The Blue Clipper by Roger Starbuck
Price: $2.15
ePublished by
February 2026
Originally published January 17, 1871
Dime novel, Age of Sail
Author: Roger Starbuck
ePublished by
February 2026
Originally published January 17, 1871
Dime novel, Age of Sail
Author: Roger Starbuck
The Blue Clipper; or, The Smuggler Spy is No. 221 of the Beadle’s Dime Novels series. This one is a naval story taking place in the mid 19th century during a period of general peace in the young United States that lasted from the War of 1812 until the Civil War, a period when the nation’s navy was predominately involved in enforcing import laws, stopping illegal smuggling, and battling pirates. There is a romantic subplot and the author does a good job of keeping the reader in doubt about which of the various protagonists they should be rooting for, romantically and otherwise, until the very end of the story.
The author’s name, Roger Starbuck, is a pen name for Augustus Comstock, born in 1837, son of a journalist, who studied law but did not care for it and instead took to the sea, securing a position on a whaler. After a number of years as sailor he turned to writing sea tales and became a prolific writer of novels and stories for various publications. His experience as a sailor imbues his writing with a level of authenticity.
The author’s name, Roger Starbuck, is a pen name for Augustus Comstock, born in 1837, son of a journalist, who studied law but did not care for it and instead took to the sea, securing a position on a whaler. After a number of years as sailor he turned to writing sea tales and became a prolific writer of novels and stories for various publications. His experience as a sailor imbues his writing with a level of authenticity.