Peter Simple (Heart of Oak Sea Classics Series) by Frederick Marryat

In this seminal story of naval life during the Napoleonic War, Frederick Murrayat's young hero embarks upon a life at sea and finds it be a rough school indeed. Simple's trials and triumphs, alongside his faithful mentor, Terence O'Brien, Mirror Marryat's personal experience, from the hand-to-hand combat of cutting-out missions to the devastating hurricane off St. Pierre and the mutuny aboard the "Rattlesnake. Peter Simple" is a towering tale from the great age of sail, filled with keen wit, vivid characters, and gripping adventure.