White-Jacket


White-Jacket, or The World in a Man-of-War (1850) is commonly known by the shortened title White-Jacket. Melville served in the American navy for ten years, 1843-1844, on the USS United States (a sailing vessel). This novel, which is highly critical of the American Navy of that era, is based on Melville's personal experiences and also stories that he heard from other sailors.


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