The young Scottish captain James Playfair sets out on a dangerous voyage to Charleston, South Carolina, during the American Civil War. With Union ships blockading the harbor, he depends on both the speed of his ship and his knowledge of the harbor to survive. Although he intends to make his fortune exporting cotton, many surprises lay in store for him, and he ends up with much more. Jules Verne weaves suspense, excitement, and facts into this rollicking story. Written in 1865, the Blockade Runners provides a unique European perspective on the Civil War.