Treasure Island

If sailor tales to sailor tunes,
Storm and adventure, heat and cold,
If schooners, islands, and maroons,
And buccaneers, and buried gold,
And all the old romance, retold
Exactly in the ancient way,
Can please, as me they pleased of old
The wiser youngsters of today:

-- So be it, and fall on! If not,
If studious youth no longer crave,
His ancient appetites forgot,
Kingston, or Ballantyne the brave,
Or Cooper of the wood and wave:
So be it, also! And may I
And all my pirates share the grave
Where these and their creations lie!

Much of our "traditional" image of pirates and their life is based on a single work of fiction: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Many of the ideas and themes from this classic novel are deeply embedded in our collective image of pirate life. So strong is the book's influence that it has inspired games and movies with related stuff to buy and even given its name to a Florida city and an artificial island in California!

The Book

WARNING: Plot Spoilers Follow

Treasure Island was written by Edinburgh born novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson. The story was first published in serial form in Young Folks, a magazine for children. It was first published in novel form in 1883.

The story revolves around Jack Hawkins who is the viewpoint character for most of the novel. Jack is a young boy living in the English port town of Bristol. At the start of the story he is living with his parents who run an inn. Encounters with sinister pirates and the death of his father eventually lead to Jack obtaining a treasure map believed to have once belonged to the infamous pirate Captain Flint. Local Squire Trelawney mounts an expedition to find the treasure - not knowing that some of his crew are actually pirates.

The novel remains popular today for its combination of colourful characters, action and adventure. As for its authenticity... well, Stevenson certainly knew about the sea but had probably never had any personal dealings with genuine pirates.

Next: Treasure Island Pirates >>>

External Links:
Treasure Island at Project Gutenberg