Poor Jack

"Poor Jack" by Frederick Marryat tells the story of Thomas Saunders, a sailor's son and neglected street urchin struggling to survive in Greenwich, London, in the early 19th century. In a rags-to-riches story, Saunders eventually rises through his own efforts to become a pilot on the Thames, makes his fortune, and retires to the life of a wealthy squire. The novel has interesting descriptions of domestic life among the lower naval ranks and contains many anecdotes of seafaring life.