Mr. Midshipman Easy (1836) is a novel by Frederick Marryat. Inspired by the author’s experience as a captain in the Royal Navy, Mr. Midshipman Easy is a tale of bravery, foolishness, and the manifold reasons for men to take to the high seas. Frequently funny, often profound, Marryat’s novel is an underappreciated classic of nineteenth century fiction that has been adapted twice for British cinema.

“‘Then, father, all I have to say is, that I swear by the rights of man I will not go back to school, and that I will go to sea. Who and what is to prevent me? Was not I born my own master?—has any one a right to dictate to me as if I were not his equal? Have I not as much right to my share of the sea as any other mortal? I stand upon perfect equality,’ continued Jack, stamping his right foot on the floor.” Fueled by his father’s philosophical ideas on liberty and equality, Jack Easy decides he will prove himself in a place where all men are equals. Despite his bravery, he soon finds that ideals will get one nowhere in the service of the Royal Navy. Working below deck with the African cook Mephistopheles Faust, Jack learns the secrets of the ship and encounters a lesson in discipline he will never forget. As he rises through the ranks and makes a name for himself during the fierce fighting of the Napoleonic Wars, Jack discovers new depths to his fortitude that would never have showed themselves had he stayed on land.

This edition of Frederick Marryat’s Mr. Midshipman Easy is a classic of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

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With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.