"The Blockade Runners" (french: Les forceurs de blocus) is an
1865
Events
January–March
* January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City.
* January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...
novella
A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
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 extraor ...
. In 1871 it was published in single volume together with novel ''
A Floating City
''A Floating City,'' or sometimes translated ''The Floating City,'' (french: Une ville flottante) is an adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne first published in 1871 in France. At the time of its publication, the novel enjoyed a similar le ...
'' as a part of the ''
Voyages Extraordinaires'' series (''The Extraordinary Voyages''). An English translation was published in 1874.
Plot introduction
The
American Civil War plot centers on the exploits of a British merchant captain named James Playfair who must break the Union blockade of
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
harbor in
South Carolina to trade supplies for cotton and, later in the book, to rescue Halliburtt, the abolitionist journalist father of a young girl held prisoner (the father, not the girl) by the
Confederates. Verne's tale was inspired by reality as many ships were actually lost while acting as
blockade runner
A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...
s in and around
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
in the early 1860s.
Adaptations
The book was produced as a radio play of the same name in 2006.
[The Colonial Radio Players, ''The Blockade Runners Audio CD'', ]
References
External links
''Les forceurs de blocus'' full original French text
17 illustrations by
Jules Férat
Jules-Descartes Férat (1829, Ham, Somme – 1906, Paris) was a French artist and illustrator, famous for his portrayals of factories and their workers.
He illustrated the books of many known authors, such as Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, an ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blockade Runners, The
1865 short stories
Short stories by Jules Verne
American Civil War fiction
Novels set on ships