Percival Keene

Percival Keene is a spirited naval adventure that follows a young man shaped by danger, ambition, and the strict codes of maritime society. Captain Marryat blends humor, action, and sharp social observation as Percival moves from family humiliation and comic household chaos to the hazards of war, capture, and hard-won self-discovery. His mother's rise from disgrace into independence, running a fashionable shop at Chatham, creates a lively domestic world of wit, pride, and disorder, while Percival's own mischief and restless energy reveal the novel's broad comic edge. The story then turns to the battlefield, where he volunteers for service, survives a perilous journey, is nearly executed as a spy, and is saved by sudden military upheaval. Wounded and exhausted, he reaches safety, falls deeply in love with Minnie in Hamburg, and becomes engaged with her father's blessing. As he confronts the mystery of his birth and the name he has long believed himself to have lost, he is urged to value love, reputation, and security over pride and ambition. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.