Other editions of book MOONFLEET

The novel is set in a fishing village in Dorset during the mid 18th century. The story concerns a 15 year old orphan boy, John Trenchard, who becomes friends with an older man who turns out to be the leader of a gang of smugglers. A much-loved classic story about a boy’s adventures among smugglers and thieves as he endeavours to discover the whereabouts of the treasure hidden by the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

In 1742 an orphan boy came to the fishing village Moonfleat on the coast of Dorset. He is the last man from a Mohune family who were once a well know and important people at this place. Once boy heard some noise from the the tombs of Mohunes under the churchyard. He became where interested, and asked reverend Mr Glennie about it. Story about Blackbeard that he heard in an answerd, shocked and amazed young man. Legendary Colonel John Mohune also called as Blackbeard, who was very evil man. By the legend, Colonel made a will where he left a precious diamond for village people but he didn’t mentioned where this treasure was hidden. So that the boy decided to find the treasure.

A tale of smuggling and mystery on the Dorset coast as told by John Trenchard, a boy obsessed with discovering the secret of Colonel 'Blackbeard' Mohune's hidden treasure. One night, trapped in the Mohune family vault beneath the church, John finds a locket round the Colonel's neck which contains verses from the Psalms of David. What could it mean? Elzevir Block, landlord of the local public house, who has lost his son in the contraband wars, befriends John and together they struggle to find the secret of Blackbeard's buried wealth. It is an adventure story full of action and misfortune spanning many years, two different countries and ending with a message to us all. About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as "excellent", "remarkable", "entrancing", "superb", "magic for sure", "masterly", "wonderful", "a class act" and "a splendid example of audio at its best".

Orphaned John Trenchard grows up in the village of Moonfleet with his aunt, entranced by the local legend of the ghostly Blackbeard, who rises each winter night to search for his lost diamond. While conducting his own hunt for the treasure, John is trapped in the church crypt and discovers the true secret of the village: smuggling. Taken under the wing of the gruff innkeeper and chief smuggler, Elzevir Block, John begins a dangerous adventure which will see him in a hair-raising chase along a precarious cliff path and deciphering a hidden code in an ancient castle. ‘Moonfleet’ is thrilling story of revenge and betrayal, of loyalty and great sacrifice, but it is above all a story about friendship.

J. Meade Falkener's timeless classic adventure story of smugglers, hidden treasure, mysterious ghosts and daring escapes. Written in 1898, the story has remained a much loved classic among children and adults alike, owing to its gripping storyline, sympathetic characters and swift narrative pace. The village of Moonfleet has been dominated by the Mohune dynasty for centuries. And even though the family has died out, according to local rumour, the ghost of the most evil of them, nicknamed Blackbeard, stalks the churchyard in search of his lost treasure. One night, following a heavy storm, the churchyard is flooded...and the next Sunday, strange eerie banging noises are heard from the Mohune vault under the church. While the rest of the congregation flees in terror, young John Trenchard is curious. And when he visits the churchyard again, to see whether the dead Mohunes are still making noises, he discovers a crack in the earth which leads to an underground tunnel. Convinced that this discovery will lead him to Blackbeard's treasure, he determines to return at night with a candle and explore. The tunnel leads direct into the Mohune vault...and John Trenchard finds himself unexpectedly in the middle of a smugglers' den...just as the smugglers themselves are arriving with their new cargo. Hiding behind one of the old Mohune coffins, John embarks on a series of adventures which will change the course of his life for ever.

John Meade Falkner (8 May 1858 - 22 July 1932) was an English novelist and poet, best known for his 1898 novel, Moonfleet. An extremely successful businessman as well, he became chairman of the arms manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth during World War I. He was born in Manningford Bruce, Wiltshire, spent much of his childhood in Dorchester and Weymouth and educated at Marlborough College and Hertford College, Oxford, graduating with a degree in history in 1882. After Oxford, he was a master at Derby School, then went to Newcastle as tutor to the family of Sir Andrew Noble, who ran Armstrongs of Newcastle, one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. Falkner eventually followed him as chairman in 1916, hard though this is to equate with his interest in poetry, architecture and heraldry.

"Moonfleet" (1898) begins as a mystery and an adventure story, a tale of smuggling set among the cliffs, caves, and downs of Dorset. What will be the outcome of the conflict between smugglers and revenue men? How can the hero, John Trenchard, discover the secret of Colonel John Mohune's treasure? As the book progresses these two interwoven themes resolve themselves into a third and richer one, with the friendship and suffering of both John Trenchard and the craggy, taciturn Elzevir Block. Falkner's feeling for history and for the landscape of his Dorset setting combine with his gift for storytelling to turn Moonfleet into a historical romance of moving intensity.

"Moonfleet" (1898) begins as a mystery and an adventure story, a tale of smuggling set among the cliffs, caves, and downs of Dorset. What will be the outcome of the conflict between smugglers and revenue men? How can the hero, John Trenchard, discover the secret of Colonel John Mohune's treasure? As the book progresses these two interwoven themes resolve themselves into a third and richer one, with the friendship and suffering of both John Trenchard and the craggy, taciturn Elzevir Block. Falkner's feeling for history and for the landscape of his Dorset setting combine with his gift for storytelling to turn Moonfleet into a historical romance of moving intensity.