James Norman Hall

An uproariously funny collection of sea tales from the coauthor of Mutiny on the Bounty—a cult classic available in print again for the first time in this century.

In Portsmouth, by the fireside of the Cheerful Tortoise taproom, British seamen regale themselves with tales of seafaring adventures and mishaps. Enter the one-legged Royal Navy surgeon, Doctor F. Dogbody, raconteur extraordinaire.

In each of the ten stories collected here, the good doctor recounts the loss of his "larboard" leg, and each story is more outrageous and hilarious than the last. Weaving rich historical detail into his fantastical tapestry, Dogbody encounters such real-life figures as Horatio Nelson, Thomas Cochrane, Benjamin Franklin, and Catherine the Great of Russia. Back in print for the first time this century, Doctor Dogbody's Leg is an enduring work of maritime fiction that perfectly balances humor and adventure.

"Dogbody is back! Gather around the fire with your mates and listen to this rascal tell you how he became unattached to his leg. I lost count at 12 or so, but by then you're hoping he loses it a thousand times!" —Keith Richards