Eugène Sue (real name Marie-Joseph Sue, 1804-1857) was a French writer whose life was closely connected with the sea and adventure. Born into the family of a famous surgeon who served at the court of Napoleon, he chose the path of a military doctor and in 1825-1827 he participated in the naval expeditions of the French fleet, including the Battle of Navarino, one of the largest naval battles of the 19th century.

Sue's literary career began in 1832 with sea adventure novels, which brought him his first successes. Later, he moved on to historical novels, then to salon stories about everyday life, but his greatest fame came from his social adventure works, including "The Secrets of Paris" and "The Eternal Jew".

This volume includes two of his early works, The Sea Robber and Plik and Plok, created at the very beginning of the writer's career. Already in these novels, Eugene Sue shows himself to be a fascinating storyteller, conveying the lively atmosphere of sea life.

The era of colonial conquests, including the capture of Algeria, awakened the French public's interest in exotic countries, and it is against this background that the events of his novels unfold. They feature proud and ambitious personalities, mysterious villains and insanely brave sea wolves, and the spirit of danger, intrigue and fearless adventures hovers over their destinies.

These works are a striking example of adventure literature of the 19th century, where the call of the sea, the storm of passions and the romance of distant wanderings draw the reader into a world of dangers, secret conspiracies and heroic deeds.