Robert Louis Stevenson was born in 1850. He withdrew from engineering at Edinburgh University in favor of studying law. Although he passed the bar and became an advocate in 1875, he knew that his true work was as a writer. Between 1876 and his death in 1894, Stevenson wrote prolifically. His published essays, short stories, fiction, travel books, plays, letters, and poetry number in dozens. The most famous of his works include "Travels With A Donkey in the Cevennes," "New Arabian Nights," "The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde," "Thrawn Janet," and "Kidnapped."

• "It is a breathless journey and the closest thing to a real pirate adventure without an eye patch and a time machine... It is a unique work of genius." --Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl• "Who can think of a pirate without conjuring up the image of Long John Silver?" --Daily Mail