me laughing nearly out of control

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Usual Marryat - good!, December 18, 2000

By 

E. Tobias "Safety_Queen" (Minneaoplis, Minn., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Percival Keene (Heart of Oak Sea Classics) (Paperback)

Marryat displays his colors in his usual fashion: "normal" people, real characters, and the tang of salt air in your nostrils as you read.

The unacknowledged son of a post captain, young Percival strives to do his duty to achieve his father's/captain's respect. Adventures ensue.

Easy to read. Less social critique than Mr. Midshipman Easy. Less gruesome reality than The Privateersman. Not his best, but it is still a good yarn!