Brave Old Salt

Brave Old Salt is one of Oliver Optic’s many novels for boys in his nautical and naval adventure series. The brave old salt of the title is the kind of experienced veteran sailor whose seasoned knowledge and demonstrated courage make him a model figure for the younger characters in the novel. Optic uses the brave old salt as either a major supporting character or as the primary protagonist depending on the specific novel structure.

Oliver Optic was the pen name of William Taylor Adams, a Massachusetts writer who became one of the most prolific producers of boys’ fiction in mid to late nineteenth century America with more than a hundred novels. His nautical fiction was popular both for the adventure content and for the practical sailing knowledge that young readers absorbed through the plots.

For scholars of nineteenth century American children’s literature or of the wider career of Oliver Optic, the various novels in his catalogue are essential. Many are now in the public domain.