NAPOLEONIC WARS
"Frank Mildmay or the Naval
Officer" By Captain Frederick Marryat 
Marryat rules! Captain Frederick Marryat is the true original and nobody does it better. Just reading his prose and enjoying his subtle humor is worth the time to read his books. If you read O'Brian, Kent, Lambdin, Forrester, Nelson, the two Parkinson's, and Woodman, you must read Marryat's books to bet the true ruler by which to measure the other authors of the age of sail.
Frank Mildmay is a rogue, but he is smart, tough, and lucky. He has his true loves, but keeps more than one girl in each port. He is a leader, a good sailor, and a somewhat jaded gentleman.
There is lots of action, great humor, and many a scurvy character met during his voyages at sea and on land.
This is my favorite Marryat book (and I have read all that have to do with the sea) and I highly recommend it. Before reading, brush up on your Latin and French, and read all the notable literature up to the 1800's. Marryat was an incredibly intelligent and literate man. I am not well versed in any of the above, and you don't need to be either to enjoy the hell out of this book.
Reviewed by Kenneth S. Smith, 9 December 1999
Published by:
Classics of Naval Fiction
McBooks Press
Ithaca, New York
