The Powder Monkey
Public-domain ebook
The Powder Monkey
Language: en396 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Napoleonic(Bookshelf)·Historical Novels·Children & Young Adult Reading
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #21362.
About this book
The Powder Monkey is a compact juvenile adventure that thrusts its young protagonist, Phil Leigh, from a bleak street scene into the bustling decks of HMS Victory. The story opens with an old seaman, Jack Jeens, rescuing a ragged, hungry orphan from an abusive home and, moments later, both are seized by a press‑gang and forced into naval service. From the cramped quarters of the ship to the fierce chaos of the Battle of Trafalgar, Phil finds himself caring for a fallen shipmate, Tom Dodds, and later for his own protector, Jack, who is gravely wounded. The narrative then returns to Portsmouth, where an aunt offers Phil a chance to leave the sea, though his loyalty to Jack makes the decision painful. The plot moves quickly through rescue, conscription, camaraderie, and the stark realities of war, all within a brief, action‑driven framework.
Written in a lively, colloquial style that mimics the rough speech of early‑19th‑century sailors, the novel reflects the period’s maritime language and the moral tone of Victorian‑era juvenile fiction. Its brisk pacing, vivid shipboard scenes, and themes of loyalty and sacrifice will appeal to readers who enjoy historical naval tales, especially younger audiences drawn to stories of underdogs navigating danger and forming unlikely friendships.
Characters in The Powder Monkey
- Phil LeighTeenage orphan, gaunt, ragged clothes, wind‑blown hair, navy jacket, earnest eyes
- Jack JeensWeathered old sailor, grizzled beard, sun‑tanned skin, rough coat, sea‑worn face
- Tom DoddsYoung ship's boy, lanky, soot‑streaked cheeks, limp gait, simple sailor shirt
The opening · free to read
Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
The Powder Monkey, by George Manville Fenn.
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This is a very short book, probably intended for a younger market than most of Fenn's books. An old seaman finds a ragged and hungry young boy, to whom he talks, finding out that the boy was being brought up by an aunt and her brother. The uncle used to beat the boy too severely to bear, and he had run away from home. The seaman, Jack Jeens, decides to take charge of the boy, but both of them are taken by the press-gang, and end up serving on HMS Victory. The boy, Phil Leigh, gets on well with the other seamen, but is especially fond of Jack. At first he doesn't get on well with the other ship's boys, but one day they are chasing each other round the rigging, and one of the boys, Tom Dodds, falls. Phil is made, as a punishment for causing the fall, to be Tom's nurse, for Tom has broken his leg badly.
In the next scene we find ourselves in the midst of the Battle of Trafalgar, and Phil's protector, Jack, is very badly wounded, so now Phil has a second person to nurse.
In the final scene we are back in Portsmouth, where the Aunt appears, and tells Phil that the Uncle has gone away, and that he should come home. Phil is unwilling to leave Jack, but the Aunt promises to have him come with them, and be nursed at her house, so that is where the story is complete.
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THE POWDER MONKEY, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN.
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