Herman Melville (1819 – 1891) was an American poet and novelist of the American Renaissance, best known for his allusive adventure novel “Moby-Dick.” The part fi ctional story, part autobiography, “White-Jacket” is a remarkable, epic travel novel of its time. It is also one of the most politically oriented H. Melville stories, revealing in-depth all of the relationships in the Navy, its rules, and customs.