This is the remarkable memoir of Jean Marteilhe of Bergerac, who, after the revocation of the Edict
of Nantes in 1685, found himself condemned, like so many Huguenots, to the French Mediterranean galleys. Little is known of life on these oared vessels, so Marteilhe's racy account represents the only authentic record of a galley slave. A vivid depiction of the sufferings and conditions on the 17th and 18th century galleys, it is a unique and unforgettable account.

Jean Marteilhe was captured while trying to leave France in 1700 and served six years as a galley slave. His memoir was published in France in 1757 and he died in Holland in 1770.