Frederic Marryat gives his reader a witty and exciting tale of adventure, piracy, naval battles, and the 1797 Nore uprising as experienced by men of the Royal Navy. Captain Marryat (1792 - 1848) was a contemporary of Charles Dickens noted for his sea stories. Marryat began writing after a distinguished career in the British Navy. His time and personal experience in the Navy enhance his stories. Works by Marryat include The King's Own (1830), Newton Forster; or, The Merchant Service (1832), Peter Simple, and The Three Cutters (1834), Jacob Faithful (1834), The Pacha of Many Tales (1835), Japhet, in Search of a Father (1836), and The Pirate (1836). William Seymour is raised and orphaned on a British navy ship. He becomes a midshipman at an early age. He fights in a battle with the French during a hurricane and falls in love with an heiress. This book published in 1830 contains some violence.