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When the three sailor lads, Ralph, Jack and Peterkin are cast ashore after the storm, their first task is to find out whether the island is inhabited. Their next task is to find a way of staying alive. They go hunting and learn to fish, explore underwater caves and build boats... Read Full Overview

One night, soon after we entered the tropics, an awful storm burst upon our ship. The first squall of wind carried away two of our masts, and left only the foremast standing. There was no room for me upon the lifeboat; but being left behind saved my life --... Read Full Overview

The Coral Island by Robert Ballantyne is an adventure classic that tells the story of three shipwrecked boys and their thrilling experiences on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific. The boys face many dangers and adventures as they explore their new surroundings and learn... Read Full Overview

'The Coral Island' by R. M. Ballantyne is a forgotten adventure classic that deserves to be remembered, and not merely because it holds an interesting place in literary history: William Golding's classic first novel Lord of the Flies was written at least in part as an "answer"... Read Full Overview

Robert Michael Ballantyne (24 April 1825 - 8 February 1894) was a Scottish author of juvenile fiction who wrote more than 100 books. He was also an accomplished artist, and exhibited some of his water-colours at the Royal Scottish Academy.

It was a bright, beautiful, warm day when our ship spread her canvas to the breeze and sailed for the regions of the south. Oh, how my heart bounded with delight as I listened to the merry chorus of the sailors while they hauled at the ropes and got in the anchor! The captain... Read Full Overview

The Coral Island - A Tale of the Pacific Ocean - opens with the shipwreck on a Pacific Island of the young friends Ralph Rover and Jack Martin and Peterkin Gray. Despite the pleasurable presence of delicious breadfruit, coconuts, and succulent oysters, the intrepid trio are not... Read Full Overview

Roving has always been, and still is, my ruling passion, the joy of my heart, the very sunshine of my existence. In childhood, in boyhood, and in man's estate I have been a rover; not a mere rambler among the woody glens and upon the hill-tops of my own native land, but an enthusiastic... Read Full Overview

Three teenage boys, the sole survivors of a shipwreck, find themselves marooned on a deserted island in the South Pacific. With little more than a telescope and a broken knife, the youths must find food and shelter and learn to survive. But though the coral island is a tropical... Read Full Overview

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare's... Read Full Overview

In "The Coral Island," R. M. Ballantyne offers a vivid adventure narrative that immerses readers in the enchanting world of the Pacific islands, exploring themes of survival, camaraderie, and the colonial encounters of the 19th century. Written in a richly descriptive style emblematic... Read Full Overview