''The Archipelago on Fire'' (french: L’Archipel en feu, 1884) is an

adventure novel Adventure fiction is a type of fiction that usually presents danger, or gives the reader a sense of excitement. Some adventure fiction also satisfies the literary definition of romance fiction. History In the Introduction to the ''Encycloped ...

written by

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the '' Voyages extra ...

, taking place during the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

Plot

On the 18th of October, 1827, about five o’clock in the evening, a small Levantine vessel piloted by Captain Nicholas Starcos of the Karysta returns home to Vitlyo, an ancient village in the Peloponnesus, only to be denied entry by his mother, who denounces him for what he’s become. Lt. Henry d’Albaret of the French navy, and other Frenchmen, have joined the Greeks in this war. After recovering from a wound received in battle, d’Albaret meets Hadjine Elisundo, his banker’s lovely daughter. They fall in love then make plans to marry, but Starcos, who holds a devastating secret against the girl’s father, demands her hand in marriage—or else. The distraught father soon dies, thus freeing Hadjine from her obligation of marrying Starcos, but she breaks off her engagement to d’Albaret, who is a respectable and honest man, because of her father’s scandalous dealings with Captain Starcos. While she takes steps to right her father’s wrongs, the distraught d’Albaret returns to the war until he’s given command of the ship Syphanta. He then sails along the archipelago in search of pirates, who are taking advantage of the conflict. Eventually d’Albaret tracks Sacratif, a notorious pirate, to Crete, where Verne brings this informative and entertaining novel to a surprise ending.

Publication history

*1885, US, New York: New York, G. Munro, First US edition *1886, UK, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, First UK edition

External links

* 1884 French novels Novels by Jules Verne Novels set in Greece Works about the Greek War of Independence Novels set in the 1820s {{1880s-adventure-novel-stub