The Phantom Ship (1839) is a novel by Frederick Marryat. Inspired by
the legend of the Flying Dutchman, a fabled ghost ship doomed to sail
the seas until the end of time, The Phantom Ship is a tale of
adventure and Gothic horror from an author who served for decades in the
British Royal Navy. Philip Vanderdecken had always feared this day would
come. Raised by his mother in Terneuzen, he had grown accustomed to life
without a father. During a voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, the
elder Vanderdecken condemned himself to an eternity at the helm of the
Flying Dutchman, a legendary vessel doomed to sail the seas without
ever touching land. Now a young man, Philip is informed by his dying
mother of the possibility of saving his father by letting his spirit
rest. Terrified, he promises his mother to carry a relic of the Holy
Cross across the globe until he can find the Flying Dutchman. He joins
the Dutch East India Company and sets out at once on an adventure filled
with romance, magic, and unimaginable horror. Poorly reviewed upon
publication, The Phantom Ship has endured as a cult classic and
continues to be adored by generations of loyal readers. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Frederick Marryat's The Phantom Ship is a classic of
British literature reimagined for modern readers.
