Peter Trawl; Or The Adventures of a Whaler - Courage and Greed on the High Seas: A Whaling Adventure

William Henry Giles Kingston

Summary

In "Peter Trawl; Or, The Adventures of a Whaler," William Henry Giles Kingston crafts an engaging adventure novel imbued with vivid maritime imagery and a strong sense of camaraderie among seamen. Set against the backdrop of the whaling industry during the 19th century, Kingston utilizes a first-person narrative that immerses readers in the protagonist's thrilling escapades. The text serves as both a captivating tale of adventure and a social commentary on the perils and challenges of whaling, capturing the spirit of exploration and the complexities of human relationships at sea. Kingston's rich, descriptive style resonates with those familiar with works of maritime literature, providing insight into an era characterized by adventure and exploitation of marine resources. William Henry Giles Kingston, a prolific author of boys' fiction and adventure tales, was inspired by his own maritime experiences and the stories shared by sailors. Throughout his career, Kingston sought to educate and entertain young readers, infusing his tales with moral lessons and a sense of nobility. His background in the British Empire and firsthand encounters with the sea significantly influenced his narrative style and thematic considerations, reflecting the romantic ideal of adventure intertwined with the harsh realities of life at sea. I highly recommend "Peter Trawl" to readers who are drawn to tales of adventure, exploration, and the complexities of life at sea. This novel not only entertains but also offers a thoughtful examination of the historical context of whaling and the human condition, making it an essential read for enthusiasts of maritime literature and those interested in the moral dilemmas of the past.

Available since: 10/04/2023.

Print length: 256 pages.

Other books that might interest you

After the Funeral - From their...

Mary Butts

Mary Frances Butts was born on 13th December 1890 in Poole, Dorset.
Her early years were spent at Salterns, an 18th-century house overlooking Poole Harbour. Sadly in 1905 her father died, and she was sent for boarding at St Leonard's school for girls in St Andrews.
Her mother remarried and, from 1909, Mary studied at Westfield College in London, and here, first became aware of her bisexual feelings. She was sent down for organising a trip to Epsom races and only completed her degree in 1914 when she graduated from the London School of Economics. By then Mary had become an admirer of the occultist Aleister Crowley and she was given a co-authorship credit on his ‘Magick (Book 4)’.
In 1916, she began the diary which would now detail her future life and be a constant reference point for her observations and her absorbing experiences.
During World War I, she was doing social work for the London County Council in Hackney Wick, and involved in a lesbian relationship. Life changed after meeting the modernist poet, John Rodker and they married in 1918.
In 1921 she spent 3 months at Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema in Sicily; she found the practices dreadful and also acquired a drug habit. Mary now spent time writing in Dorset, including her celebrated book of short stories ‘Speed the Plough’ which saw fully develop her unique Modernist prose style.
Europe now beckoned and several years were spent in Paris befriending many artists and writing further extraordinary stories.
She was continually sought after by literary magazines and also published several short story collections as books. Although a Modernist writer she worked in other genres but is essentially only known for her short stories. Mary was deeply committed to nature conservation and wrote several pamphlets attacking the growing pollution of the countryside.
In 1927, she divorced and the following year her novel ‘Armed with Madness’ was published. A further marriage followed in 1930 and time was spent attempting to settle in London and Newcastle before setting up home on the western tip of Cornwall. By 1934 the marriage had failed.
Mary Butts died on 5th March 1937, at the West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance, after an operation for a perforated gastric ulcer. She was 46.

Show book

Mari Pyari Maa - By Mtdox

Mtdox

In the heartwarming novel Mari Pyari Maa follow the poignant journey of Kiran, a spirited young woman navigating the complexities of life, love, and family in a vibrant Indian village. Aasha's world, rich with tradition and vibrant with festivals, is anchored by the unwavering strength of her mother, Pramod. Known for her resilience and unwavering kindness, Pramod becomes Mother's guiding light through life's darkest storms.

Show book

Instructions for the Drowning

Steven Heighton

“To say Heighton is an immensely talented writer is true enough but insufficient ... As good a writer as Canada has ever produced.” — National Post
		 
The unforgettable last collection by the bestselling author of The Shadow Boxer
		 
A man recalls his father's advice on how to save a drowning person, but struggles when the time comes to use it. A wife’s good deed leaves a couple vulnerable at the moment when they’re most in need of security—the birth of their first child. Newly in love, a man preoccupied by accounts of freak accidents is befallen by one himself. In stories about love and fear, idealisms and illusions, failures of muscle and mind and all the ways we try to care for one another, Steven Heighton’s Instructions for the Drowning is an indelible last collection by a writer working at the height of his powers.

Show book

Tales From An Ironic Mind Five

Paul A. Hernandez

From hi-tech spying in suburbia, to a giant feather found in the country, to a new drug that is so powerful that it can make you forget about having cancer, a transient way down on his luck finds hope and his intent to give this new found hope to others, whether they are willing or not. A man who laughs and smiles in his sleep makes his wife question his morality, a bored hunter tries out his new rifle, an old college buddy wants to learn the secret of a trick, a high security lab finds out that someone is trying to tunnel under their facility, a mans new phone/camera can capture ghosts? A psychiatrist can hear the voices of his patient, a little stone statue seeks worshipers, a lumberjack finds an electrode in the ground, and a vacationing American couple can quite suddenly speak French quite fluently!

Show book

All Soul's Eve - From their pens...

Dora Sigerson Shorter

The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Dora Sigerson Shorter.

Show book

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow -...

Washington Irving

Washington Irving was born on 3rd April, 1783, the youngest of 11, in New York.

Irving found his real interests away from school in literature and the theatre. An outbreak of yellow fever at 15 moved him away from Manhattan and into the surrounding countryside providing valuable settings for later works such as ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’.

By 19 Irving was writing regularly to the New York Morning Chronicle, commenting on the theatrical and social scenes. When his health began to fail, he was sent on the Grand Tour of Europe. Bizarrely he ignored most of the great sights on offer to concentrate on developing his social and conversational powers. His health, though, did improve.

In 1806, back in New York to study law, he scraped a pass at the bar and then founded with several others the literary magazine Salmagundi. Irving nicknamed the city ‘Gotham City’, a name still in use today. Moderately successful, the magazine spread Irving’s reputation beyond New York.

In 1809 while mourning the death of his teenage fiancée Irving finished his first significant book, ‘A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynsasty, by Diedrich Knickerbocker’. It satirised local history, local historians and politics. It received great critical acclaim.

Unfortunately his family’s established trading company was now facing great upheavals and Irving was dispatched to England to try to sort it out. After two years he could see no way out but bankruptcy. This left him in England with no real employment prospects, and so he returned to writing.

He sent some short stories back to New York to be published as ‘The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent’. The first part included ‘Rip Van Winkle’ and was extremely successful. The sixth part contained ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’.

Beset by literary piracy, with no copyright law at the time, he set about publishing legitimate copies in England to outwit the bootleggers. From now on Irving published concurrently in America and England in order to render piracy obsolete.

In August 1824, he published ‘Tales of a Traveller’, which included the famed ‘The Devil and Tom Walker’.

In 1826, the American Minister to Spain, invited him to Madrid where he could examine the many historical documents that he had access to. Irving reveled in both the size of the libraries he was granted access to and their rich quality. Historical works flowed from his pen further enhancing his reputation and fortune.

Following the completion of ‘Tales of the Alhambra’ in 1832, Irving returned to America after 17 years abroad. He was now a figurehead of American literature and dispensed advice to Edgar Allan Poe amongst others. Irving also became an advocate for American copyright legislation.

A later appointment as Minister to Spain in 1842 left him disheartened at the antics of the various political factions he encountered. It also afforded him no time to write as he had hoped.

On his return home he began an ‘Author’s Revised Edition’ of his works agreeing an unprecedented deal for 12 per cent of the retail profits.

Washington Irving died of a heart attack at his ‘Sunnyside’ home on the 28th November 1859 at the age of 76, a few months after completing his five volume George Washington biography, in whose honour he had been named.

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ is a story almost everyone has encountered. An enormous success at the time it is now an undeniable American Spooky classic.

Show book