The Phantom Ship

Frederick Marryat

Jun 2021 · Graphic Arts Books

About this ebook

The Phantom Ship (1839) is a novel by Frederick Marryat. Inspired by the legend of the Flying Dutchman, a fabled ghost ship doomed to sail the seas until the end of time, The Phantom Ship is a tale of adventure and Gothic horror from an author who served for decades in the British Royal Navy. Philip Vanderdecken had always feared this day would come. Raised by his mother in Terneuzen, he had grown accustomed to life without a father. During a voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, the elder Vanderdecken condemned himself to an eternity at the helm of the Flying Dutchman, a legendary vessel doomed to sail the seas without ever touching land. Now a young man, Philip is informed by his dying mother of the possibility of saving his father by letting his spirit rest. Terrified, he promises his mother to carry a relic of the Holy Cross across the globe until he can find the Flying Dutchman. He joins the Dutch East India Company and sets out at once on an adventure filled with romance, magic, and unimaginable horror. Poorly reviewed upon publication, The Phantom Ship has endured as a cult classic and continues to be adored by generations of loyal readers. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Frederick Marryat’s The Phantom Ship is a classic of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

About the author

Frederick Marryat (1792-1848) was an English naval officer and novelist. Born in London, Marryat was raised in a prominent merchant family by Joseph Marryat, a member of Parliament, and his American wife Charlotte. He joined the Royal Navy in 1806 as a midshipman on the HMS Imperieuse, serving under Lord Cochrane. Throughout his naval career, he served on several ships and was present at battles against the French fleet off the coast of Spain. On the HMS Spartan, he fought in the War of 1812 and participated in raids on New England. After the war, he worked as an inventor and artist, patenting a new lifeboat and making a famous sketch of Napoleon on his deathbed in Saint Helena. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1830 to pursue a career as a professional writer, producing nautical novels and finding success with Mr. Midshipman Easy (1836). He frequently based his stories on his own experiences and earned a reputation as a member of Charles Dickens’ influential literary circle. His novels of adventure on the high seas would inspire countless storytellers, including Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Joseph Conrad.