A masterful tale of ''buccaneers and buried gold''. First published in the children's magazine Young Folks, and considered a coming of age story, it is an adventure tale of superb atmosphere, character, and action, as well as a wry commentary on the ambiguity of moralityas seen in Long John Silverunusual for children's literature then and now. It is one of the most frequently dramatised of all novels, and its influence on popular lore about pirates can not be overestimated.