"A Regency romance set on the high seas"--

The itinerant sailor Ishmael begins a voyage on the whaling ship Pequod whose captain, Ahab, wishes to exact revenge upon the whale Moby-Dick, who destroyed his last ship and took his leg. As they search for the savage white whale, Ishmael questions all aspects of life. The story is woven in complex, lyrical language and uses many theatrical forms, such as stage direction and soliloquy. It is considered the exemplar of American Romanticism,

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This book tells about a new recruit in the U.S. Navy as he goes through processing, training, testing, and finally graduation.

Three sailors have a 24-hour shore leave to enjoy New York. They are especially concerned with the female inhabitants of the city, and each finds his own to cuddle up with. Chip tries but can't resist the advances of a cab driver, Ozzie gladly fills the role of a lovely anthropologist's "prehistoric man, " and Gabey finds the model who poses for the Miss Turnstiles advertisements, who isn't quite the glamorous celebrity he envisioned.

A young American nurse from Little Rock meets the handsome and mysterious French planter on a South Pacific island during World War II. Seeking respite from the battles around them, they find refuge in each other as their romance blooms in the lush tropical paradise.