Cappy Ricks Retires

Book excerpt: One of the most popular fiction writers of his day, Peter Kyne gave us his most famous character in Cappy Ricks, curmudgeonly Scottish sea captain. This is-contrary, perhaps, to logic-not his final story, but only the second of several bestsellers Kyne produced about Ricks' oceangoing exploits. In this installment, a satisfying chunk of classic pulp fiction, Cappy Ricks sails up and down the Atlantic coast plying his trade while war rages in Europe. (The story is set several years before the book's 1922 publication date.) From sickness at sea to "the most inconceivable trades" being "consummated daily," this is a tale of early-20th-century nautical escapades that will delight fans of maritime adventure. American novelist PETER BERNARD KYNE (1880-1957) was born in San Francisco, California. From early on it was clear that he had a gift for writing, and his time in the army during the Spanish-American War and World War I gave him plenty to write about. Kyne's novels include The Three Godfathers (1913) and The Go-Getter (1921).