The age of sail has spawned an enormously rich and exciting literature, which continues to draw new generations of readers hungry for evocative writing and authentic adventure. Patrick O'Brian's books about the heroic age of the British Navy have attracted millions of readers, and O'Brian is only one of dozens of popular writers who have devoted their talent to re-creating that world--complete with epic voyages, bloody battles, and memorable characters. In this anthology, O'Brian re-creates the age of sail in perfect detail, taking readers right into battle; C. S. Forrester's Horatio Hornblower fights mutinous crews and vicious pirates; Dudley Pope's maverick hero Lord Ramage overcomes storms, slave traders, and spies; Frederick Maryatt tells of the life of a lowly British seaman; Charles Nordoff and James Hall offer their rich version of the Bounty mutiny; Joseph Conrad offers a glimpse into the heart of a young man whose first command turns into a life-or-death test of character; Angus Konstam describes the hideous conditions on a pirate ship; and Eric Newby tells of his adventures in a four-masted bark at the age of eighteen. 16 black-and-white photographs add to the riveting glimpse this book provides into this fascinating, demanding, and dangerous era.