This is a tale based on Melville's experiences aboard the USS United States from 1843 to 1844. It comments on the harsh and brutal realities of service in the US Navy at that time, but beyond this the narrator has created for the reader graphic symbols for class distinction, segregation and slavery aboard this microcosm of the world, the USS Neversink. (Introduction by James K. White)
Chapters
1 I - Preface and The Jacket 7 min 2 II - Homeward Bound 5 min 3 III - A Glance At The Principal Divisions, Into Which A Man-of-War's Crew Is Divided 14 min 4 IV - Jack Chase 13 min 5 V - Jack Chase on a Spanish Quarter-Deck; <br />VI - The Quarter-Deck Officers, Warrant Officers, and Berth-Deck Underlings Of A Man-of-War; Where They Live In The Ship; How They Live; Their Social Standing On Shipboard; And What Sort Of Gentlemen They Are 30 min 6 VII - Breakfast, Dinner, And Supper 8 min 7 VIII - Selvagee Contrasted With Mad-Jack 12 min 8 IX - Of The Pockets That Were In The Jacket; <br />X - From Pockets To Pickpockets 12 min 9 XI - The Pursuit of Poetry Under Difficulties 12 min 10 XII - The Good or Bad Temper of Men-of-War's Men, In a Great Degree, Attributable to Their Particular Stations and Duties Aboard Ship 15 min 11 XIII - A Man-of-War Hermit In A Mob 8 min 12 XIV - A Draught In A Man-of-War;<br /> XV - A Salt-Junk Club In A Man-of-War, With A Notice To Quit 30 min 13 XVI - General Training In A Man-of-War 20 min 14 XVII - Away! Second, Third, and Fourth Cutters, Away! 8 min 15 XVIII - A Man-of-War Full As A Nut 4 min 16 XIX - The Jacket Aloft 9 min 17 XX - How They Sleep In A Man of War 7 min 18 XXI - One Reason Why Men-of-War's Men Are, Generally, Short-Lived 8 min 19 XXII - Wash-Day And House-Cleaning In A Man-Of-War 11 min 20 XXIII - Theatricals In A Man-of-War 18 min 21 XXIV - Introductory To Cape Horn 11 min 22 XXV - The Dog-Days Off Cape Horn 11 min 23 XXVI - The Pitch of the Cape 16 min 24 XXVII - Some Thoughts Growing Out Of Mad Jack's Countermanding His Superior's Order 13 min 25 XVIII - Edging Away 9 min 26 XXIX - The Night-Watches 9 min 27 XXX - A Peep Through a Port-Hole at the Subterranean Parts of a Man-of-War 9 min 28 XXXI - The Gunner Under Hatches 11 min 29 XXXII - A Dish of Dunderfunk 6 min 30 XXXIII - A Flogging 13 min 31 XXXIV - Some of the Evil Effects of Flogging 11 min 32 XXXV - Flogging Not Lawful 12 min 33 XXXVI - Flogging Not Necessary 14 min 34 XXXVII - Some Superior Old "London Dock" From the Wine-Coolers of Neptune 6 min 35 XXXVIII - The Chaplain and Chapel In A Man-of-War 11 min 36 XXXIX - The Frigate In Harbour.--The Boats.--Grand State Reception of The Commodore 15 min 37 XL - Some of the Ceremonies in a Man-of-War Unnecessary and Injurious 4 min 38 XLI - A Man-of-War Library 7 min 39 XLII - Killing Time In A Man-of-War In Harbour 18 min 40 XLIII - Smuggling In A Man-of-War 15 min 41 XLIV - A Knave In Office In A Man-of-War 27 min 42 XLV - Publishing Poetry In A Man-of-War 4 min 43 XLVI - The Commodore on the Poop, And One of 'The People" Under the Hands of the Surgeon 13 min 44 XLVII - An Auction In A Man-of-War 17 min 45 XLVIII - Purser, Purser's Steward, And Postmaster In A Man-of-War 8 min 46 XLIX - Rumors Of A War, And How They Were Received By The Population Of The Neversink 7 min 47 L - The Bay of All Beauties 8 min 48 LI - One of "The People" Has An Audience With The Commodore And The Captain On The Quarter-Deck 8 min 49 LII - Something Concerning Midshipmen 14 min 50 LIII - Seafaring Persons Peculiarly Subject To Being Under The Weather.--The Effects Of This Upon A Man-Of-War Captain 7 min 51 LIV - The People Are Given "Liberty" 14 min 52 LV - Midshipmen Entering The Navy Early 6 min 53 LVI - A Shore Emperor On Board A Man-Of-War 12 min 54 LVII - The Emperor Reviews The People At Quarters 6 min 55 LVIII - A Quarter-Deck Officer Before The Mast 5 min 56 LIX - A Man-Of-War Button Divides Two Brothers 9 min 57 LX - A Man-Of-War's-Man Shot At 5 min 58 LXI - The Surgeon Of The Fleet 12 min 59 LXII - A Consultation Of Man-Of-War Surgeons 8 min 60 LXIII - The Operation 28 min 61 LXIV - Man-Of-War Trophies 6 min 62 LXV - A Man-Of-War Race 15 min 63 LXVI - Fun In A Man-Of-War 8 min 64 LXVII - White-Jacket Arraigned At The Mast 13 min 65 LXVIII - A Man-Of-War Fountain, And Other Things 10 min 66 LXIX - Prayers At The Guns 12 min 67 LXX - Monthly Muster Round The Capstan 13 min 68 LXXI - The Genealogy Of The Articles Of War 8 min 69 LXXII - "Herein Are The Good Ordinances Of The Sea, Which Wise Men, Who Voyaged Round The World, Gave To Our Ancestors, And Which Constitute The Books Of The Science Of Good Customs" --The Consulate Of The Sea 17 min 70 LXXIII - Night And Day Gambling In A Man-Of-War 13 min 71 LXXIV - The Main-Top At Night 22 min 72 LXXV - "Sink, Burn, And Destroy."--Printed Admiralty Orders In Time of War 13 min 73 LXXVI - The Chains 9 min 74 LXXVII - The Hospital In A Man-Of-War 19 min 75 LXXVIII - Dismal Times In The Mess 6 min 76 LXXIX - How Man-Of-War's Men Die At Sea 9 min 77 LXXX - The Last Stitch 8 min 78 LXXXI - How They Bury A Man-Of-War's Man At Sea 3 min 79 LXXXII - What Remains Of A Man-Of-War's Man After His Burial At Sea 3 min 80 LXXXIII - A Man-Of-War College 13 min 81 LXXXIV - Man-Of-War Barbers 14 min 82 LXXXV - The Great Massacre of the Beards 21 min 83 LXXXVI - The Rebels Brought To The Mast 5 min 84 LXXXVII - Old Ushant At The Gangway 13 min 85 LXXXVIII - Flogging Through The Fleet 10 min 86 LXXXIX - The Social State In A Man-Of-War 8 min 87 XC - The Manning Of Navies 27 min 88 XCI - Smoking-Club In A Man-Of-War, With Scenes On The Gun-Deck Drawing Near Home 15 min 89 XCII - The Last Of The Jacket 12 min 90 XCIII - Cable And Anchor All Clear 8 min 91 The End 7 min
