- Library Binding
- Publisher: Atheneum (May 1969)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0027627306
- ISBN-13: 978-0027627305
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Product Description
Product Description
'Boat ahoy!' cried the voice again. 'Row in at once! D'ye hear? Row in at once or I shall fire on you.' Marah didn't answer. 'Present arms!' cried the voice again after a pause; and at that Marah bowed down in the stern sheets under the gunwale. 'Fire!' said the voice; and a volley ripped up the sea all around us, knocking off splinters from the planks...For the next half-hour we were just within extreme range of the carbines and musketoons. During that half-hour we were slowly slipping by the long two miles of Slapton Sands. We could not go fast, for the only sail was a coat, and, though the wind was pretty fresh, the set of the tide was against us. So for half an hour we crouched below that row-boat's gunwale, just peeping up now and then to see the white outline of the breakers on the sand, and beyond that the black outlines of the horsemen, who followed us...When Jim Davis stumbles upon a smuggling ring his life takes a terrifying new turn...He is press-ganged into joining a fierce band of smugglers led by Marah, a frightening and sea-scarred buccaneer. Under Marah's watchful eye, he has many hair-raising adventures and close escapes while learning about the perils of the sea and living the life of an outlaw.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a fun but unremarkable adventure story in the days of smuggling. What lifts it into the 'put it on your reading list' category is John Masefield's marvellous gift for language and for character, and his own detailed knowledge of adventure and the sea.
There is no supernatural or spiritual side to this story, so fans of 'The Midnight Folk' or 'The Box of Delights' may find that what they are looking for isn't there.
On the other hand, fans of Geoffrey or Henry Treece and children's historical fiction will find this to be a classy and exhilerating example of the genre, with well crafted characters and a child's eye view of an alarming world.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a great "boys own" adventure story. While there is no real depth the story is well told and the descriptions are beautifully written. Masefield really brings the location and the characters to life and the relationship between Jim and the smugglers has a real Treasurer Island feel about it. We live in the valley where the story is set and therefore it has special meaning for us.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a review of the edition published in 2002 by The Chicken House and with an introduction by Michael Morpurgo. The tale was written by John Masefield in 1911. I wanted to read `Jim Davis' because of my links to the area of South Devon in which it is set. The names of Kingsbridge, Salcombe, South Pool, Stokenham, Torcross, Strete, and Dartmouth all appear in the novel, although there are few if any actual scenes in many of these places. Its prime setting is in "the combe country, where the Gara runs down the valley to the sea."
It is set in the late Napoleonic wars (which makes Masefield's reference to Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament somewhat anachronistic), down on the coast of South Devon, where young Jim Davis becomes unwittingly involved with a fierce gang of smugglers. The pace is fast: there are five changes of costume for Jim in as many chapters. The book is designed for children and would appeal most perhaps to boys (and like-minded girls) aged between ten and fifteen. I did not find it a page-turner (but, then, I'm forty-six).
Michael Morpurgo uses his introduction to inform about the art of good storytelling and the importance of the right ingredients. As for the tale itself, Morpurgo writes how "You can feel the wind and salt spray in your face, as you read it, and feel your heart pounding in terror - just like Jim Davis." Perhaps. But I am curious whether in today's world such stories as this still appeal to young minds. As one of the other reviews says, to me the story is fun but unremarkable.
It is set in the late Napoleonic wars (which makes Masefield's reference to Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament somewhat anachronistic), down on the coast of South Devon, where young Jim Davis becomes unwittingly involved with a fierce gang of smugglers. The pace is fast: there are five changes of costume for Jim in as many chapters. The book is designed for children and would appeal most perhaps to boys (and like-minded girls) aged between ten and fifteen. I did not find it a page-turner (but, then, I'm forty-six).
Michael Morpurgo uses his introduction to inform about the art of good storytelling and the importance of the right ingredients. As for the tale itself, Morpurgo writes how "You can feel the wind and salt spray in your face, as you read it, and feel your heart pounding in terror - just like Jim Davis." Perhaps. But I am curious whether in today's world such stories as this still appeal to young minds. As one of the other reviews says, to me the story is fun but unremarkable.
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