author
Jean Doublet
1655–1728
A French corsair and naval officer under Louis XIV, he left behind a vivid firsthand journal of life at sea in the late seventeenth century. His memoir blends adventure, discipline, danger, and the everyday texture of maritime life.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Honfleur in late 1655, Jean-François Doublet was a French corsair, sailor, and lieutenant of frigate who served during the reign of Louis XIV. He died on December 20, 1728, at Barneville-la-Bertran. Historical records consistently link him with Normandy’s seafaring world, where commerce, war, and privateering often overlapped.
Doublet is remembered above all for his journal, later published from his autograph manuscript as Journal du corsaire Jean Doublet de Honfleur, lieutenant de frégate sous Louis XIV. That memoir gives readers a rare first-person view of naval service and privateering in his era, making his work valuable not just as a personal story but also as a lively historical document.
Although he is sometimes listed simply as a writer, his importance comes from the way his writing grew directly out of an active life at sea. For listeners interested in memoir, maritime history, or the world of Louis XIV, his account offers the voice of someone who was there.